The lights were blinding when I opened my eyes. My heart was hammering in my chest as I looked around. I was met with the same palm trees and Charlotte's worried face looking down on me.
"Mary! Are you okay down there?"
I felt the tears sting before they rolled down the corner of my face. Of course it didn't work. But I wasn't giving up yet.
I stood up, my uniform already drenched by the muddy water. Charlotte gave me a hand and pulled me up from the ditch.
I'd expected her to make fun of me but she didn't. Instead she rubbed soothing circles at my back, not minding that it was getting her hand dirty.
"I'm still here," I whispered. "What am I supposed to do now?"
"I'm sorry." Her words felt sincere. "We'll figure something out."
Together we walked back to the dorm, ignoring everyone that asked what was going on. Charlotte took me to the bathroom where she helped me undress because I couldn't do it myself. Luckily, there was no one else around.
"Do you think I'll be stuck here forever?" I asked her as she rinced out the dirt from my hair at the sink.
"What I think, Mary, is that you were brought here for a reason. It's hard to understand that we're in an alterate word that you created, but I do believe that it's possible."
"Possible?"
"What was your life like before you came here?"
I didn't say anything as she squeezed water out of my hair.
She must've noticed my discomfort. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'll get your towel for you, then take your uniform to the laundry room."
I held the sink, unable to keep myself up on my own feet. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just…my life is miserable. A sob story that I don't want to bore you with."
She put her hand on my shoulder. "I don't mind. Actually, I want to know you better. If that's okay."
My smile was tight. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm leaving the school tonight. I don't know what's beyond the gate but it's much better than living someone else's life."
Her hand fell to her side. "I understand. I'll get your towel."
She left with my dirty uniform which made me feel like shit. But the fact that I was stuck here made me feel even worse.
I showered in silence, muttering a 'thank you' when Charlotte brought my towel and my day wear. We went back to the room, each burdened with their own thoughts.
I'd managed to piss off the one person that genuinely cared for me. I waited until it was lights out and Charlotte was sound asleep before finding my way out of the dorm.
I made sure to stay out of sight so their sister patrolling the grounds wouldn't see me. I waited a couple more minutes before they went back to their quarters.
The gate was a big black monster which had been surprisingly left unlocked. Something was going smoothly for once, because I wouldn't be able to leave otherwise. It was too tall for me to climb over.
I slid the bold out of its place, grateful when it didn't make any sound.
I was about to pull it open when I felt someone grab my shirt from the back. I screamed.
"And where do you think you're going?"
It was the headmistress.
Shit!
"I just…wanted to…" I couldn't make a coherent sentence.
"You're coming with me." The anger was evident in her voice. "Looks like I didn't discipline you enough the last time."
I said nothing as she dragged me across the courtyard and into her office. "I don't know how you were raised or what school you attended before this. But I do not tolerate tardiness or a lack of discipline from my students."
I swallowed hard. How was I supposed to get out of this?
"I just…" I risked a look at her face. It was drawn into a tight frown. "I don't want to stay here anymore."
"And you couldn't come to tell me? You thought sneaking out in the middle of the night was the best option?" Her voice thundered and I recoiled.
"If you had succeeded in running off into the night, and God forbid something happened to you out there. Who do you think would be responsible for it?"
I remained quiet. I learned the hard way never to speak back when someone was angry, and that every question was rhetorical.
"Who did you plan this with? There's no way you pulled this off alone."
I immediately shook my head. I didn't want Charlotte to get in trouble because of me.
"I did it all by myself."
She squinted her eyes at me, like she could smell the lie from miles away.
"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson." She picked up the landline. "Come to my office."
I stood there, heart racing.
What was she going to do to me this time? I can't stay in the isolation room again, I nearly lost my mind the last time.
"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I don't know what I was thinking. I promise never to do it again, I'll be on my best behavior." I rambled on. "But, please…don't throw me into that room."
"Keep quiet."
That shut me up, my eyes swinging to the door when it creaked open.
Ms. Duval walked in. She looked at me, then at the headmistress.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I found her attempting to sneak out of school." The headmistress sat down. "Barely two days ago she tried to…" she didn't want to say it.
"She has already been in the isolation room," Ms. Duval replied. "I think she just needs counseling."
"I didn't ask what you think, Ms. Duval. I called you here so you can discipline her." She picked up something from the floor. It was a measuring stick.
I gulped.
"Take her to the detention room. 20 strokes." She turned the stick. "We'll talk about counseling when I know she's learned her lesson."
"I already said I'll never do it again." I started to panic, immediately going down on my knees. "Please don't hit me, I promise I'll behave from now on."
"You should've thought about that before trying to run away." She gave the stick to Ms. Duval. "I'll leave you to it."
Ms. Duval took the stick, her face expressionless. "Come with me."
.
.
The detention room was beside the headmistress's office. No doubt she'd be expecting to hear me scream my lungs out.
Ms. Duval said nothing as we entered the room. There was a huge desk in the center and two long benches on each side.
She gestured to the desk. "I'm sorry."