Roselyn was glad to finally get out of that hellhole they called a school. The stuffiness and body odor together made it hard to breathe, making it feel more like a prison than a place of learning. Not that Roselyn actually went there to learn. She only went to school because the government made her. She wasn’t interested in learning anything from a place that treated her more like a caged animal than a human being, always herding her from one place to another. Roselyn was sick of it.
The fresh air was warm and inviting, the slight breeze whipping her long, silvery hair behind her. She was tired of wasting her days sitting at a desk all day and getting into fights with peers that knew nothing about her. Nobody in Godiva truly knew her, but everyone, especially the government, sure acted as if they did. It’s not like Roselyn ever had a choice in the matter; she had no parents or guardians, so the government took it upon themselves to wedge their way into her life. Except they were more like dictators than actual parents with all the strict rules and regulations they put on her. The whole country was a prison for her.
Roselyn kicked the stray pebbles on the sidewalk as she sat on one of the benches under a big oak tree at the school’s entrance, keeping her head down so she wouldn’t have to look at anyone. It’s not like she was excited to go home, not that Roselyn would call the place overfilled with rowdy girls and a witch of an owner her “home.” Principal Barysen probably already called the head of the house, Madame Eladora, to tell her what an evil person Roselyn was. Madame Eladora’s punishments were always tedious, like writing “I will not hit my classmates'' 100 times or washing dishes and cleaning bathrooms. Nothing that would actually make someone change their behavior, especially Roselyn.
Sometimes when she was particularly angry with Roselyn she’d have the “discipline committee” punish her. It was just a group of girls who hated Roselyn and took pleasure in ganging up on her. Three or four of them would hold her down while the rest beat her up. It was the only way any of them could even land a hit on her. Roselyn knew she could take each of them on individually with no problem. Even this punishment didn’t affect Roselyn anymore; she was numb to the pain. It wasn’t even worth getting revenge on them. They were Madame Eladora’s precious dogs and would take any opportunity to rat her out.
Maybe this they’ll exile her from this awful place altogether, realizing that punishments and juvenile detention were only giving her more of a reason to fight back. She survived just fine without Godiva’s help and she could do it again. It was never her choice to stay here.
“Excuse me, miss?”
Roselyn looked back to see a large man with broad shoulders and dark skin standing behind her. He had a long, curly beard that matched his hair. He gave her a friendly smile that made her stomach turn. Something seemed… off about him. What right-minded adult would be lurking around a school after hours? Only those that wanted to kidnap children and got pleasure from overpowering someone smaller and weaker than them.
“What do you want?” Roselyn barked back, folding her arms over her chest.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” he replied in the same deep, smooth voice as before. “I was just wondering if I could talk with you for a moment or two.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Roselyn turned back so she couldn’t see him anymore. This way, she could take off running without having to waste time turning back around. “Someone might call the cops if they found out a man was harassing students on school grounds,” she said, hoping that would get him to leave her alone. He looked fairly strong, but Roselyn would still fight him off if she had to. She wouldn’t let herself be kidnapped again, not by a man who thought she was small and weak because she was a girl.
“You sure are feisty.” He chuckled. “Alright then,” he replied. “I’ll be on my way then.”
“Great.” Roselyn let out a small sigh of relief. “Stop bothering me.”
“I guess you’d rather me not tell you about Minami Nolan.”
Roselyn’s heart stopped. She hadn’t heard that name in a long time. Her chest tightened as the memories of Mimi, her mother, flowed through her mind. There wasn’t a day that went by where Roselyn didn’t think about her. But how did someone like him know about Mimi? Was he part of the group that was after her all those years ago? Had they finally caught up to her?
Roselyn spun around so fast that her hair whipped past her shoulder, almost hitting her in the face. “How dare you speak her name,” she growled. She was seething with rage again, ready to fight. “Who told you about her?”
“Relax,” the man replied. He took a step back and held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not here to hurt you, Roselyn.”
“Who are you?” she continued. “How do you know me and my mother?”
“I can’t disclose that here in the open.” His eyes scanned the area. “But I wanted to give you the opportunity to meet with me. There, I’ll answer all your questions,” he answered as he pulled out a piece of paper from his jean pocket and handed it to her. “Here, come to this address. Meet me there tonight and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Roselyn snatched the paper from him and opened it up. The address was for an apartment the next town over. It wasn’t far, 20 minutes by train or about an hour by walking, but a strange man telling her to meet him alone at his place filled her with unease. Her thoughts were still racing. She wanted to hear what he had to say about Minami but didn’t feel safe meeting him in an isolated space. This man seemed to know a lot about her, more than she wanted anyone to know. What else did he know about her and her past? Was baiting her with information about Mimi a sick trick to lure her into an isolated place?
