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When I found out I would be attending the reputable Riverside Institute I was excited. I had only heard good words about the exclusive boarding school. In fact, my reasoning for wanting to enrol was after I had met one of their graduates. His name was Michael, and after graduating the Riverside Institute had obtained instant employment in one of the government intelligence departments where he worked his way up and now had over 50 people answering to him. And only last year did he celebrate his thirtieth birthday.
The first year flew by, and now I was ready to go back for my second. I enjoyed the lessons, the teachers, and the recreation. With the warm climate, the river was always a welcome relief from the blaring sun. During the winter, however, the river was like ice, and very few dared to venture out.
When I returned to the campus, however, I was in for a rude surprise.
------ [still need to fill in what happens in the first semester] ------
It was beginning of the second semester, and I could not have felt less enthusiastic about the days that were to unfold. I did, however, notice a new student. Given the rate at which people had disappeared lately, the imprisoned population had shrunk, and anyone we did not recognise stood out. He looked around him with the sort of shock that we all had at first.
That afternoon I went for a swim in the river. The water was cold, but not icy, but still I was the only one daring enough to swim in this weather. I remember the 'before' as clear as day. There were three students on the shore, chatting quietly as they utilised their rare moments of 'freedom'. The sun was out, but there were dark clouds on the horizon. As I swam about the river, doing laps to the opposite bank and back I suddenly felt normal again, and smiled to myself. Reaching the other side of the river I dove under, and when I came back up the students by the shore were gone, and the clouds what were in the distance were now overhead. Everything about the scene was eerie, and I make for shore as quickly as possible.
Half way back I felt something against my foot in the water. I stopped and trod water, but when I didn't feel anything else I wondered if I had imagined it and continued. As far as I knew there was nothing in this river. All of a sudden something pulled me under the water by my foot. I managed to take one last breath before my head went under. I kicked my left foot, feeling something sharp biting down. Using my right foot I kicked down and made contact with something hard. Still sinking, I kicked again and again, my lungs starting to burn from lack of oxygen. As soon as I felt release I swam as hard as I could with my remaining strength towards the surface. But my timing was not exactly perfect. As I took my breath, craving the oxygen, a small wave created by my panicked movements caused me to swallow a substantial amount of the river water. I coughed, almost choking on the water, still disorientated from my ordeal.
Looking to where I had to swim, back towards the shore I thought I saw someone standing there, watching everything. I watched as they dove into the river and started towards me, my eyes blurred and stinging with river water. I felt a dull pain on my neck and I could feel my strength leaving me. The blurred vision changed to darkness and my limbs, as heavy as lead weights, seemed as light as a feather. I felt as if I was floating.
The dark world in which my mind was enclosed seemed warm and safe. It was nothing like the outside, where our teachers had taken on the curriculum of a communist society, trying to develop their own small army of devoted slaves. We all saw through their plan, but there was nothing we could do about it. They were so much stronger than us, and anyone who appeared to disobey them, or show signs of independent thought contrary to what they were teaching was punished.
So is this why I was captured in this dark realm? Did they believe that the darkness was a punishment? But I don't recall showing any signs of resistance against their teachings.
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