The Halls of Medeia - Chapter 1
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:24 pm
The first week comes to a close, with the students getting progressively more involved in their lessons, discoveries and intrigues. George, arguing all the time he is not disturbing anyone and merely trying to carve a niche where he can learn, has nevertheless sowed a seed of change amongs some of the younger students with his examples. He easily becomes the most incongruent student in the school, and maybe against his wishes, the most well known. Slowly, but steadily, this inspires others students to more and more embrace their natural love for freedom and liberty that comes of their young age, and masters increasingly have to deal with more acts of indiscipline.
Often in the evening, as Fiachra sits in the staff room sharing a drink with the other masters and conversing about the events in the school's life, he hears complains that the current batch of students is proving harder to handle, and calls for stricter measures. Some of the masters, younger or kinder by nature, espouse the notion that children should not be too restricted in their ways to become healthy adults, but others counter that the students are not children anymore: they are nearly adults and should be taught the responsibilities of social life. Victoria vocally defends the last camp, but Emilia routinely tries to reach a middle ground. Niles, inspired by her, used his pastoral support to try to bring peace among the students. But as days go by, he notes that Victoria's dominant personality is imposing herself on the older sister and making full use of her duties in the school, she increases the vigilance in the school and the number of gypsy guards wandering the grounds, even during daytime.
The number of bullying cases also increases, and George finds himself the victim on a few cases. Previously high-profile students do not take kindly to his new fame, and try to bring him low, but always without physical contact. One student, Oswald Franklin, appears to be the shark at the top of the food chain, respected by some, feared by almost all. In the female halls, Georgina Sargant takes a similar role, haughtily demeaning her competitors and relying on her underlings to spread rumours and set the agenda of students' lifes in her stead. Christine is often a target, direct or indirect, of her contemptuous remarks. George and Christine find support in each other during these times, with George gallantly jumping to her defense whenever he's nearby, but he can't do anything when the deeds happen in the girls' dormitories at night.
All these tensions remain under the surface of everyday life, and don't come to the attention of the teachers, but Niles can not but notice an increase in the students who come to him asking for help with their anxieties, their studies or other matters. He seldom hears any direct complaint about violence: most commonly students will come to him with problems sleeping or eating, desire to speak to their parents or family, doubts about their ability to cope with the schoolwork. But in his contemplation at quiet moments, Niles can't help feel the undisguisable work of peer-pressure and that so many things are not being told to him.
"There is frustration in the halls", he tells Father Richard one night, "the students are restless and I can almost feel a cloud growing thicker as days go by". The elder priest gives him the best advice he can for Niles to use in his pastoral care, and promises to take the matter to the Headmistress, but Niles is not so sure of the effect, as he would prefer to avoid the harsh discipline that would surely be meted out by the masters. However, things soon take a turn to the worse.
Although it is still a shock, he recognizes he is not surprised when only two days later a gypsy boy is beaten severely out of school grounds by three students. A rift opens in the school's community, with disbelief at the act and worry as the gypsy guards raise their protest against the Headmistress and withdraw their guards from the camp. Niles leads an initiative to send a delegation to the gypsies, and supported by Christine and Emilia, with an excitable Frances in the front rank, this eases their demand for taking the three boys with them, if they are adequately punished.
Victoria agrees to do so: she has them locked at the top of the centre eastern turret for a few days. On top of that, she sends orders to prevent any student of leaving the camp, and even resident members of staff are cautioned to only leave on necessary business outside. More men from the surrounding villages are hired to take the place of the gypsy guards.
This is not entirely to the school's relief. Christine comments one night with Frances that although she fears her gyspy family feels rightfully wronged and might harbour thoughts of revence, so proper of the passionate temperaments of the sunny south where they come from, she reckons these new guards will not be as effective as the previous ones.
"Do you think we are in any danger?" Frances asked, looking vaguely in the direction of the dark trees to the south.
"Why would there be guards there otherwise, anyway?" was Christine's evasive answer.
After this incident, tensions seem to decrease in school, but with it effectively closed to the outside, the circus gets less and less visits and decides to move out after a few days. Coincidence or not, this occurs more or less about the same time that a mysterious disappearance happens: the three students in the tower are gone without any explanation. The police is called and investigates without intervention of the school's community, until they find three uniform jackets out of grounds. No bodies are found, and after further searches prove fruitless, the police offers the theory that the students have probably been kidnapped by someone connected with the circus, or that might have been travelling with them, and that their families might expect some ransom contact in the coming days. George, like some other people, prefers the theory that the boys escaped by themselves, leaving the school back. He can understand that if they are not motivated to learn, that the current environment at school might be a strong enough reason for such. Others say the gypsies came to get them, after all. These rumours do not please Niles, who tries his best to convince everyone of the little they know and that unfounded assumptions may be a dangerous road to intolerance.
