After today's ceremony, we all congratulated Elica. She had only flinched a little, but it's OK. She's still learning anyways.
The littler ones, are the ones to cry. The first two times they do it, it's accepted, after that it's heads off.
"Maria."Mom said walking up next to me as we were in our lines for repast. We weren't allowed to talk so I wasn't quite sure why she was talking to me.
"Maria!"Mom hissed.
"What?"I whispered.
"I need to talk to you in the library after lights out."She whispered.
"Are you crazy!"I said, my eyes bulging at her. She stood in front of me, walking solemnly.
"You won't get caught. Head Mistress and Ms.Hidie have a meeting with the men tonight."Mom whispered.
"Stop talking!"A woman yelled.
I kept my lips shut, and felt a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I did not want to get caught when lights were out. It'd never been done before, or someone hasn't got caught. We'd never discussed the consequences. I couldn't believe Head Mistress would even associate with men. They're dirty evil beings. Of course there was the fact that I had no idea what these 'men' look like.
I wondered what it was like. To be on the other half of the world. I wondered if their Academys' were as hard as ours? Or if they looked like us? Did they talk like us?
I put the thought in a file in the back of my brain, and sat down with my food. As repast began I had to struggle to keep up. I was so lost in thought about all else things that the girls would get a head of me. Every time I slacked off one lady would rap my knuckles with a stick. Of course the stick pulled flesh, and stung, but it was nothing. I'd had worse injuries.
When repast got over with we were sent to our dorms to get ready for bed. I went into the closet to change my clothing, when really I just put on my nightie over my dress. I didn't want to let Lily see that'd I'd actually be leaving. She'd for sure tell on me.
My closet had the same gray dress made from wool hung. It had the same black clunky shoes, and white knee high frilly socks. The only thing that was one of a kind was my brown petticoat for when things got chilly outside. I'd only been outside once. I saw large winged things flying about, and flowers. I saw the sun shining bright, and at night the sun disappears. It's replaced with some glowing white orb. I believed it a giant over grown star, but other girls insisted that it was another planet.
I wonder if there are other things out there. Other creatures roaming spheres of gas. I wasn't sure what the sun was either. It looked like a flashlight. Maybe it was actually a giant flashlight being shined down on us. Maybe it was God from the Bible. I wondered who wrote the Bible. It talked of Earth. I wasn't sure on what 'Earth' was, and I thought it must've been some extinct rare specie of dog. It did sound like one. The Bible also talked of men and woman being together. Adam and Eve. I couldn't believe of any woman being with an evil man.
"Maria it's time for bed."Lily whispered.
I looked at her, and took off the cords from my tab. I set the thing under my pillow an turned on my side. I had to watch for when Lily's falls asleep. I was curious to see what she wanted to talk about. The photo would be good now to show her. I wondered the words that would escape her lips. What'd she think of. Her facial expression, and her body movement.
I heard the soft whispers of Lily's slumber, and I rose from my bed. I took off my nightie, but let my hair flow down around my waist. I walked to the door, and gave one last look at the sleeping child, afraid it could very well possibly be my last.
I opened the door knob and poked my head out into the darkness. Everything was silent, the most quiet I'd ever heard. I took a step out, and held my breath. No one came to cut off my head. It was weird to be out alone. I'd only been out when I had to follow a line.
I took another step, and the weirdest thing happened. I felt the corners of my mouth turn up. I reached up to feel my new lips. A smile? I hardly ever smile. The feeling was foreign and far away. Was this what it was like to be free? To not have anyone telling you to do something. If so, I liked it.
I slowly began creeping along the concrete, in the general direction of the Library. I knew my mom was already there. I could already feel her pleasant presence. All the sudden when I was almost there, I heard voices coming dowm the corridor. The voice was husky and deep. It was like none I'd ever heard. My pointed ear twitched, and I turned in that direction.
Then I heard a seperate high voice. It was Head Mistress. They seemed to be laughing. The other woman was like no other. I heard them coming closer, and I quickly hid under a desk that had a glass case that held a picture of our founder. Head Mistress and the woman walked bye. Maria looked up and saw the back of their heads. The woman was wear pants and a dress jacket. A big no no. She had straight hair that wasn't even in a pony tale.
I felt like gasping. How could Head Mistress let such a woman walk through our Academy? Has she no pride? Then, she remembered what her mom had said. "She has a meeting with the men." That was no woman. It was a man.
She stood up once they were gone, and she quickly, but still quietly opened the doors behind her. She went and began looking throught the dark rows of books stacked neatly on shelves. She finally found her mother sitting on a chair, waiting patiently, staring into the abyss.
"Mom."I whispered.
Her head jerked up and a warm smile presented itself onto her lips. She got up to wrap her arms around me, squeezing me tightly. This kind of affection was unaccepted.
"You will have no idea what I just saw."I breathed out in exasperation.
Mom tilted her head curiously,"What was it dear?"She asked and pulled away from me slowly, still resting her soft hands on my shoulders.
"It was a man. It was so strange. He was nothing I expected. Have you seen them before?"I whispered.
Mom looked at me thoughtfully, and wide-eyed,"I have. They're quite odd yes?"
I nodded furiously,"I thought it was a woman. His voice was too deep. All I said was the back of his head."
"You must not tell anyone of what you've seen."She whispered shaking my shoulders lightly.
I nodded slowly,"OK. I won't. The man and Head Mistress were laughing though."
A flash of confusion went across mom's face, but it quickly left. She took my hand, and began dragging me around various shelves. I had no idea of where she was taking me, but I knew wherever it was, it was important.
She abruptly stopped, and I smacked into the back of her, making her stumbled forward, and myself stumble back.
"Thank you for the warning."I muttered rubbing my nose.
"Sorry dear."She whispered with a smile. She turned to a book shelf, and put her hands on her hip. She was searching for the correct book. When she pulled one the floor began to rattle, and it formed into a spiral staircase. It was right before my eyes.
My mouth hung open, and my eyes widened. Where had this come from? I had seen the book she'd pulled many times, I even picked it up to read the back of it, but it had never given me that effect.
"What is this?"I whispered.
Mom shrugged, and picked up the end of her long grey dress, and began descending down the stairs. I quickly followed after, her and at the last step the stairs came once again to their regular postion. We were trapped under the floor.
"So is this where you were all the times I couldn't find you?"I asked thoughtfully.
I heard something creak, and fire flickered to life on torches on the walls. Warmth from the fire began to make the damp, and cold tunnel feel more cozy.
Mom hadn't answered my question, but instead began walking. I turned behind me to see if there was another pathway, but it was a solid wall. I turned back around and mom had disappeared.
"Mom?"I whispered, and began running in the direction of mom. My heels clattered against the wooden floors, and my hands were out against the walls. I came upon a fork in the tunnel and sighed,"Thanks for waiting for me."I whispered angrily.
I went to the left, and quickly began walking. I froze when I heard the same voices from earlier. The deep husky one, and Head Mistress'. I crept closer, and came upon a large wooden door. I heard now several more voices. One was Ms.Hidies, and there was three other deep ones. One of the deep voices was a little more higher than the others. I leaned my ear against the door, and the talking continued. There was a hole in the door and I peeked through. What I saw made me drop my draw.
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