Trapped

Part 4 - Annelise

Annelise

Everyone's eyes turned to me as I stepped into the room. Everyone's except those of a young man sitting in the back. He averted his eyes upon seeing me. I stood at the front of the room, and it felt like everyone was holding their breath. We heard a swoosh, as a door at the back, and the whole room turned to look. A man in black robes came in. I saw the white 𝕏 embroidered over his chest, the mark of the Silent Reapers, and my heart missed a beat. We heard stories of the reapers in our communities. They say the government pays them to take the lives of anyone who dares disobey them, and I figured that I belonged in that category. I remembered when my mother told me the story for the first time.

"Ma? One day will we leave? I don't like it here. Sometimes I wish I could be somewhere else," I said in a quiet voice.

My mother touched her finger to her lips. "Hush Annelise. You're alright. You have to trust everyone who has created this place for us. You have to respect them. The world is full of so many evils, but here we're protected from them. If this place is to stay safe though, all the people have to obey the rules. If someone were to run away, they would be dangerous. The silent reapers take care of them."

"Silent reapers?" I asked, eyes wide with curiosity and fear.

"My mother replied with, if you ever, ever see this symbol, 𝕏, Embroidered in white on a dark black robe, that is the end of you."

She had drawn a finger across her neck, her face so serious, but I just giggled. I didn't really understand what she had said. Death wasn't a topic I was familiar with at that point in time, but I understood now.

I silently said all my goodbyes in my head. I didn't know if I'd ever see my mother, my sister Lilly, my home, ever again. I even missed the red dust that seemed not to exist down here. My stomach twisted itself into knots as Chancellor Silvers addressed me.

"So you're Annelise," she said, dragging out the sounds. Then she lifted her hand and calmly waved it in the direction of the Reaper as if she did this regularly. He slowly moved towards me almost like he was trying to build up suspense. I couldn't bear it for much longer. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and accepted my fate. There was nothing else I could do.

I heard a crash and a clatter. Yelling filled my head, blocking out all other sounds. Then it all became quiet. I thought for sure I was dead, but I was in no pain. I tried to open my eyes but I don't know if I had succeeded because everything that surrounded me was still completely dark. 

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Should I start putting the perspective the chapter is from at the top of each part? Also thanks for reading you guys are the greatest.