Eventually, this has a dampening effect on the efervescence in the school, and for the following two months tempers become more subdued, with considerable relief for the Niles and the masters. Eventually, after some careful appeasements and promises from Emilia, even the gypsy guards return to the school.
Often in the evening, as Fiachra sits in the staff room sharing a drink with the other masters and conversing about the events in the school's life, he hears complains that the current batch of students is proving harder to handle, and calls for stricter measures. Some of the masters, younger or kinder by nature, espouse the notion that children should not be too restricted in their ways to become healthy adults, but others counter that the students are not children anymore: they are nearly adults and should be taught the responsibilities of social life. Victoria vocally defends the last camp, but Emilia routinely tries to reach a middle ground. Niles, inspired by her, used his pastoral support to try to bring peace among the students. But as days go by, he notes that Victoria's dominant personality is imposing herself on the older sister and making full use of her duties in the school, she increases the vigilance in the school and the number of gypsy guards wandering the grounds, even during daytime.
The number of bullying cases also increases, and George finds himself the victim on a few cases. Previously high-profile students do not take kindly to his new fame, and try to bring him low, but always without physical contact. One student, Oswald Franklin, appears to be the shark at the top of the food chain, respected by some, feared by almost all. In the female halls, Georgina Sargant takes a similar role, haughtily demeaning her competitors and relying on her underlings to spread rumours and set the agenda of students' lifes in her stead. Christine is often a target, direct or indirect, of her contemptuous remarks. George and Christine find support in each other during these times, with George gallantly jumping to her defense whenever he's nearby, but he can't do anything when the deeds happen in the girls' dormitories at night.
All these tensions remain under the surface of everyday life, and don't come to the attention of the teachers, but Niles can not but notice an increase in the students who come to him asking for help with their anxieties, their studies or other matters. He seldom hears any direct complaint about violence: most commonly students will come to him with problems sleeping or eating, desire to speak to their parents or family, doubts about their ability to cope with the schoolwork. But in his contemplation at quiet moments, Niles can't help feel the undisguisable work of peer-pressure and that so many things are not being told to him.
"There is frustration in the halls", he tells Father Richard one night, "the students are restless and I can almost feel a cloud growing thicker as days go by". The elder priest gives him the best advice he can for Niles to use in his pastoral care, and promises to take the matter to the Headmistress, but Niles is not so sure of the effect, as he would prefer to avoid the harsh discipline that would surely be meted out by the masters. However, things soon take a turn to the worse.
Although it is still a shock, he recognizes he is not surprised when only two days later a gypsy boy is beaten severely out of school grounds by three students. A rift opens in the school's community, with disbelief at the act and worry as the gypsy guards raise their protest against the Headmistress and withdraw their guards from the camp. Niles leads an initiative to send a delegation to the gypsies, and supported by Christine and Emilia, with an excitable Frances in the front rank, this eases their demand for taking the three boys with them, if they are adequately punished.
Victoria agrees to do so: she has them locked at the top of the centre eastern turret for a few days. On top of that, she sends orders to prevent any student of leaving the camp, and even resident members of staff are cautioned to only leave on necessary business outside. More men from the surrounding villages are hired to take the place of the gypsy guards.
This is not entirely to the school's relief. Christine comments one night with Frances that although she fears her gyspy family feels rightfully wronged and might harbour thoughts of revence, so proper of the passionate temperaments of the sunny south where they come from, she reckons these new guards will not be as effective as the previous ones.
"Do you think we are in any danger?" Frances asked, looking vaguely in the direction of the dark trees to the south.
"Why would there be guards there otherwise, anyway?" was Christine's evasive answer.
After this incident, tensions seem to decrease in school, but with it effectively closed to the outside, the circus gets less and less visits and decides to move out after a few days. Coincidence or not, this occurs more or less about the same time that a mysterious disappearance happens: the three students in the tower are gone without any explanation. The police is called and investigates without intervention of the school's community, until they find three uniform jackets out of grounds. No bodies are found, and after further searches prove fruitless, the police offers the theory that the students have probably been kidnapped by someone connected with the circus, or that might have been travelling with them, and that their families might expect some ransom contact in the coming days. George, like some other people, prefers the theory that the boys escaped by themselves, leaving the school back. He can understand that if they are not motivated to learn, that the current environment at school might be a strong enough reason for such. Others say the gypsies came to get them, after all. These rumours do not please Niles, who tries his best to convince everyone of the little they know and that unfounded assumptions may be a dangerous road to intolerance.
Eventually, this has a dampening effect on the efervescence in the school, and for the following two months tempers become more subdued, with considerable relief for the Niles and the masters. Eventually, after some careful appeasements and promises from Emilia, even the gypsy guards return to the school.