A/N: Just a quick note today, I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing this story so far. I appreciate you all - and thank you to my new Beta Taylor who has been fantastic! I couldn't ask for a better Beta.
I hope you enjoy this chapter - and please review if you have the chance.
"Holly, where have you been?" Brook asked.
"Miss Rainee wanted to talk to me about my parents." Holly lied.
Brook raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, O.K. Well we gotta go to Sex Ed."
Holly frowned, "Crap, how late are we?"
"Only ten minutes." Brook said.
Holly and Brook walked into Rose Wilson's sex education class. Harley was already sat down waiting for them with two free chairs beside him.
"Girls. Why are you late?" Rose asked seriously.
"Miss Rainee was talking to Holly in our cabin, I was waiting for her. Is that a crime now?" Brook said walking across the classroom to get to a free seat.
"Did Miss Rainee give you a note?" Rose's eyes shot to Holly seeing her as the quiet, targetable one.
Brook looked up seeing Holly stumble the words 'No miss.'
"You wanna smell my hand miss? Will that be enough proof for you? We weren't having sex!" Brook's temper began to fizzle away.
"Take your seat Holly. And you, what's your name?"
"Brook."
"Brook you have just earned yourself and Holly a detention." Rose turned her back and continued to write on the old black board.
"You've really done it now, you know that?" Harley whispered.
"Why? She's the one with a problem, she thinks because we're ten minutes late we're getting down and dirty. Says more about her than it does me."
"It doesn't matter who it says more about. Detention here isn't just sitting in a classroom writing lines or keeping your mouth shut."
"The fuck are you talking about?" Brook said starting to worry.
"My brother got put in the hole for the night. He nearly froze to death. They're extremists Brook, these people can do whatever the hell they want with us, we got dumped here remember. They can and they will do whatever they want. You gotta learn not to fight or at least, pick your battles."
/
I was sat at my desk after what I can only call an experience with Honey and William. It was then that I got an unexpected call. I looked up searching the squad room for Munch; it took a waving hand and a paper ball to get his attention. I hung up the phone and placed it back in my pocket.
"We've got a meeting with Richard Hues." I said.
"I know, we've been preparing for it all day."
"No, I mean right now. He called to schedule a meeting with us now, without Skai. He said something about seeing the parents at short notice gives you less time to panic and he wants to know our reasons for sending Skai without her being there so we can speak freely."
"Well if he wanted to catch people off guard he sure knows how to." Munch said with a smile. "Well, come on then sweetie, let's go and meet Mr. Hues."
Munch made me smile, he held out his arm like a gentleman, "Let's get changed Mr. Munch."
"Let's Mrs. Munch."
Cracking smiles we changed our clothes and took privately a rented Bentley to Camp Refuge. I had my hair down, more make up than I was used to and a cream coloured body hugging skirt and matching jacket. I had diamonds in my ears, and around my neck. I have never felt so fake my entire life. I'd have turned up in sweats and sneakers if it was up to me. We pulled up to the gate as was let in by the guard who was waiting for us.
We were greeted by Richard Hues as we got out the car.
"Mr. and Mrs. Munch I'm so glad you could make it. And in such good time too."
"Well, we would have been here sooner had my already beautiful wife not redone her hair." Munch said with an adoring smile.
"You know I never leave the house with a hair out of place." I said back holding Munch's hand.
"Well, we wouldn't have it any other way." Richard said, "Please follow me. As you can see we have the biggest camp in New York, there are a couple of small rehabs, but they're not effective like we are. We re-program our campers, rehab centres say they treat the gays. Some people think it's the same thing, but it's not." Richard turned on his feet, "So, what makes you want to send your daughter here?"
"I'll explain." I smiled, "You see, we adopted our daughter when she was three weeks old. She's always been more comfortable in clothes that I would consider tom-boy clothes. She never really had a lot of friends at school and the ones she did were boys. I found her diary and saw exactly what has been going through her mind recently. She has been having these ideas of what she wants to do with her English teacher Miss. Sanaria."
"Oh I see, so she hasn't got your DNA, that may explain it you know. There are theories at the moment saying that being gay is a choice. Now I believe that you are born a particular way because of your DNA. I believe the choice to act upon the devils demands is the problem. If you have devil DNA, your child will too and you're creating a line of devil children."
"I couldn't agree more." Munch said.
We arrived at Richard's office and he offered us a seat each. Munch and I sat down, it was all very woodland cabin in his office, I felt like I'd just stepped into another state being here.
/
"Class is dismissed. All but you two girls. You stay." Rose said looking at Holly and Brook.
As the class filed out, all eyes were on Brook who still looked cold and switched off.
"Brook you will rapidly find out that every teacher has different methods of punishment in this camp. If you do not make an effort here, you will not leave."
"Yes Miss." Brook said remembering what Harley had told her earlier.
"Now, I want you to come with me." Both girls followed Rose out of the classroom, around the back to an old ship container. "This is where my punishments take place. Now, both of you stand on the stools!"
Brook looked around the container; it seemed very empty and very cold. There were two stools in the middle and a curtain. The girls got up on the stools; Rose pulled the curtain to one side and revealed her weapons of choice. She pulled a set of handcuffs along the poles and cuffed both girls so they had one hand each side of the bar.
