Chapter 2 CHAPTER TWO
Scarlett's POV
We rolled into a courtyard. Carved into the stone archway above the entrance were the words: BELLAMY INSTITUTE.
The van stopped. The engine cut out, leaving a heavy, terrifying silence. I stared at the dark windows, wondering if I would ever walk back out of those gates alive.
The back of the van opened with a loud metallic bang that made me jump. Before I could even get my bearings, a guard reached in, grabbed my arm, and hauled me out onto the gravel. My legs felt like jelly after the long ride, and I stumbled, but he didn’t give me a second to find my footing. He gave me a hard shove toward the stone steps of the main building.
"Move it, Rowe," he muttered as he uncuffed me.
Waiting at the top of the stairs was a woman who looked like she hadn’t smiled in a decade. She wore a sharp charcoal suit and high heels that clicked rhythmically against the stone. Her hair was pulled back so tight it seemed to pull her eyes into a permanent squint.
"I am Ms. Nina," she said, her voice clipped and dry. "I teach social behavior and history. You are late."
I opened my mouth to explain, but the van’s engine roared behind me. I turned just in time to see it disappear through the heavy gates. The iron bars slammed shut with a heavy thud that made my stomach drop. I was alone.
Standing there in the shadow of those massive stone walls, I felt a wave of isolation that was even heavier than the day my mother died. At least back then, I was in a familiar house, even if it was filled with empty bottles and Greg’s shouting. Now, I had nothing. I thought about my biological father. I hadn’t seen him in years, but a small, desperate part of me wondered if he even knew where I was. Would he ever come looking for me?
"Don't dawdle. Follow me and walk fast," Ms. Nina commanded, turning on her heel.
I hurried to keep up, my legs still shaking slightly. As we walked through the entrance hall, I realized that "Institute" was just a polite word for a high-end prison. The ceilings were high and the hallways were spacious, but the windows were narrow and reinforced with steel. The floors were polished to a shine, but there was no warmth here. It felt cold, sterile, and completely inescapable.
We passed a courtyard where a group of students stood in a circle. They weren't playing or laughing like normal teenagers. They were big, some of the boys looked like grown men, and they had mean, hard expressions. One girl with a shaved head watched me pass, her eyes tracking me like a predator watching a wounded animal. I looked down at my shoes, wondering if I would even survive until sunset.
We arrived at a sleek, modern office. A secretary with a bored expression didn't even look up as we approached. She slid a folder across the desk.
"Schedule, locker combination, and dorm assignment," the secretary said.
Ms. Nina snatched the folder and flipped through the papers, humming softly. "A good load of labor and ethics. Appropriate for someone with your... history." She looked at me, a small, unpleasant smile touching her lips. "I’ll give you a brief tour. Enjoy the niceness while it lasts, Scarlett. This is the only time anyone will be polite to you. I suggest you endeavor to make powerful friends quickly. It’s the only currency that matters here."
"Who are the powerful people?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"You’ll find out soon enough," Ms. Nina replied. "Usually, they find you first."
The tour was a boring, depressing affair. Ms. Nina pointed out the cafeteria, which looked more like a mess hall, the library with its locked glass cases, and the solitary wings for students who couldn't follow instructions. Every corner of the school felt designed to remind us that we were owned by the state.
Suddenly, a loud, shrill bell rang, echoing through the halls. It sounded like an air-raid siren.
"That’s the bell for second period," Ms. Nina said.
We stopped in front of a row of lockers. I found mine which was number 412. I fumbled with the combination, my hands shaking so much I had to try three times before it clicked open. I shoved my meager bag inside, keeping only my schedule, two fresh notebooks, and a pen.
Ms. Nina pointed down a long, dimly lit hallway to the right. "That way. Room 22. Don't be late, or you'll spend your first night in the solitary wing."
Without another word, she walked away. Her heels clicked into the distance until there was nothing but silence.
I stood there frozen. The hallway seemed to stretch out forever. I felt a panic attack rising in my chest, making it hard to draw a full breath. I started walking, my footsteps sounding way too loud in the quiet corridor. I had no idea where I was going even though Ms. Nina pointed out the right direction to me before she left.
"Hey! Are you new?"
I spun around. A girl was jogging toward me. She looked tiny and innocent, with bright eyes and a friendly smile. She wore her uniform neatly and had her hair in a cute ponytail. She looked like a regular high school student, not a criminal.
"Yes," I said, my shoulders relaxing just a little. "I'm Scarlett."
"I'm Katie," she said, stopping beside me. She looked me up and down. "You look so lost. I remember my first day. I cried for three hours in the bathroom."
I felt a rush of gratitude. "I'm trying to find Room 22. I don't want to get in trouble on my first day."
Katie looked at my schedule and beamed. "Oh, we have the same class! Advanced Civics. It’s right around this corner. Come on, I’ll walk with you."
As we walked, I couldn't help but wonder. Katie looked so sweet. "If you don't mind me asking... why are you in Bellamy?"
Katie giggled, a sound that seemed too cheerful for this place. "My parents said I had a problem with fire. But honestly, they just wanted me out of the house so they could travel. You'll find out that half the kids here are just in the way of their parents' social lives. As long as they are still under 21, they can be enrolled here with the right connections.”
Oh I see. Talking to Katie made me feel a bit better. Maybe I had found an ally. We reached a heavy wooden door with the number 22 painted in gold.
"Here we are," Katie said, stepping back and gesturing toward the handle. "Go on in. The teacher is usually already at the desk."
I took a deep breath, adjusted my notebooks, and pushed the door open.
Fwump!
A heavy cloud of white powder exploded over my head.