Once you board the train, both you and Abigail are approached by one of the attendants.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask your...coloured friend to move herself to the back car, this car is full." He glares daggers at your new friend. You look at the seats in the car, they're all empty. Liar.
You cross your arms and huff, but Abigail simply smiles, "Yes sir, I understand. I don't wish to overcrowd any more than needed." She looks down at you and pats your head, leaving your bag at the attendant's feet before stepping off to head to the back car. You sneer at the attendant as he moves your bag to the overhead storage.
"We'll be departing soon, please take a seat." He says with a pleasing grin. You trudge over to the seats and take a spot.
With a groan and hiss, the train whistle blows and suddenly you are on your way to Baltimore. You lean against the glass and sigh, the trip is going to take five hours, and oh how you wish you had someone to talk to. You glance to the back of the car to a door that reads "Colored Only", sighing louder. You could try sneaking back there, but the stuffy attendant would probably find you and escort you back to this car.
Bored, you pull out your slingshot and shoot invisible stones out into the passing scenery. You make little impact noises with your mouth, as if you were actually hitting things. A smile tugs at your lips as you knock an invisible horseman off his loyal steed. You feel your mind drift into imagination.
Suddenly, you're on horseback, arms tightly wrapped around one of your brother's waists as he leads everyone across the stretch of plains back home. They all whoop and holler as they drive the large heard of cattle back to the farm. The thundering of hooves across the dry dirt rolls like a mighty storm and you squeal in delight. The barns come into view over the horizon and the cattle dash straight for it. Everyone slows to trotting as the steer wander into the large barn. Your brother hops off the horse and motions for you to hop off as well. But you opt for something different.
You reach into your pocket and pull out your sling shot, then load it with a pebble.
"Lookit! I'm one-a those deadeyes!" You draw the pebble back and laugh.
Suddenly the horse starts to trot away and your brothers fade into nothingness.
"B-Boysies?" You murmur, and look over your shoulder, only to see a stretch of darkness. Smoke rolls across the barren ground. The sound of distant screaming startles you as the horse trots farther into the nothingness. You hear someone crying out in pain, but then the sound of a train whistle drowns it out and startles you awake.
"Miss, we've arrived." The attendant lightly shakes you awake and hands you your luggage. You yawn out a "thank you" and stumble off the train into the bustling station. You search around for Abigail, but have no luck in finding her. Perhaps she had already gone off and on her way.
You manage to weave your way through the endless sea of people in the station and stagger out into the streets. A new array of sights and smells assault your senses. The bitter scent of fresh fish from the harbor, the taste of salt in the air, the countless marina flags wave in the breeze from the ships traversing in and out of the harbor. You spin around and sigh at the wonderful sights before bumping into a pair of legs.
"Ow…Sorry." You apologize and look up at the person you bumped into. The first thing you notice is her hair, it's a stunning red in colour and it's tightly pulled back into a bun.
"It's quite alright." She comments and looks down at you with shocking blue eyes. A chill runs down your spine, "Tell me, where are you headed all by yourself?"
You push your nose up with a finger and tilt your head back, and then with the snobbiest voice you can muster you say "Madam Yvette's School for Girls." The woman next to you chuckles slightly and points down the street.
"Keep heading that way, good luck." She turns away from you and you nod before dashing down the street past all the vendors and shops.
The school comes into view, its stone pillars reaching up into the sky. The fieldstone walls are covered with ivy vines that seem to spill out past the front gate. The sign overhead looks freshly painted in dull green. Every window is shut tightly despite the warm spring day. You purse your lips and stare at the building. The whole place looks stuffy, boring, and uninviting. You prefer to be back home, helping out your brothers instead.
"But I can't let them all down…" You declare mentally and trudge up to the front doors. You softly rap your knuckles against the wooden door and wait. In the distance you can still hear children shrieking in delight and vendors bargaining with customers. The doorknob creaks and turns before the door itself opens slowly.
