• The next morning our alarm went off, waking us up rambunctiously until we got out of bed and hit the ‘off’ button. We got ready in silence and walked to school in silence as our conversation from last night rung in my head. When we reached the school we got in the line of girls that was moving at an average pace until we got to our classroom on the second floor and sat in our respectful seats as the Elder stood in the center watching everyone carefully.

    I sat in class until the bell rang at the end of the day and everyone rushed out to go home. I was behind them as usual but instead of starting to pick up my things, I just sat in the room, looking down at my hands, I wanted to look up but I couldn’t muster the courage. But when I did, I looked, but no one was there.

    It was just me in the classroom. It was just me in this prison. Just like it was just me who was curious; I stood and looked around before approaching the center and raised my hand to touch the center but nothing happened. I realized the sensor wasn’t on, so I jumped at the chance to explore. I immediately crossed and began looking around; I went into other people’s desks and watched the view from this side to the other side. I sat in the desks and played teacher in the center of the room. I smiled broadly; finally I was able to quench my curiosity.

    And then my eyes set on a certain desk and I immediately ran over, opening the desk to see what it contained. There were books, three books to be exact, books I’d never seen nor read, I sat down for a moment and picked them up one at a time examining the covers.

    One was a book called Romeo and Juliet by a man named William Shakespeare, and a book called Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, and finally there was How to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The books were fascinating and I couldn’t stop myself from starting to read one.

    And once I had I couldn’t put it down. I sat there for a few minutes and read until I convinced myself to stop and go. The alarm would be put up soon and if I was any later leaving, it would be suspicious. And because it pained me to leave the books, knowing they were good and not knowing how it ended; I took them.

    I ran across the room and put them in my bag. I picked it up and turned around just in time to see the alarm engage its invisible self and immediately I was glad I had left when I did. I smiled mischievously and left the room, trying not to look suspicious as there were cameras everywhere and went back to the dorms and kept my bag close to me until I got to my room where I stuffed the books in my pillow case before Lenne came back in from the bathroom.

    “Finally you’re home.” She smiled and gave me a hug, “What took you so long?” I laughed, “Sorry, I accidentally dropped my pencil bag, which was unzipped and all my pens and pencils fell out, so I had to pick up everyone of them and… You know…” Lenne sighed, “Gosh, Izzy, you’re such a klutz. You really need to be more careful.” I nodded, “Yes, I’ll try. But right now I’m really tired, so I’m going to go to bed.”

    “No dinner?”

    “Nah, I’m not really hungry.”

    “Alright... Well, I’m going to go get dinner myself… Good night.”

    “Night.” I bid her and pulled out To Kill a Mocking Bird to start reading again.