The Vale

C44

I'm drowning. I can feel the water suffocating me as it spread inside me. Keeping me from breathing. I try to relax my lung but it's no use, the water is everywhere.

Safe me.

Help me.

Please. Pl–

"Raven!" An external voice yells.

"Raven!" The same voice comes again and time with something as I feel cold water wash over my face, correction, splash on my face. My eyes snap open immediately and it connects with the old man's brown eyes.

The fuck.

I jump up and glare at him. "What the hell?" I scream at him. I can't believe he just poured a bucket of cold water on me.

He drops the metal bucket, causing the bucket to make a clanking sound as it connects with the cemented floor.

He stands straight, pulling his hands behind him. "I told you waking hours is five. Do you know what the time is?"

I shake my head. I'm sorry if I don't know what the time is, giving that I just woke up from a fucking ice-water bath. What sort of people are on this island? They are certainly not human.

"It's seven thirty. You are two hours thirty minutes late which just earned your second punishment," He tells me.

For the first in my life I made a decision that involves actual learning, even though it's not educational. And he pulled this shit on me? I think he is forgetting that I'm a willing students. I wasn't forced to go here, in fact I am glad to be here and I really want to learn, the earlier they start treating me like a guest, the better. The old man doesn't anything about me because if he did, he'll know I suck at following rules. And if care isn't taken I'll start responding to their bad hospitality with my worst, then he'll know waking me up with a fucking ice water is the worst way to wake me.

"How do you even know the time if you are not wearing a wristwatch?" I ask with a scowl. "And why did you say second punishment? I literally just woke up."

I might not be the best at studying things but I noticed that this Island is technology free.

"By looking at the sky," he replies. "And you woke up late."

What?

"You can tell the time by just looking at the sky?" I ask.

Is that even possible?

He nods. "Meet outside in ten minutes, if you–" I interrupt him.

"I can't be ready in ten minutes, see I need at least an hour to get ready," I inform him.

I need to brush my teeth, take a bath, and hand wash my clothes because I looked around last night. There isn't any washer or shower or a bathtub. I fucking hate this place.

"Which has earned you your third punishment. I told you never to interrupt me and never speak without being told to. Meet me outside in ten minutes." He orders and turns around like a robot, he marches out.

I should call his bluff, but I know he wasn't bluffing. Fuck! What did I get myself into? Why didn't Damian warn before hand? I would picked somewhere else, somewhere between, somewhere with WiFi. And I just remember that I don't have a phone. Double fuck.

With a permanent scowl on my face, I leave the bed and quickly take off my matching strips pajamas and rush into the bathroom. I brush my teeth. Frowning, I stare at the bucket of cold water in front me and swallow. I've never had a cold bath and with look of this water, I don't think I can do it but I have to.

I bend and reach to take a bowlful of water. I stand straight and try to move my gaze off the water but I can't. I can't stop staring at it.

It's nothing, Cami. Imagine it's warm water.