We Are Wildflowers

THREE

He sighs heavily, irritated that I just called him cute. "You will address me as 'Mr. Morrison'. If you fail to be respectful again, we will be forced to teach you a lesson," he states, his words calm but displeased. 

"Oh really? What kind of lesson did you have in mind, Sebastian?" I ask, waggling my fingers in the air to make quotation marks. I smile up at him, holding his gaze even though fear wells up inside of me again. If the mood struck him, I doubt these weird zombie girls would do much to stop Sebastian from having his way with me. 

Sebastian stares me down long enough to make my smile falter. He nods to the older of the two girls and she steps forward, as if she's stuck in a trance. "This is Lylie. She thought the rules didn't apply to her. Thought she was unbound by the laws of nature. Thought she could go around disrespecting and taunting men with little to no consequences. She was flirtatious and provocative and had the hearts of many young men in her hands. one night she decided to give herself entirely to one of her young admirers," he pauses, brushing Lylie's long brown hair off of her shoulder. 

I cringe, and I'm about to tell him to stop touching her, but he continues his story, cutting me off. 

"The debauchery did not stop there. Lylie lured eleven different young men into her bed within a few months. Eleven," he emphasizes as if it's the worst thing he's ever heard. "Lylie and her lovers were going to keep their heinous acts to themselves, until it was discovered that she was pregnant, and then the entire story came out," he says, his tone resolute as if it's his responsibility to recount this girl's crimes. 

"What did you do to her?" I can't help but ask, my words dripping with anger. 

"I would have let Lylie tell of her crimes herself, but I'm afraid little Lylie can't speak," Sebastian says coolly. They took her voice. Oh my god. They made her mute. My stomach turns.

"She no longer has the capacity to bear children either. In fact, she's had all of her sexual organs removed entirely." 

I can feel the bile rising in my throat. "You really are monsters," I remark, tears brimming my eyes. How can he be so cruel? My mother was right. This city is made of night terrors and nothing more. I glance back to Lylie, noticing her flat chest for the first time. This poor girl. She's nothing but another victim of a corrupt society. 

"If you consider keeping the laws of nature- keeping the proper order of things a monstrous act, then you are more naïve than I thought," he replies, and it's like he's not even phased by anything he's just told me. 

"So, you'd do the same to me?" I ask, fighting back my fear. "If I don't follow your rules?" 

"Not exactly. Different crimes warrant different punishments, Castine. If you continue to disrespect me you will receive a harsh beating for your defiance," he says simply. 

I shudder at the thought. "Why did you come in here?" I ask, wiping the last few tears from my cheeks. "Just to tell me that horrifying story?" 

Sebastian shakes his head. "No, I came in here because it's time to get you checked in and begin your reeducation," he replies. "We really are here to help you, Castine. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you," he tells me, giving me a small smile. 

"Well then you're wasting your time because I'm not going to go with you. I'm not going to adhere to your flawed system," I spit at him, wishing the wall would open up and swallow me.

Sebastian sighs again. "If I have to get the guards, this is going to be incredibly unpleasant for you," he says, that gentleness returning to his words. "Please come with me to my office."