The City Of Abyss

Chapter One

"Abigail!" I threw her a pillow. "You need to get up!" I demanded as I continuously smack the pillow on her sleeping body. "We're late for our Upbringing Class."

She fluttered her eyes open, "What price must I pay to not be a lady?" She groaned and stood up from her small bed, "We are always molded into something we are not."

I tied my hair into a bun, "To be born as a woman to this world, is like being born as a prey into the den of lions." I turned my head to Abigail, "Will you help me with this corset?" She agreed and help me tie the corset around my torso, "We are ought to pay something we never signed up for." I continued as she tightened the ribbons of the corset which made me groan and complicated my breathing for a while.

"Ladies." We turned our head towards Eloise where she is standing by the doorway with her golden hair tied neatly, "It is time." She said emphasizing the word time with sternness.

We heard heavy footsteps approach our dorm. "Selena!" Hazel said my name with a taunting tone as she tries to catch her breath, "Headmistress Collins is looking for you." Her eyes landed on Abigail, "You look like you got back from hell." She said with her brows furrowed at Abigail in her nightgown.

"This." Abigail pulled the ribbon of my corset tighter, "Is hell." Referring to our school- The Damsel Orphanage Academy where they teach us how to live properly, and fit to be a wife or in other words. A maid to a man.

Hazel opened her mouth to speak but she was stopped by a long stick hitting the wall. "What on heavens are you doing here?" Headmistress Collins eyed Eloise and Hazel then Abigail and me, "The first day of Upbringing lesson and you all four imps are late."

I grabbed my blue uniform with a black ribbon and wore it, "Eloise and Hazel have nothing to do with this mess-" I was cut off when headmistress Collins slammed her black stick to the table beside me.

"What a churlish child!" She looked at Hazel and Eloise then to Abigail and me, "It is a rule here to respect me as your second mother and as the headmistress of this school."

Headmistress Collins sighed heavily like the weight of the world is on her shoulders, "Today is the day where one of the greatest businessmen in town chooses his wife. It is a great responsibility to prepare my ladies and present them as a desirable wife." Her tone switched to mellow but there is still vexation underneath it, "I was not planning to make any of my girls wear the flagrant lace, but now I shall order the four of you to wear it."

"But-" Abigail didn't finish her sentence because headmistress Collins looked at her with dagger eyes.

"Seal your mouth Abigail," She looked at her from head to toe, "And clothe yourself with a uniform."

Abigail was about to speak, but I nudged her, "Pardon us, headmistress Collins." I bowed my head and leisurely lifted it, "We will desist on prattling and start studying."

"As you must." headmistress Collins grabbed the knob of the door, "You four will receive your punishment after the Upbringing class." She looked at us one last time and shut the door.

Abigail turned the knob of the bathroom, "I shall escape from this hell sooner or later." She closed the door and took a bath while I fix my uniform.

"I never really understood her punishments." Hazel slouched on my bed.

I plastered a mischievous smirk, "Sit like a lady Ms. Jones for it is a must." I caricatured headmistress Collins, "My students must obey and desist from the desire of liberty for it leads to death."

Hazel played along and sat up straight, "Oh pardon headmistress Collins, slouching and breathing from this suffocating corset does lead to a detestable death." Hazel sarcastically replied and clicked her tongue. "Oh, I am such a foolish damsel!" Hazel face palmed herself and gracefully covered her mouth, "Ha ha ha," She turned to us and flashed a hoax smile, "Ha ha ha." She caricatured the laugh we are taught.

Eloise rolled her eyes and joined me laughing at Hazel still mimicking headmistress Collins' laugh and posture. Abigail got out of the bathroom wearing our blue uniform with a black ribbon in the middle, and her damped ginger hair tied into a bun.

"I am not fond of this corset, it devours my intestines," Abigail said with exhaustion in her tone.

"Rules are rules," Eloise replied. "We are not to break them and we are ought to study now." She flashed us three a slight smile, "We should go to our classes." Eloise turned the knob of the door and made her way downstairs.

Hazel lazily stood up from my bed, "Obedient as always."

All of us three followed Eloise downstairs from our dorm to the Upbringing Class. Although running in the hallway is strictly f*******n, we didn't have a choice but to run because Eloise is already a meter away from us.

Eloise stopped in front of a door and peeked at the tiny window. "This is humiliating." She whispered to us looking at the ongoing class.

