The Island

Fifteen minutes later Georgiana finally found room 4b and burst through the door at top speed, it opened faster than she expected, sending her flying and ending up sprawled on the floor on all fours. The room fell silent.

“Ah Georgiana, how kind of you to grace us with your presence” She looked up to see Mr Firth sat behind the desk with an unimpressed look on his face.

“Unless you would rather spend the remainder of the lesson on the floor could you make your way to the back of the class before you make any more of a disruption?” He added, looking back down. Georgiana skittered towards the empty desk at the back and tried to arrange herself as quietly as possible which ended up making every move noisier. Opening the copy of that was in front of her she settled herself into reading the first few words on the page.

Something made her look up, curiosity of what was around her. Other identically dressed girls sat in rows in front of her, their heads down intently reading. Chewing her pencil she looked down to the front, her breath caught in her throat as she noticed under the desk at the front sat a girl. She was seated cross legged and as engrossed as everyone else in what she was reading. Around her ankles were thick metal shackles which were chained to a large metal hoop on the floor. Her hands were shackled too; the silvery metal glimmered in the sunlight as she turned each page. Chains connected from her wrists up to a black leather collar that was attached around her neck. Although the girl seemed completely oblivious to her plight, Georgiana reeled in shock, dropping her pencil and hearing it roll under her feet. She bent to grab it quickly and as she got back into her seat she jumped as Mr Firth banged it down on to the table in front of her. She had been so absorbed in watching the girl that she had not even realised he had seen her.

“Is there a problem Miss Grant?” He asked abruptly.

“Y, yes, there’s a girl down there, what the hell is...” She paused for a moment noticing the girl seated beside her putting her finger to her lips to signal her to shush.

“I take it you are referring to Miss Kane at the front?”

“Yes.” Sod it, she thought, she had got this far, who ever got in trouble for asking a question.”Why the hell is she chained up? “

“I don’t think that is anything to do with you, its between Miss Kane and Mr Durrant.If you would like to go and ask him about that then feel free.” He waved towards the door and Georgiana shrank back n her seat. “Or if you have finished disrupting my class you can get on with your work and I can get on with mine.”

Georgiana nodded and looked down to the page, hearing him walk away. When the bell rang to signal the end off the class she stood to get up and heard “Would you all make your way out quietly, except you Miss Grant I would like a word please.”

Georgiana suddenly wished she had kept her mouth shut, what had Carlene said do what they say, play the game; she wasn’t doing too well so far. When the room was empty Georgiana made her way down to the front. Thankfully the girl beneath the desk had left too otherwise she would have felt even more awkward than she already did. Mr Firth looked up in an exasperated fashion.

“Miss Grant I believe we have a meeting later on today in my office.”

“Yes sir.”

“I wasn’t expecting to already have to be dealing with bad behaviour on your first day. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I mean, I’m sorry I just wasn’t expecting...”

“It doesn’t matter what you were expecting Miss Grant, I will see you at six thirty and we can discuss what has happened today .Please tidy yourself up and try not to be late.”

Georgiana scowled angrily “Look, I know I may have had the wrong reaction here and I am genuinely sorry about that... but what do you expect. I don’t tend to see girls in chains every day of my life and...”

“That’s enough Miss Grant!” He shouted, grabbing onto her arm firmly. Georgiana had a sudden flash of fear that she had gone too far and shook herself out of his grasp before scurrying out of the door.

“What the hell are you playing at?” She hissed, grabbing Georgiana to the side.

“Didn’t you see? They fucking chain...” She was quickly hushed by Carlene as Mr Firth followed out of the door and shot them both a look of annoyance.

“Move along girls, if you want to have a mothers meeting kindly go and continue it elsewhere.”

“Yes Sir!” Carlene shrilled in reply, he glanced over to a silent but scowling Georgiana, arms crossed defensively across her chest.

Colin took a moment to work out whether he was going to pull her up on her manners, and then decided against it.  He locked the door behind him and headed off  . Georgiana waited until he had walked out of earshot before drawing Carlene close and hissing in her ear.

“They fucking chain people up, these people are animals!”

“You think that’s bad?”

“Yes I do!”

“That’s nothing, that’s the least of your worries. You signed up for this , you see things, you hear things, and you know what, you keep your mouth shut and you smile and be a good girl. We have no opinions; we have no say in any of this and fighting it is not going to help. Now for fucks sake learn to keep this zipped!” She pleaded, gesturing at her new friend’s mouth.

Georgiana smiled to herself as they walked towards the dorms, she felt the need for a bit of a self make over before 6.30...