Amaryllis had never really cared for reality. It always seemed too harsh, too rough. It was too unlike the book of fairy tales she kept in her suitcase. Reality didn't have fairies, magic, or true love that would rescue her, but Amaryllis was a firm believer in 'If you manifest it, it will come true'. She was adamant that if in her head she would be rescued and taken to a world where magic and true love were aplenty.
Amaryllis' adoptive parents disapproved of her 'flights of fancy', and believed that a girl should sit quietly and have a level head. They also believed that vanity was the root of all evil, and so made her and her sister Fern wear plain dresses and pull their hair back in simple braids.
They also believed that girls should be seen and not heard, and so when Amaryllis turned 12, her fantasies started to annoy them, and it hit the boiling point when she almost burned the horse down. Amaryllis had gone to follow a pink and blue sparkling fabric she had seen while baking the bread for dinner. She had returned home a few hours later to see that a fire had spread all over the kitchen. She had run to the well, screaming all the way. She grabbed buckets, water splashing over her dress. After the fire was put out, Amaryllis was told to pack her bags.
So that was how Amaryllis was sitting on a train, hurtling down the tracks to Mrs. Trueman's School for Young Ladies. This was a school dedicated to 'curing' young girls who were prone to having too much imagination. It was a school that her adoptive parents had been trying to push her to attend for years. They hadn't, however, had an excuse to send her until then.
Amaryllis angrily scratched the side of the train seat, determined to take out her frustration in any way possible, even if it was petty vandalism. When she had just managed to make a mark on the seat it stretched to a halt, and an announcement was made for all Mrs. Truemans' girls to get off the train. For a brief moment Amaryllis debated whether or not to just stay on the train, but in the end just grabbed her bags and walked off the train. She walked off the train and was met with around a hundred other girls or so all clamoring to find their friends and to remain girls for a few more minutes before they would be forced to become women. As she moved through the crowds she heard snatches conversation.
"-I can't wait to be out of this hell-"
"-Yes, they are getting-"
"-The scandal!"
"-Just until he gets back from France-"
Above the cacophony of voices, one in particular rose above them all. A tall, imposing woman, yelling out names and handing out uniforms. After a girl got her uniform she was herded into a carriage, which would then take her to the school.
Amaryllis started when she heard her own name called. She slowly and grimly walked over to the woman and received her uniform. The uniform consisted of a surprisingly soft fleecy navy dress, white stockings, uniform black buckled shoes, and a small white cardigan. There was also a jacket and umbrella for the coming cold seasons. All together it wasn't all that bad, Amaryllis thought The uniform, she corrected herself the uniform isn't that bad. I'm sure I'll hate the school. She told herself firmly, choosing to ignore the slight hint of doubt in her inner voice. How could she like something that was designed to squash all her dreams?