Mase quickly got out of bed that morning hoping to prepare for school before his parents wake up. He quickly prepared and ate the food he left the previous night.
He met up with Jane who also seem to be waiting for him. She seems not to have closed a eye the night before. They soon got to the bus stop where their school was meant to pick them up. The school bus was not there yet that morning as they have arrived earlier than the usual time.
They decided to sit on a bench close by and wait for the bus. While waiting they told each other what happened after they got home the previous night. Each recounting how they got beaten with pitiful faces as if hoping for the other to start an #justiceforMase/Jane. The horn of the school bus snapped them both out of it.
Jane whispered to Mase as they were about to enter the bus but it was still loud enough to be heard.
"My mum said she's coming to see the Principal today"
"Same here" Mase answered as they got inside the bus. The Leaders Foundation Elementary School or LFS in short is one of two elementary schools in the whole of the Old Town district. That being one reason why the school has a very large number of students. The second being the location of the school.Old Town is the remotest area in all of Silverland. It has bushes surrounding it. It is literally a forest. The district has a lot of old and ancient buildings contrary to the gigantic buildings in other districts thus making it hard for influential people to reside in the district.
LFS is located close to the borderline of Old Town and a neighboring district higher in class compared to Old Town. The founder must have wanted both the children of the lower-class citizens and the apparent middle-class citizens to attend his school. The location thus making this easier.
The school is a very big one and has huge and large classrooms to accommodate its sheer number of students. The classrooms are built to accommodate over 100 students if not more than.
Mase is currently in one of these classrooms. There are currently over 50 students present in the class with the homeroom teacher taking their attendance. Ms Erin being the home room teacher.
Students spend 5 years in the elementary level then go on to spend another 5 years in the upper classes where they are either employed by high class citizens or employed by schools or just work as ordinary servants or errand men based on how skilled they are.
Mase and Jane are both in Elementary 4, Ms Erin's class. She has finished taking the attendance of the students and was about to start the lesson for that day.
"You gave us an homework yesterday Ms Erin" A student at the front row shouted.
When Ms Erin had faced the board to write the topic for the day's lesson, Mase thought he had escaped and felt a huge load lifted off him because she not asking for the homework before the start of the lesson means she won't collect it that day or she just forgot. Mase really hope for the former.
"Ohhh!" Ms Erin exclaimed "I almost forgot that. Now bring your homework to the front according to your registration number."
Mase could hear his heart beating so loud as if it was about to pop out of his chest. He was cursing heavily in his heart at the boy who reminded the teacher about the homework. He was jolted back to life when Ms Erin suddenly called his name.
"Mason Henshaw bring your home work forward"
When Mason looked at the front of the class, he could see Jane already standing there. Her name starts from the letter 'J' so she had to submit hers first.
'She seems to have accepted her fate' Mase thought as he looked at his friend.
He was asked to join Jane who was standing at one side of the classroom when he could not provide his homework. They are to wait for everyone to finish submitting theirs before they are all marched to the Principal's office. When the last person submitted, the only ones remaining at the front were Mase and Jane.
Ms Erin soon marched them to the office of the Principal and they were suspended for the rest of the week. They will come to school but won't be allowed to attend lessons. They will work on the school farm. It was a Tuesday so they have 3 days left to work.
They will be allowed lunch time as usual and will only work on the farm when others are in class. One of the senior students in Elementary 5 was called to show them the portion of farm that they will work on. They worked a little but played most and soon it was lunch time.
Mase for some reason didn't follow Jane to the cafeteria and even seems to be avoiding her when he saw her in the cafeteria. He sat quite a distance away from her. Soon some people join his table but from the way they sat and looked at Mase, it was obvious they are not there to just eat. Mase seems to have noticed them too.
'This is what I've been avoiding. Why are they here again'
"Hey punk!" One of the boys called quite silently but people close enough could still hear. They seem to be awry of them too.
"I've been doing what you said" Mase said without lifting his head.
"Why did you allow yourself to be placed on the same farm with her" another one of the boys with a voice thicker than his age said. "We don't want you to interact with her in any way. If we see you talking to her, then you will face harsher things than you did before."
When the boy said this, Mase remembered what they had done to him previously, and he began to shake from fright. "I'll do anything you say" he replied shakily. The boy smiled. When he raised his head, he saw that the Elementary 5 student who had showed them the portion was with them. He wondered if he did that intentionally.
He quickly gobble down his meal and returned to the farm even before the end of lunch time. Time passed quickly as it was soon the end of the day. For some reason, neither of their parents showed up in school as they had expected that day, or maybe they did and they were not just summoned. Either way, they hope they didn't come so it won't pile up their misery.
Jane noticed the strange behavior of Mase but whenever she try to ask him about it, he quickly run over to another side of the farm, avoiding her.