"Good afternoon, welcome to Madam Yvette's School for Girls. Now who are you dear, the new student?" An elderly looking woman asks, she looks sweet enough. You nod and answer with your name and shuffle a little uncomfortably. She invites you inside and you step onto the creaky wooden floor.
"Now I believe some introductions are in order." The woman blows a shrill whistle and a line of girls march down the stairs and stop at the bottom. All their uniforms are clean and pressed. Dresses reaching their ankles, hair tied back ponytails, shined shoes, along with lifeless expressions. You twist your finger through a lock of you (length, color) hair.
"I am Madam Yvette, the headmistress. These will be your classmates." She motions to the other girls who just stare you down, "Now girls head back to class, I'll show our newest young lady around." the girls disperse and the headmistress begins her tour of the school.
As the two of you pace through the halls, you tune out Madam Yvette's droning and mindlessly follow the elderly lady. Everything about this place just bores you. All the colors are some sort of dull, no pictures hang from the walls, and everything smells like dust. Hopefully the other girls here are a lot more lively. You sigh and follow the headmistress up the stairs to the sleeping quarters.
"Here is where you will stay." You look at the neatly folded bunk beds and huff softly before moving your belonging to an unclaimed bed, "Be down for dinner in fifteen minutes." And with that she leaves you alone with your thoughts.
You begin to unpack your things and pull the photos from your pockets. You line them all up on the nightstand and sigh, already feeling homesick.
A few minutes pass and a swarm of girls all march into the sleeping quarters. They all ignore you and pull their dining smocks over their dresses before walking back out and down stairs. Purse your lips and dress yourself in the standard uniform. It itches your skin and has no pockets. You frown, where else are you supposed to keep your slingshot? Or any other neat things you may come across? With another huff you pack away the rest of your belongings before shuffling on your own dining smock and stumbling down the stairs.
"You're late." The headmistress scolds.
"I am not. It's exactly fifteen minutes!" You retort. The other girls all stare at you like it is the end of the world.
"Did you just...talk back?" her hands tighten around her cane.
"No, I just...was pointing out a fact..." You look down and scuff your shoe on the floor.
"Sit."
You obey and watch as the other girls all whisper to each other then poke at the meal on your plate. At least this looks good. You take a bite and instantly melt, it tastes just like the way you mother cooked back at home.
"Alright (name) tell the girls a little about yourself." Madam Yvette seems to hiss.
"Alrighty...I'm (name, surname)...I'm ten years old. My ma and pa run a farm with my six brothers. I like to ride horses and shoot my slingshot...and yeah, that's about it!" You finish with a smile. Once again all the girls seem to whisper and glare at you. You can already tell your next eight years will be nothing but hell.
The next morning you wake up to find your pictures stolen. The other girls are already getting dressed as you roll out of bed.
"Alright! Who stole my photos?!" You pick up your sling shot, load a pebble and aim it at the other girls, "WHO DID IT?!" The girls all shriek and scramble out of the room.
"(Name)!" Madam Yvette shrieks, "It is very unladylike to threaten others! DETENTION!"
"But my pho-"
"DETENTION" She grabs you by the ear and drags you to a small room, "You will sit here for one hour, then you may go to class." she closes the door behind her. This is going to be a great school year.
It had been a year now since you had enrolled in the academy, angry tears rolled down your cheeks as your pen scrawled across the stationary.
"Momma, Pop, Will, George, Jesse, Jacob, Danny, and Sammy,
I don't like it here. Not one bit. The other girls here all tease and poke fun at me cause of where I'm from. They try and spook me and get under my skin, but I know better. Momma I'm behaving for you. Madam Yvette is really mean, the other day she locked me outside in the alley IN THE SNOW. I was out there for an hour before she let me back in. A week ago, we were all out on our walk and this little rat scurried up my sleeve. The other girls got all scared, so I tossed the little thing at them and they all scattered off like mice! But then Headmistress locked me up in the 'Naughty Girl' Box, it has nails and the like in it. I don't try to get out, I just wait. Like the good girl you want me to be Momma.
