Captured Witch

II. The School

I wake up to the sound of a bell. I stretch out and groan. I flip over onto my stomach and throw a pillow over my head. Someone timidly knocks on my door. “Come on Adalaide, you know the schedule.” 

Sarah opens my door and rips off my blankets. “You either eat supper now, or you won’t eat again until breakfast, which is promptly at 5am.”

I groan and swing my legs over the edge of the bed to sit up. Things moved on a strict schedule around here, which is why every time head-father has an assignment for me I’m quick to take it. “He’s not happy with me, is he?”

“Who, James?” 

I nodded my head.

“I’ve seen him in better moods, I’ve seen him in worse moods.” She said as she threw open my curtains.

I sighed and headed down to the dining hall.  Everyone was staring at me like I was an alien. Granted, I hadn’t been home in over a year but most of the girls knew me well. Then I remembered. It’s my clothes.  My attire wasn’t exactly approved by the school’s attire board.  All the girls here wore white button-down shirts with full length dull or pastel skirts. Meanwhile I had on a sports bra and cheerleading shorts. I guess I should have changed but I like my normal human clothes. I chose to ignore the judgy glares and took a seat at the table.

Dinner was simple and plain, as is everything here. We are taught to blend in, to not stand out. I’ve never followed those rules, but regardless they are taught to everyone. After dinner is “leisure time”. There are no phones, or any modern technology, so the girls just sit around and read, talk, or practice the arts. Thank goodness I was spared from this mundane experience, however, it felt like I was headed out of the frying pan and into the fire.  James had called me into his office, most likely for me to get a proper scolding about standing out in my assignment. As I walked to his office, slowly, I thought of my story, how exactly I was going to get out of this slip-up. When I got to his dark, oak door I raised my fist to knock. Before I could, the door swung open. “Come in, Adalaide” a deep voice said sternly.

I hesitantly walked in and stood in front of his cluttered, yet organized desk. He was standing, facing the fireplace behind his desk. “You asked to see me head-father?”

He turned around to face me. “Are you prepared with your perfectly concocted story about how this isn’t your fault? Or are you going to leave me to guess how all this happened?” He motioned for me to take a seat as he sat down.

I stayed standing with my arms by my side. “I swear I was careful. Only one person saw the mark that I know of. And he was just a mortal so-” 

“Only one person? You may as well have flaunted it for the whole world to see! What were you thinking? Have you completely forgotten everything we have taught you in your many years here? You have been here longer than any of the other girls combined. I don’t know why I bother sending you out of here anyway. You are too much at risk just stepping outside these borders, let alone doing whatever promiscuous activities you spend doing.”

“Cheerleading, that was my latest “promiscuous” activity that you are referring to base on my attire. I was on my way to practice when I was led on a chase, with a mortal in the vehicle.”

“Is that all you have been doing? Not sleeping around with head-cheerleader’s boyfriends and jumping off roofs to avoid getting caught?”

I bit my lower lip as I hung my head. “You think I don’t keep track of you when I send you on these assignments? An assignment you couldn’t even see to completion because you became so caught up in the human world that you forgot the purpose of why you were there. Do you have any information on what I sent you for?

I shook my head. Ashamed of the fact that he was right, I let myself slip many times. “Very well then. Here is your class schedule, and you know the school schedule well. Evening lessons take place in 20 minutes, enough time for you to dress. You may leave.”

I backed toward the door and as I left shut it loudly. I checked my schedule for what my evening lesson was. Potions, wonderful. Hopefully we will be learning some sort of poison. When I got back to my room an outfit had been laid out for me, a white shirt and an unfortunately dull gray skirt, along with “appropriate” undergarments. Oh, how I never missed this.