We Are Wildflowers

NINE

"You're an intelligent girl, and with a little more time I know you'll come around," Francisco tells me, discreetly tapping his right wrist with his left index finger.

My eyes fall to his wrist. If he hadn't pointed it out to me, I never would have noticed it, or I would have mistaken it for a scar. But it's not a scar. There's a small inverted triangle tattooed on his wrist, only a few shades darker than his skin. He's like Valas.

"Please come with us," he begs, winking at me.

Finally, I give in. "Alright. I'll come with you," I say, closing the gap between us. Archer nods approvingly from across the room and it takes everything inside of me to keep from spitting at him. He exits the cell first and as Francisco and I follow he leans over, whispering in my ear.

"There are ways around the system, Castine. There are always ways. You just have to find them."

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When I get back to my room, I'm expecting to find some cheerful, short Petunia look-a-like standing there, patiently waiting for me. But I find a tall girl with long blond curls and bright blue eyes sitting on the bed that's been empty for weeks, instead. She's absently twirling the ring around her finger, not bothering to look up at me.

"Uh... hi," I greet as Francisco closes the door behind me. When she doesn't respond, I continue. "I'm Castine."

"Elaia," she replies, still not meeting my gaze. "It's nice to meet you," she adds dryly. She looks like she's been crying.

"It's nice to meet you too," I reply hesitantly. "Are you new here?" I ask, taking a seat on my own bed across from her's.

She shakes her head, her silky blond curls flouncing as she does. "No. I've been here before," she tells me vaguely.

This confuses me. "Then why haven't I seen you around?" I ask her.

"I was here a little over a year ago and then I graduated. But my father decided that I wasn't obedient enough so he sent me back," she says sadly, finally meeting my gaze.

"Oh my god," I whisper, receiving a shock of pain for swearing. I glare down at the stupid bracelet on my wrist, wishing I could rip it off and shove it down Sebastian's throat.

"You shouldn't swear," Elaia tells me. "They don't like it."

This is exactly what I was worried about. "Who cares what they like?" I ask, throwing my hands out. "This whole system is garbage." I receive another shock of pain.

"Because the more that thing shocks you, the worse it gets and the longer it will take for the burns to heal."

"Burns?" I hadn't even realized that the damn thing was burning me. What the fuck?

"Yeah. Wait till your skin starts peeling," she adds, still twirling the gold band on her ring finger.

I shudder. "How can you be okay with all this?" I ask.

"I have to be," she replies simply.

This makes me angry. It physically hurts to see how brainwashed this girl is. I know it's not her fault, but she could at least try to think for herself. "No, you don't!" I snap, making her jump. "You don't have to be okay with any of this!"

"It's better than ending up in the terrible place," she replies quietly.

"And what exactly is this terrible place?" I ask skeptically, folding my arms over my chest.

Elaia shrugs. "I'm not entirely sure. I don't know what it's called but sometimes girls go missing," she says, laying back on her bed. She stares up at the ceiling as if it's the most interesting thing she's ever seen.

"Maybe they died," I tell her carefully, wondering what special kind of lunatic I got stuck with. Sebastian probably did this on purpose, that fucking bastard.

"They're not dead," Elaia replies before I've even finished talking. "People talk about my deceased family members often. But there was this girl who lived in the house across from ours. Her name was Anna. I would wave to her every morning when I would tend to the roses out front. One day she was there and the next, she was gone and nobody ever mentioned her again," she rambles on, talking so fast that I almost don't catch what she's saying.

"If they were dead, people would talk about them. Nobody talks about the missing girls," she tells me, sitting back up. Her vibrant blue eyes are so intense, they seem to burn holes in my soul. "That's how I know they aren't dead."

I stare at her for a long time, taking in what she's just told me. It sounds crazy, but it would make sense. Sebastian warned me that there were severe consequences for acting out. Is this what he was referencing- this terrible place that Elaia seems so afraid of? Is this how they really get the girls in the city to behave? By threatening them with some great, unspoken evil? The thought makes my stomach turn.

"If you know what they're doing to these girls, why don't you do something about it?" I ask her, finally, running my fingers through my damp curls. Thank god I was allowed to shower again.

"There is nothing to be done," Elaia replies softly, smoothing out the fabric of her skirts. "Our opinions are irrelevant. Nobody wants to hear us ramble on about a place we know very little about. They don't want to hear us ramble on about anything at all. They want quiet, respectful girls," she tells me and I can't tell if she's being serious, or mocking.

I don't know what to say to this. She sounds so dejected. She knows she's being treated unfairly. But she doesn't think anything can be done about it, so she goes on playing their stupid little games as if nothing is wrong. I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry for all the girls that have been raised this way. They've been told that they don't matter.

"Where I come from, girls are allowed to be whatever they want," I say finally, bracing myself for the shock of pain that will inevitably come. Except, it doesn't. That's weird.

"You're one of the girls they caught recently, aren't you?" Elaia asks, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

I nod. "Yeah. My brother and I were both taken from our home. I don't know where he is, but I hope he's safe," I say, even though I know he's probably not. I can't let myself think like that.

"I'm sorry about your friends," Elaia says, going back to spinning the ring on her finger and I wonder if she's promised to someone. "I really am."

"What do you mean?" I ask her, a bit of fear welling up inside of me.

She meets my gaze once more, staring at me from across the room for what feels like forever. "I thought you knew," she whispers so quietly that I almost don't hear her. "They were scheduled for execution a few weeks back."

Hate floods through me at that moment. My friends and neighbors- the people who helped raise me. They've been murdered. Tears fill my eyes and I am unable to hold them back. The people I once called family are now dead. They've been murdered. I guess I always sort of knew that the men that run this city would do that to them. But I didn't want to believe it. I was holding out a small sliver of hope that they wouldn't be that evil.

But if everything that Elaia has just told me is true, they are far more evil than I ever could have imagined. I don't know if this strange city girl can be trusted. I don't know if she's being honest, or not. But I do know that somehow I'm going to make these bastards pay for what they've done.

------- Author's Note -------

Hello, there Loves! What did you think of this chapter? Do you think Elaia and Castine will be friends, or do you think drama will ensue? What do you think this terrible place Elaia keeps mentioning is? Drop your thoughts about this chapter in the comments below! Thank you all for continuing to read We Are Wildflowers! If you're really enjoying the story don't forget to vote!

I will also be posting another update a little later today. That's right! This week there will be TWO updates instead of just one, so stay tuned! I would also like to remind you all that once we reach the 5K mark, I'll be posting a special bonus chapter from Valas' POV, so be sure to tell all your friends about We Are Wildflowers! Thank you all!

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