"Crying will get you nowhere, scream and you stay here longer. No one is coming to save you, because you have to save yourself. And the way you save yourself is to learn." Rose kicked away both the stools leaving Holly and Brook to dangle.
Holly prepared to drop, she tightened her arms bracing herself for the impact. She lowered herself down, breathing slowly to take the edge off.
"Jesus Christ, I think my wrist's broken." Brook moaned.
"Is that a complaint?" Rose asked picking up a riding crop.
"No Miss." Brook said fighting back tears.
Rose pulled Brook's trousers down and whipped her bare legs. She smiled to herself hearing Brook's painful cry. "Every tear that falls will be another thirty minutes in here Brook. Are you crying?"
"No Miss. Wilson."
"Are you leaning anything?"
"Yes Miss."
"What are you learning?" Rose said pulling on Brook's leg making her whimper.
"I've learnt that crying doesn't work, and I must be polite and respect you."
"What's made you learn that?" Rose whipped Brook's bare thighs twice.
"You did Miss."
"You're just saying what you think I want to hear Brook." Rose whipped her again, this time breaking skin. Brook cried out, this time tears falling from her eyes.
"I see tears Brook, I see three tears. That's forty five minutes of extra play time. Oh, and another one, oh poor baby, there's another one. Go on make it two extra hours. I dare you to not cry!" Rose lashed out again, and again striking Brook on her legs, back and face.
"Stop it! Brook don't listen to her O.K? Listen to me, just me. You can do this, you're stronger than this. Just stop crying, think of Italy. Think of the place you most love to go to in the world and go there." Holly said.
Brook looked up, tear tracks slowly began drying; "Me and you against the world Holls." Brook managed.
"Did you think this was sharing time? I knew you were fucking, when did this romance blossom?" Rose walked up to her curtained room and came out with weights attached to wire. "Holly, I've been neglecting you I see, well, I can change that. Here is five pounds of extra weight for those tiny wrists of yours to carry."
Holly refused to cry, she refused to even whimper as the wire began cutting into her ankles. "Yes, Miss."
"Oh you're going to be a tough case to crack huh?"
"No Miss, I respect your rules and will not cry." Holly said blankly.
"Oh, you're going to cry alright." Rose retrieved more weights and hung them from both girls' ankles and waist.
Brooke let out an almighty scream, "Let me out of here! Please, let me out! I'll do anything!"
"What was that?" I asked hearing a girl pleading.
"Don't worry about that Mrs. Munch. Here at Camp Refuge we don't hurt our campers. We teach them. Some of the campers scream to get attention. That's all."
I gave Munch a look and he knew exactly what I was thinking. The girl I could hear screaming was crying out in pain. "It doesn't look like a classroom." I said ignorantly.
"It's not, that's Rose Wilson's detention room. Everything she practices has been proven very effective. Would you like to meet her?"
Munch and I looked at each other and nodded, "Sure." Munch said with a smile.
Richard opened the door and called out Rose, she came out with flushed cheeks but a smile on her face.
"Rose, this is Jennifer and Sam Munch. They'll be enrolling their daughter tomorrow."
"It's nice to meet you." Rose said shaking both our hands.
"Richard, can I have a quiet word?" Munch asked.
Richard and Munch walked off leaving me with Rose.
"Mr. Munch, what can I help you with?" Richard asked.
"Please call me Sam." Munch leaned in, "My wife you see, she can be a bit... funny when it comes to punishment..."
"I understand Sam, a lot of mom's worry. It's to be expected, you don't have to worry about your daughter; she's in safe hands."
I couldn't work out what Munch and Hues were talking about, but it gave me a chance to talk to Rose. "Richard said this was your detention centre. Do all teachers have one?"
"Oh no. All teachers have different methods of punishment here. I help campers build character and strength. I teach them about pain being in the mind. I'm actually in the process of teaching two young ladies now."
"What boundaries do you have for punishment?"
"None! Absolutely no boundaries. We live in a very specific way Mrs. Munch; our campers must live the way we live and learn the lessons we have to teach, only then can they find their real life boundaries. You understand?"
I nodded; I felt sick and tried everything I could not to show it. "I completely understand, I tried punishing our daughter, she just doesn't listen. I lashed out a few times; it was the only thing that worked with her."
"Sometimes, physical punishment is the only thing that works Mrs. Munch. Sorry, you'll have to excuse me. I need to check up on these girls."
"No problem, thanks for your time." I wanted to sneak a peek at the girls she had hidden away but before I had a chance to think about the best way, Rose had slipped back into the container. I heard another cry, but then everything went silent.
"Are you ready dear?" I heard Munch say softly.
I took Munch's hand and we walked away from the container. It took everything in me not to burst through the container door and see what was going on in there, I felt Munch squeeze my hand, he must have felt me holding back. I needed to know what was happening here; but I would have blown my cover completely had Munch not stopped me. I wanted to save those girls, and Munch knew it.
"Remember the bigger picture dear." Munch said in my ear.
I nodded; it was all I could do to stop myself. "I know." I whispered. I had to fight my natural instincts, this wasn't just about Jenny Ranger anymore. This was about every child held captive in Camp Refuge. That was the bigger picture.