When the school closed and they found their way to their bus even though Mase was already seated on the bus she got to the park. Mase made sure he sat where there won't be room for a friend. They soon got to their community and got off the bus. "You seem to be avoiding me".Jane implored Mase as they made their way home. Looking as exhausted as ever. "I was just trying to consolidate my focus on the work we were given. You know if I had responded then, we would just be playing around and end up doing nothing" Mase lied. Jane sensed that something was off but she decided to let it slide for now. Mase is someone that won't resist the chance to play or something. He is a free bird. What more do you expect from a 10-year-old. "You should have told me"Jane replied and they walked home. Silently. Mase was curious as to why his mother didn't show up at his school today. He knew she put on a serious expression when she said so the previous day. 'She was
Today being Saturday, I slept so well, turning from left to right on my little mattress. My mattress is placed on an iron spring that makes this screeching sound whenever you sit or lay on it and sometimes you don't even have to sit on it before it starts making noise. I said I was turning from left to right. Well...I was not just turning on my own. You know what? If you are to survive in Old Town then you must be prepared to wrestle with bloodsuckers. Mosquitoes. Old Town is known for housing mosquitoes. Giant ones. Some say it's due to the bushes surrounding the town which I believe it's true because my teacher said so. If you ever become a teacher in an elementary school teaching elementary pupils, then have it at the back of your mind that those kids believe everything you say not minding the logicality, common sensibility, if it is true or just a joke, they believe everything. So don't blame me if I believe or claim something stupid or unreasonable on, just take t
When I was suddenly hit in the head and my eyes began to close, I thought that was the end and that I was dead. So when my eyes began to close, I started to wish I had done some things better, I wish I could see Mom one more time and tell her that I love her and don't mean it those times that I give her trouble and I also want to tell Dad how much I appreciate his effort on us, then the sensation of Jane being with me on the other side pushed everything away. So when I opened my eyes again, I tried to check out if Jane was with me in this paradise. It was then I noticed that the place was dark. Total darkness. 'This must be hell' I told you how I believe every word that comes out of Ms. Erin's mouth. Well, I didn't tell you that I also believe everything Mom says. In fact, I believe Mom's words to a greater degree more than I believe Ms. Erin's. That's the relationship between a mother and her child. So it was Mom that told me what hell is. It was a long gist bet
When the man left the room, silence lingered in the room. Jane and I just sat there staring at the door where the man just passed through. We didn't say a thing to each other for a very long time, not like we had something to say in the first place. We were both trying to take in what the devil-looking man had just said. I was thinking so hard about what the man meant by his boss wanting my father to be his transporter. Who is his boss? Could he be the mafia of one underground casino? You are probably wondering how this little boy knew about a casino or a mafia? Well, I don't gamble moreover, there is no casino in Old Town and don't think I'll gamble if there is. Trust me, Mum will kill me if I do. So, I might not be an intelligent student but I am a smart one and that's how I got to know about this casino and its mafia. When I was in Elementary 3, there was this boy in Elementary 4 so he is my senior. This boy is a very big, huge guy, he looks overage for his class and
Time passed quickly and we didn't even know when it is day or night so I lost count of the days. Considering my assumption, we should have spent close to five days in this room doing nothing. Jane had kept crying out of fear of everything that is going on but she soon put everything at the back of her mind. I advised her to do so because crying won't take us out of that horrendous room. The Man kept coming at intervals to check on us, maybe not as he will just come, issue his threats to us that we should never let it cross our minds that we have a chance of escaping or give him or his 'boys' any 'matter'. There's been a lot of changes in things and I've made some discoveries over the past five days. Incredible ones. I will start with The Man. Something about The Man is very amusing to me. You see The Man talks in some kind of slang which I probably didn't notice the first day due to the trauma that comes from being in abduction. The man once said to one of his subordina
The Man paused and kept staring at us as silence filled the room. It was a very awkward atmosphere and there were lots of emotions and facial expressions pouring out in the room. Jane was just staring at nothing in particular with a face full of confusion. I have to say everything still sounds like a lie to me as if it is all made up by The Man perhaps it is one of their tricks. For one, my father never told me any of those things he said about him and I don't think Mum knows about it too but the expression on The Man's face is very complicated. He looks as if he doesn't approve of what is happening and is just being forced to do it but even if that's the case, he is not saying anything now so I broke the silence. "Why did you tell us all those things. We can't do anything or change anything and even if we can, you are holding us captive. So why?" "I'll tell you why I chose to tell you but you have to listen to me. I didn't say I was finished" h
After The Man left, Jane and I sat there in silence. Silence is now the new normal for us. Most times when we both have nothing to say, we just sat down and let our minds take over wandering from North to South, seeking answers to bizarre questions. Most times, I look at us and I wonder if Jane and I could ever be so silent and at a loss of things to talk about even though we are seated beside each other, with an entire room all to ourselves. It is needless to say what the cause of this is and as I look at Jane, I know it will be better if we figure things out ourselves. I believe it was night because I was beginning to feel drowsy and would sleep any time now but the door unexpectedly opened again. This time, it was not The Man who stepped in nor the two men who always accompany him. It was a man who in his hands was a tray of food which he dropped before us in suspicious haste and I when I saw his face clearly, he was not the one who usually brings our food but I was too h
I pictured what Geo told us, how Gil, his blood sister was auctioned off before his own eyes while he just stood there, unable to rescue her from the fangs of the predator who purchased her. I imagined the pain he must have passed through at the time, and how much regret he still feels to this day. I don't have a sister, I am the only child of my parents but I have Jane, who has been my best friend for so long, and I pictured how it would feel to see Jane sold off before my eyes while I stand there unable to save her. The thought of it alone is dreadful and right there I felt that I will do whatever it takes to make sure Jane does not end up at the auction house or with any pregnant man. "I later found out..." continued Geo "a few days after the auction that the military, as well as the government, were aware of the auction where humans are sold but refused to interfere because elite members of the society are partaking in the auction. I even received information that t