Chapter 2

Samara Shaw.

The day I got to Thorne Academy was my first taste of freedom.

The drive there took long hours. We lost every trace of civilization during the first hour. No houses, no factories, no restaurants, nothing. The only thing I saw was the road before me and the bushes that surrounded it. I didn't see a single being on our way there and at a point, it almost felt like it was a kidnap but even if it was, there was nothing I could do about it. The best escape I could think of was to open the door and jump out and that too was impossible. Two men sat at both sides of me and two other at the front. There were also two escort vehicles in front and behind me. Therefore, I couldn't even think of extending my arm to the lock.

I sat there in silence, multiple thoughts running through my head. I had no idea where I was going or what my fate would be. If I was murdered right there in that vehicle, no one would find my body and even if a miracle happened and I was found, the news would be covered up before it got to the public. My parents would to anything to keep their reputation. That was the reason I even got to where I was at the first place. They didn't want a single being tarnishing what they spent their entire lives working on and it wouldn't mean a thing cause that being happened to be a mere bastard. I knew my future in the mansion would not be good, not with all the rebellious acts I had pulled on them so my only choice was to leave but not with at least twelve men around me.

About five hours after, when we were right in front of it, I finally saw it. It looked like a whole city guarded by high fence and tall spikes at the tip. The bricks were deep red with vegetation growing to the very top. They were so thick, it was almost impossible to spot it from afar. The gates were also covered but when the car was just a few feet away from the entrance, I saw the engravings on the gate.Thorne written in block letters.

At first, I thought it I was in a crazy mental asylum. I had never been to one before, neither did I know how they looked like but I heard they were usually old and abandoned. Where I was fit the exact picture of what I thought one would look like. Mother always said they were fed once a day and was forced to eat greasy slimy beef every day. She also said they were always kept in straightjackets and some in chains like beasts. For a reason I didn't know, she knew quite a lot about mental asylums and always spoke about how I would end up there if I went too extreme. Her voice would be filled with pain and eyes in terror whenever she spoke about it. It looked like she was scared of the place and the fact she was keeping the reason a secret was too obvious to ignore.The same way she kept my illegitimacy from me, she would also hide that.

Could all of my previous acts make my parents think I was insane?

However, I wasn't so scared when I went through the entrance like I was during the ride. I guess I was scared of what my fate would be and when I found out it was a mental asylum, I wasn't so bothered. I was born a vegetarian and lived like that all my life but eating greasy beef all day was far better than bitter vegetables and fruits. Living in a straightjacket could be uncomfortable but what made it better than the mansion? I also felt imprisoned there, I was never allowed to leave or make friends with anyone. Maybe I would get the opportunity to make a few friends, even if they were insane.

I had thought of a million assumptions while the vehicle moved through the gates before I finally saw what it was. It wasn't an asylum or any of what I thought it would be. It was even better, it was an academy. My mother thought I would learn my lesson in a school. It was the most ridiculous idea I had ever heard in my life. Mother couldn't be more foolish to have brought me to where I always wanted o be.

Growing up, I was only let out of the house to attend special events with my family so Father had private teachers come tutor both my brother and I. He had his classes in his study room and I had my classes in mine. Jonathan was lucky enough to go along with Father to work after he turned sixteen while I was denied access. Mother always said only men were allowed to do so and the world out there was too dangerous for my innocent mind. Well, there I was, exposed to the dangerous world without my parents to protect me.

I was pushed out of the car rather too rough for an illegitimate heiress of the almighty Shaw family. A huge bag followed and none of the men offered to help me carry it or walk me to entrance of the building like they used to before. I guess they were ordered to treat me that way or they were just as tired of me as every other person. Either ways, I was so despised, they zoomed off immediately and left me in there all alone.

Behind me was an academy as huge as a whole city. It was bigger than the mansion I called home and I stood there in total amazement, gaping at the sight. Bright green grass covered the ground beneath my feet with a path from the gates leading to the entrance. There were huge statues close to the fence, all about ten feet away from each other. They were so tall, almost the height of the fence with some white and the others grey. They were in awkward positions, like they were trying to shield themselves from something above, like the sun. Their arm would either be above their faces or their heads would be turned down, as if looking away from the sky.

The building was a few feet away from me. The walls were grey with tall pillars at each side of the entrance. Gargoyles in form of angels sat at the top with their wings covering half of their body and heads facing down, away from the sky, just like statues. It was a five storey building with it's bricks looking very old, just like the ones used to make the fence. Nothing there looked modern, it looked like the school had been there for centuries.

"Hello Samara Elizabeth Shaw"

I was startled to see a chubby woman beside me. Her hair was the first thing to notice. It was bright red and puffy, almost twice the size of her head. It was chin length with a few strands silvery white and the tips loose and split. Her lips were coated with the same color of lipstick and her high leather shoes a darker shade of the same color. She had a suit on, black perfectly ironed skirt with a white shirt beneath and oddly a black bowtie. Her legs were short and chubby and so were are fingers as they onto a note and pen. A small three inch glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, slightly covering the black eye shadow on her lids.

"Welcome to Thorne Academy. I'm Lady Esther and I'll be leading you to the reception"

"Thank you, I guess" I ran my fingers through my hair. It felt so different with short chin length hair and free because it wasn't in a sleek tight bun. The curls went through my fingers with ease. Even though it was the messiest it could be with the ends uneven and some strands out of place, it felt better than my awfully fake hair. "Im sorry, who's going to help me with my bag?"

"Yourself" She said sharply "Now hurry up, we don't have all day"

She adjusted her glasses with her index finger and turned to leave. I was left with two huge bags and no idea how I would carry them to wherever she was taking me. I wasn't trained to do anything strenuous, my mother was completely against it and forbade I ever did such. She said only men should do that and no properly trained woman should carry things heavier than a purse. I followed that principle all my life, I didn't have a choice because I grew up thinking every girl should be like her mother.

The bag was heavy, probably the heaviest I'd ever had to carry but Lady Esther didn't look like she was going to render any help and even though I did sound like a spoilt brat, I had to admit I was one. I didn't grow up doing any work like other children my age, lived off my parent's money and depended on them for my even need. I wasn't any better than an undisciplined rich kid. As much as I wanted to tell myself otherwise, I had to embrace the truth.

I trailed behind the redhead with the bag hanging from my right hand and my entire body tilted to the left to support the weight. I took slow steps, half the pace of the woman before me and quickened my movement when I noticed she was feet away from me. I couldn't walk with her pace, not with the extra weight I had dragging me down.

I stepped into the building engulfed with the scent of wild roses and coffee. The atmosphere in there was soothing, the temperature was warm and I guess it had something to do with the vintage setting but something in there felt welcoming. The walls were covered with wallpaper and on them were images of cupids, angels and clouds. The pattern led up to the ceiling where a chandelier was hung right beside an image of the sun. Right in the middle of the reception was a small see through glass office with a single desk and chair. A shelf was right behind it, at least six feet tall and another beside it. It led to four hallways, all so long, I couldn't see where their ends.

It was beautiful.

Lady Esther stopped and turned to face me, looking just as annoyed as she did during my welcome. She adjusted her glasses and looked down at the book squished between her arm and chest "The female's hostel is located in the west wing, your room number is 105 and your roommate goes by the name Lucinda Coleman. Find your way."

"What?"

"The female's dorm is located in the west wing, your room number is 105 and your roommate goes by the name Lucinda Coleman. Find your way."

"I'm sorry ma'am but I just got here, I can't find my way through this maze. That's almost impossible"

"Exactly, almost" She said "Now hurry up Miss Shaw, lunch begins in a few minutes"