1 ACT I : DAFFODILS

I stare at the white sterile ceiling illuminated by dimmed-out warm lights.

Although the warm effect of the fixture is supposed to seem gentle to one's eyes, it looked all too bright, causing me to squint my eyes till i eventully thought to just close my eyes shut.

"Do you have any idea why your insomnia has reoccurred, Ingrid?"

The soft velvety material of the couch brushes against my fingertips as I continuously draw circles on it.

"Well Doc, I think its just the same ones as before. Like how mom and dad got separated when I was six, and that my family's preparing me for when I'm about to inherit the whole business one day. Oh and did I mention that they might send me to another boarding school?"

As what my inner self would have said, but like what I always do during my appointments with psychiatrists, I just say,

"Nope. Nothing."

My psychiatrist casually jotted down notes on her pad while taking a few quick glances at me lying down on the red velvet couch.

"That's all for today Miss Kingsley, Same time again next week?"

"Yes. Same time again next week."

My heels clicked against the marble floor as I waltzed my way out of her office and while I was at it, I waved goodbye to her secretary.

"Good Afternoon Miss Ingrid. The car should be waiting for you outside"

"I know. But thanks anyway."

I made my way out of the private hospital through its automatic glass doors and gently hopped into the car's leather backseat.

"How was your visit to the doctor, dear? Any newly prescribed medicine for your insomnia?"

"The visit was fine. And no, she didn't prescribe any new medicine for me this time, Dad."

Dad was holding a small crimson colored rectangular envelope with the gold letters R and U engraved on its black wax stamp.

''Your grandparents and I have come to an agreement that we would transfer you to a better school,"

"I think I kind of knew that already? But what's in it for me, anyway?"

Dad gestured his hand to the envelope placed by my side.

''Open it.''

As I was skimming through the bunch of letters and words inked on the crisp paper protected by the envelope, an unfamiliar name caught my attention.

"Rochefort University. You said this was a better school, how come I've never heard of it before? It's suspicious that it doesn't have a return address here. Is it in a different country? America perhaps? France? Or maybe near grandfather and grandmother's home in England?"

"I'm surprised you seem eager to know the details about your new school. But no, Rochefort is not in America, France, or England either."

"Then where is it?"

"I don't know."

For the love of-

"Wha-What do you mean you don't know?! Aren't you supposed to know where it is?!"

"Its not that I ultimately don't know where it is. And could you please drop that tone young lady?

Now, what I know is that Rochefort is located somewhere deep in the woods, far away from the city where we are right now. "

"Oh, great Dad! How is a school that is 'somewhere deep in the woods' better for me?"

"Oh come on Ingrid, the very reason why Rochefort is hidden away in the woods is because it is the ideal school where people like you are expected to go to. Aren't you wondering why you're holding such a letter in your hands saying the university has accepted you, when you have not even taken a test to get in?"

Dad cautiously explained to me in a mellow-like voice.

"People like me, what kind of people like me then?"

I crossed my arms against my chest and tore my gaze away from him.

"The people, no, children who could someday be important figures of our world, Ingrid.

Rochefort exists so those particular students are given the best education as an effort that you will be able to use the skills you have gained in the near future.

Yes, it is a given that Rochefort seems like a school that only the elite can afford, but some scholars are given the privilege to be able to study there.

And there are also students that are heirs to several businesses that have already been studying there long ago.

So, yes. People like you Ingrid. Your mom has also agreed to this just so you know."

How could Dad even dare to use mom as a way to persuade me into this... I can't even believe him right now.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this for Mom. But I hve to visit her first before going there."

-time skip-

It has been a week since my Dad and I's argument in the car and I've only got three sweet days of freedom before going to Rochefort University.

Fortunately, Dad agreed to let me visit mom at my grandmother and grandfather's house and let me stay the night there for the rest of my three days before going to the university.

Mom has always been the one I was closer to than my Dad.

Although both of my parents live apart, I still call mom everyday or stay where she is for a week before coming back home with Dad.

I still find it odd though that I have never been lucky to know the reason why Mom and Dad got separated.

My family wouldn't tell me why no matter how much i budged them to, so I decided to just stick to my own deduction like basically thinking they just had a misunderstanding where not one of them wanted to back down or maybe they got a little pressured at being the heirs of their own family's business since they were young and married to each other at that time.

But no matter how many deductions fill my mind, I know that even if all of those were to be combined into one it will never be enough to prove why my mom changed drastically after their separation.

Mom was never the same, always spaced out, frequently shifts from being happy to sad in a snap, and never talking that much anymore compared to having been given the nickname 'chatterbox'.

But whatever the reason was it must have been so grave to have my mom change that much...

It is all too... suspicious.