Following him down the hall, I couldn't see where Hestia had gone. Instead a woman in a crisp lab coat strode towards us. A line of cowering scientists trailed behind her. Her head was held high, her menacing high heels striking the floor. Her luxuriant hair an impressive contrast to her flawless skin. A wafting sillage of anesthetic lingered in the air as she strode past. (Ebony pictured above)
"Who was that?" I whispered.
"Ebony Aspen. She runs Ashfort. Everyone's deathly afraid of her. Some people say she's got a heart as dark as her name." He paused to grin at me. "It's ironic don't you think? That the Purest is named the opposite colour to white."
"White is actually a shade not a colour," I retorted.
"Whatever you say, Birdie," he chuckled, shaking his unruly hair out of his face.
The canteen was a collection of clamouring commotion: from the clatter of plates to the bellowing conversations across the room. Everyone was equal, everyone looked free. Everyone except for me. I shoveled my food into my mouth like a machine: emotionless and calculated. I was hiding under a mask. I didn't fit in. The air became stale, the walls edged closer and closer as my appetite diminished.
"Vesta, where's the bathroom?"
"You alright, Birdie?"
I faked a smile.
"Yep, I just need the bathroom," he pointed down the hall.
"Just keep going to end and turn left. If you're lost just yell and I'll rescue you!" Another grin fixed on his face as I left the table. If the blood hadn't drained from my face, it would have burned up in flames.
Following his directions, I made my way to the bathroom. My head began to swim, my eyesight clouded over, surging waves of nausea rose in my stomach, I stumbled from side to side. I began to sprint as I turned the corner, hand over my mouth suppressing the urge to retch. At the last second, I swung the cubicle door open, and threw myself on the floor, heaving as the contents of my stomach propelled into the toilet bowl.