Love, (Name)"
The only letter you received a month later was,
"Dearest (name), we know that you feel out of place, but this is for your own good."
The response did not sit right with you. You had hoped that everyone would have sent their own letters, each one to be a mile long. But no, this response was less than lackluster. However, if you even tried to investigate, Madam Yvette would surely have your hide.
Another year passed and on your twelfth birthday you had a bizarre nightmare.
A strange man was reaching through a wall to grab you. He spoke something that you couldn't quite understand. He looked inviting however and you outstretched your arms to be taken away from wherever you were.
Upon waking up you pulled out your stationary and began to write your yearly letter.
"Everyone,
It's been two years now and I don't think I have learned anything useful. The arithmetic is easy and the grammar is a breeze. We have lessons in Latin, but when would I need that? Then there is etiquette. Oh I hate that class. We have to learn how to make stuffy conversation and what fork to use when. Honestly I don't care. As long as I get to eat, I'm happy. Madam Yvette really hates me now, just ask the welts on my back from her cane. I put a snake in her bed to get that beating. One of the bigger girls here burned all my photos of you, so I did what Pa would have wanted and slugged her a good one. Sure I got beaten up pretty bad, and Yvette locked me up for a whole day, but seeing that girl's black eye and bloody nose made it worth it. Sorry Momma, I had to do it. I miss you all so much. Please write back.
(Name)"
But once again the only letter you received was
"Dearest (name), we know that you feel out of place, but this is for your own good."
You finally came to the conclusion that your letters weren't making it outside the school and that someone was interfering. Now you had to take matters into your own hands, regardless of the punishment.
You spent an entire year plotting your revenge on the evil Headmistress , memorizing every nook and cranny of the building so that your plan would be flawless. You didn't care if Madam Yvette kicked you out on the streets, she deserved everything that was coming to her.
It had been four years now since you enrolled, and time for your plan to take action. You pulled out your stationary and smiled smugly.
"Oh Miss, dear, lovely, Madam Yvette,
Thank you so much for isolating me from my family. Thank you for letting the girls tear up my dresses. Thank you for locking me up in my own room, giving me time to plan out your demise. Thank you for all the bloody scars on my back from your crop. Thank you so much for letting Greta chop my hair. Oh thank you so much for giving me Hell.
Your Favorite Girl
(Name)"
You sent off the letter, knowing that soon you would have revenge.
Then the day comes when your world shatters. You plan to set your revenge in motion, but fate seems to have other plans.
It is mail day, you look on your pillow to see the envelope already opened. You squint and grab the letter, pulling out its contents, awaiting what you assume to be Madam Yvette's response. It is a long letter that reads:
"Our dearest (name),
Something terrible has happened, just this past year your father contracted pneumonia. As of now, we are in the worst drought of the century. With your father still recovering and the crops failing, we have no choice but to cut our funds for your schooling. I have already written Madam Yvette about the matter and she said that she could work out an arrangement. "
You cannot bear to read the rest of the letter as tears fall from your face. Someone knocks at the door.
"Go away!" You cry, but the door opens anyways.
"Now now, is that how you treat the woman in charge of your life?" The headmistress coos, two movers enter the room and begin confiscating your belongings. You charge at the woman in the door frame and slug her hard across the jaw. The movers quickly apprehend you as Madam Yvette twists open her cane to reveal a riding crop. She swats you against your temple, then your cheek, then your stomach, and your back. You howl in pain as the stinging scores begin to bleed.
"From now on, you are nothing but property." She hums and lifts your chin with the crop. You snort and spit in her eye, earning you several more lashes across your stomach.
"Gentlemen, escort her to her new home." The two men drag you down the halls like yesterday's dirty laundry, making sure you feel every bump of the stairs as they escort you lower and lower into the school. They stop at the top of a cellar door and hold you above the stairs. For once in your life, fear fills you as you stare into the darkness below.
The men toss you down the stairs and you tumble down, everything seems to move in slow motion, and for a moment your world turns to static as your head crashes against the stones below you. Within seconds your world turns black.