Zodiac Academy

18. The Closet

I have tried to escape multiple times throughout the three days I've been awake. At least, I believe it has been three days. The windows were always covered and they didn't have any clocks out in the common areas.

It also doesn't help that they have resulted in tying me up. The doctor from a day or so before had said I was all good and now they were tying me up. I suppose trying to run away so many times angered people into incapacitating you with a rope and zip ties.

The room they had me in was smaller than my "room." It was almost like a closet. Maybe it was a closet. I've been sitting in this closet for a whole day. They only let me out to go to the bathroom and let Jaxson in to feed me.

Jaxson walked in with a plate full of food. "We have apple slices, raisins, beef, some pudding, I got you more honey, and mashed potatoes. The honey is your dessert."

"Why are you always the one to show up?" I asked.

He shrugged, pulling a stool in front of me with his free hand. "I suppose its because I asked to be the one to show you around. Didn't think you would be such a problem, though."

Why would he, specifically, want to show me around? I would much rather him than Adeline. And what did he mean by showing me around?

"Show me around?" I asked. One question at a time. Slowly but surely I would get my answers.

"Mhm." He shoved a bite in front of my mouth. I rolled my eyes and took it. As I chewed he gave me a better answer. "Show you around the area. What the people are like. How they have that cursed individuality that you lack."

I swallowed. "I don't lack individuality!"

He shoved another bite in my mouth. "Yes, you do. Where do you want to be right now? The academy. What is so great about the academy? All you do is become a slave. A slave to the system."

"You don't become a slave," I objected.

"Really? So, you can become a musician if you wanted to? Could you paint me a pretty picture?"

"Well, no. Those aren't in my job description."

"So? You don't want to have a hobby? Do you do anything but business?"

"No, but -"

"Going to the Gemini Club was the first thing you ever did different. You were a slave. Classes, homework, Extras, repeat. That was your life, Aqua."

"I had friends," I said quietly.

"Even they do other things. You just started to actually hang out with those friends once you had a taste of a different routine."

"That's not true," I replied. I tried to move my hand to point at him but being that my hands were tied they only moved behind me. "I hung out with you and Leo all the time."

Jaxson nodded. "Sure. If you count walking between classes and the small amount of time after our shared class."

He was right. Gosh, I hated that he was right. But that was my position. I was there to learn and then become a Zodiac. Doing what I did I would have privileges most others didn't when they graduated.

Now what would I be getting? I was kidnapped by rebellious citizens. They might think I've been turned into one of them. And that would get me nowhere.

I pulled against my restraints. "Could you just untie me?"

He shook his head. "All you'll do is try to go back. Adeline wants to -"

"Don't. Don't mention that woman."

"She means well, Aqua."

"Does this face look like it cares if she means well? I don't care what she wants. I want to go back home and graduate."

"You're not going to stop, are you?" He sighed.

"Let me go home, Jaxson."

"I can't."

"You can."

He stood, taking my food with him. "No, I can't." Then he left me. Alone. In the small, dark closet.

°^°^°

Light spilled over the floor until it reached my face. I kept my eyes closed, feigning sleep. I didn't know what time it was anymore. I knew Jaxson showed up for lunch, but he hasn't shown up since. Was it evening? Night?

I didn't know.

The door creaked open as someone walked through. A finger caressed my cheek softly. It took all I had in me not to bite their finger. The last thing I wanted was a gag in my mouth.

They would probably use a sock just to spite me.

The person shuffled out and the light left my face. I didn't open my eyes until I heard the soft click of the door connecting to the frame. It was dark once again and I couldn't see anything.

I was so tired of being in this closet. I had tried to get up before, but my hands were tied behind me and connected to the bottom of a metal rack. When I had tried to stand or scoot toward the door the thing didn't budge a centimeter.

I scooted around until I was beside the rack -my right arm straining against the binds and pushing against the cold metal. This was probably going to be a very bad idea. If there was anything on it, it was probably going to come crashing down on me. Placing my knee against the bottom shelf, I braced myself for any impact as I shoved it up as best I could while pulling my hands toward my body.

It didn't move far enough upward for me to free my hands, but an object on one of the shelves rattled. This was going to be awful. Yet, I did it again and again until I finally freed my hands. It had made a lot of noise and four things had fallen.

I twisted my hands to gauge how I could attempt to free them. As I fiddled with this, one last object teetered off the ledge above me. It hit me in the head and fell to the floor, breaking open and spilling its contents everywhere.

I glared at the outline of the bottle, the smell of baby powder filling the room. Great. Baby powder. Just what could help me.

Standing from the ground took a lot more effort than I thought it would, and the wall was helpful in the maneuver. Once I was standing on my two feet again, I searched for anything that might have not fallen from the shelves. Something sharp preferably.

After seconds -but what felt like half an hour- of searching, I knew there was nothing sharp in this closet. If there ever had been, they were probably smart enough to take out before tying me up in here. To say that I was groaning in frustration right now would be an understatement.

I kicked the shelving unit and another object fell, making me flinch. Before anybody realized that I was making all this noise, I opened the door backward and escaped from the closet.

Smelling new air made me realize how stale the air had become inside the closet. I missed fresh air. I missed freedom. Well, limited freedom.

I ran around a corner, and at the end of the hall around that darn corner was Adeline. And she saw me. For sure. I turned around and tried to high tail it out of there.

"Aquarius?" she called after me.

I ran a little faster. Which led me to see Jaxson. Who also saw me when I saw him. I stomped my foot and turned around again. Adeline was rounding the corner and I could hear Jaxson get closer.

Defeated, I went back to the closet and waited for my inevitable fate. Sooner rather than later, I heard their voices. I tapped my foot and rolled my eyes as they stood out there talking about me. Finally, the door opened to reveal both of them.

"Aquarius," Adeline repeated.

I stuck my tongue out at both of them.

^~^
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