Hazel and I stood next to Eloise peeking at the small, squared window while Abigail slipped through under Eloise because she is three inches smaller than her. Inside the room are four rows of chairs with five students each, and at the back are four vacant seats reserved for us four.

"I am only a few inches smaller, yet it feels like I am under a tree." Abigail sighed, "Eloise?" She lifted her head up a little to face Eloise.

"Mm?" Eloise replied.

"Would you be so kind and supply me a few inches of your height?" Abigail said. "I have been your faithful friend for 17 years. You even consider us your sisters! Sharing your secrets to us for a wonderful height won't be a crime."

Eloise chortled at Abigail, "Later, our priority right now is to study."

Abigail nodded and stepped aside as Eloise knocked and opened the door of the classroom. All of their heads turned to us, some looked annoyed, disgusted, some didn't bother at all.

"And that is all for our first Upbringing Class." The mistress looked at us while writing on the green board. "Class dismiss." She said giving us four a stern voice and dagger eyes.

The students gracefully stood up, hugging their books close to their chest, and with their heads high up they made their way out. The four of us stepped aside the door to make way for them, but the vile ladies of the school purposely bumped Eloise's shoulders which made her jaw clenched. But despite that she still kept a good posture, chin up, and her face calm as ever.

Mistress Olivia erased the writings on the board, and shoved her small chalk inside the small pocket of her sapphire uniform.

"Lesson One was about how to raise a newborn." She pointed at the vacant seats and motioned for us to sit down. We did as told and sat beside each other, "Just to inform you, if you give birth to a child. It won't wait for you and you need to be on time at the hospital."

She stopped and slowly walked around the small room, "If you fail to be on time, there will be consequences for you and the child." Mistress Olivia stopped in front of me and slammed the brown, long stick, with the name of the school carved in golden calligraphy at my desk. I flinched and tried to hide my fear, but Mistress Olivia noticed it. She used the end of the stick and leisurely lifted my chin, "Fear tames the untamed."

She removed it and continued, "Just like in my class. It cannot wait, for if you made it wait there will be consequences for you and your grades." Mistress Olivia turned her heads to us, "And the possibilities of finding a husband."

"But I don't want to." Abigail whispered under her breath.

"Finding a husband Ms. Fulmer is a must." Mistress Olivia replied with sternness in it. "How foolish for a woman to not want a husband." She scoffed, "My dear!"

"And how foolish for a woman to think it is a necessity." Abigail whispered under her breath once more. But this time she made it a lot softer so Mistress Olivia wouldn't hear it, but failed miserably.

The corner of Mistress Olivia's eyes twitched in anger, her gray eyebrow shot up, and her mouth slightly formed an O shape.

Mistress Olivia's eyes were now filled with anger and her pale face turned into a tomato. "Churlish child!" She shouted at Abigail and slammed the stick on her table. Abigail did not flinch, neither dared to look at her in the eyes.

"Pardon us Mistress Olivia." Eloise spoke up to save Abigail from opening her mouth and Mistress Olivia losing her control. "This won't happen again."

Mistress Olivia inhaled deeply, "Broken promises have consequences." She put down her stick and switched to her calm state, "First warning."

Eloise closed her eyes in relief for awhile and faced Mistress Olivia, "Thank you so much mistress." She gracefully bowed her head.

"Off you go. The flagrant lace is punishment enough for your incivility." Mistress Olivia huffed and fixed her things.

"Thank you." Eloise replied.

She gracefully stood up and eyed us three to do the same. The three of us stood up and followed her to the headmistress' office to receive our punishment.

"That was not necessary Abigail." Eloise silently scolded her. "I respect your beliefs and all, but don't get us into trouble with your open mouth."

"Eloise is right, we already have enough trouble for today. We all know your beliefs, as a matter of fact we all share the same one. But today isn't the day to let words fall freely out of your mouth." I replied.

Abigail sighed, "I am terribly sorry for what I did. I should've thought about my actions and its consequences."

"Not everyone share the same beliefs like we do. Our aunt raised us into a," Hazel stopped to look at the people around us to see if anyone is listening. She leaned in close to us and whispered, "A group of activists."

I nodded my head, "We shall lay low and keep our mouth shut, so they wouldn't suspect a thing about this group that we promised not to share." I sighed remembering all the oaths we pledged, "Many died for this group. We shall not speak."