“How do I know this isn’t some kind of trick?” Roselyn glared at him. “It’s unusual for an older man to invite a high school girl to his place alone at night, especially on school property. Don’t make me get the police involved,” she threatened. Stories like this were always all over the news. Small children walking home from school would suddenly vanish without a trace, never to be found. Or older men sweet-talking high school girls and asking them to come over, only to murder them and defile their corpses. These were the lowest human beings in society and deserved a punishment far worse than any beating she could give.
“Of course.” He nodded. “Minami raised you well. I’d be more worried if you blindly trusted a stranger.”
Roselyn’s blood boiled when he spoke her mother’s name again. Who was he to waltz over here talking about her mother so casually like that? It was over 4 years ago since she died, but Roselyn would never forgive those that kidnapped her and killed Mimi. She knew it would be foolish to fight an entire cult herself, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to find out more about who was responsible and make them pay, and if this man had answers, it could help her find peace and finally come to terms with her mother's death.
“Let me sweeten the deal a bit. You want to leave Godiva, right?” he continued, reaching into his pocket again.
“What of it?” She snapped back. “I’m sure a lot of people want to leave this shitty place.”
“I know of a way to get to the other side,” he explained as he handed her a folded map. “To get to the other side of the wall.”
“You know how impossible that sounds?” Roselyn sighed, taking the map from him. She had been trying to find a way to get on the other side of the wall for years, but the only people with access were police officers, the military, and certain government officials. It wasn’t like any ordinary Joe on the streets could just get to the other side.
“Look at the map,” the man instructed. Strangely enough, there was no malice in his tone. He was calm and composed, keeping a respectful distance from her. Could he not be that bad after all?
Roselyn opened the map up and immediately noticed a part of the wall that was circled. It was to the north in the rural farmlands of Godiva. The only people that lived out there were farmers and ranchers, but everything going in and out of the valleys was tightly regulated by the military. Was there actually a vulnerable spot that was unregulated by Godiva?
“There’s a house out by that part of the wall,” he continued. “It belongs to my grandmother and happens to have a tunnel underneath to get to the other side of the wall.”
“You’re serious?” Roselyn couldn’t help eyeing the map more. Her heart was still racing. Was this really her chance to leave and start a new life for herself? It seemed almost too good to be true.
He nodded and smiled. “I’ll be happy to escort you there myself. All I ask is that you meet me at that location tonight.”
“But how do I know that I can trust you?” Roselyn still felt uneasy about the whole thing. She didn’t trust many people easily, especially strangers. But something felt… familiar about him. Had they met before?
The man took a gold pocket watch out and handed it to her. “Solid gold,” he said. “It belonged to my grandfather. One of my most prized possessions. You can keep that until tonight.”
Roselyn turned the watch over in her hands. The detail on the engravings was so intricate. She could pick out all the individual leaves and the lines on the trees. It was beautiful, something you would find at any old pawn shop or jewelry store. The watch would fetch a pretty penny if she sold it.
Maybe he honestly wanted to talk with her. Not many people go around talking about leaving Godiva for the other side. It was seen as an act of treason and was most definitely illegal. But the way this man spoke about it seemed genuine, almost like he’d done it himself many times. There was a kindness in his eyes that made Roselyn want to trust him.
“Fine,” Roselyn said, showing the watch in her pocket too. “I’ll meet you tonight.” She sighed. “But if anything goes wrong, I’m taking this watch and selling it, you hear me?”
“We have a deal then.” The man smiled and laughed. “I’ll see you later tonight then. Be sure to bring any important belongings with you; I doubt you’ll be seeing much of Godiva afterward,” he instructed. “I look forward to speaking with you again, Roselyn.” With that, the man headed for the sidewalk, leaving Roselyn all alone again.
What was all of that about? Why is a stranger like him suddenly taking an interest in me? How did he know so much about me?
Roselyn shook her head and stood up. She decided to make her way home herself. She’d get yelled at if she was late coming home from school again. Plus, she had to pack for tonight. Her hands trembled at the thought of leaving and going back to where she grew up. This was something she had wanted for the past 4 years.
Am I really going to get to leave this place for good?
She could only hope so. The man seemed like the only chance for her to leave and return to the other side of the wall, the place where she grew up. There, she wouldn’t have to fear the rules of Godiva and what they were going to do with her next. There, she could be free and try to find her place in the world. The people of Godiva have already shown their hatred and disgust for her, but maybe there were others out there just like her. Maybe she could finally find a place she felt safe. Roselyn couldn’t help but smile thinking about it.
Mimi, I’m coming home. I’ll find those men and make them pay for what they did to you, I swear it. I’ll make sure your death wasn’t in vain.
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