Run.

E I G H T

•Ryker•

I tap my fingers to my pants leg. I let my thoughts emerge into the space around me. I'm in the Arena. I'm actually here.

I listen to Lamar call out names upon names. Groups of four leave the circle of which we all crowd around. Leaving with a map in their hands, directing them to there houses. Nerves pinch my skin.

So far only Obtain kids have been called. Lamar told us, "For the sake of some people, we've placed them in houses not particularly in their rank. But we have our reasons." I don't know what that means, but I wait for my name to be called.

I stand next to Bain and Joshlin. They are as silent as I wish my thoughts were.

"House 220, Sarah Burham, Myles Totter, Lish Levlin, and Meesh Pikit." I watch the girl Lish hug that girl. That girl I remember as a little boy. She looks paralyzed.

Lish and the others carry themselves to the left, with maps in each of their hands.

More people are called and I wait. Then the first Amiss is called. "House 256, Travon Blaser," Wait, he's that jerk. How did he get in a house higher than I am?

Then I hear it, "Ryker Williams." I close my eyes and bite my lip. I force myself to move forward to the front, in front of Lamar, next to Travon.

"Casey Realer." Someone I don't think I really know. She's Amiss though. I scan the crowd, wondering who's the last and final person to live with us for a while.

"Vivian Earnings." My heart stops. The little girl I remember walks up like a robotic machine. She is pinching one of her wrists. She looks to me with her big blue eyes. I stare back at her. And for moment, there's a glint of something I can't read seeping though her mind.

She stands close to me, with a map that was given to all of us. And as we walk away, I watch her tense up immensely as the next house is called.

Lamar speaks loudly, as he has been. But now it looks as if it's killing Vivian. "House 257. Hale Haplin, Joshlin Jones, Max Slipker, and Bain Felick."

Her eyes dash to mine as we walk further and further away from the crowd. I point to the map. "We keep walking on this trail until we find the house that has our house number on it. Pretty easy if you ask me." I attempt a laugh, but she doesn't join in.

Stupid ass Travon walks up to my side. "Looks like we rank nearly the same."

I glare at him. "Yeah. Whatever." He narrows his eyes at mine with an amused smile. I blow him off as we keep walking.

Casey walks behind the three of us. I can see the group before us walking about fifteen feet in front of us.

"Vivian!" I turn quickly to see the group behind us. I wave at my good friends Joshlin and Bain. They smile as they see me and we get closer to each other.

My eyes land on the guy who called out Vivians name. I believe his name is Hale. I look to find Vivian's eyes glued to the ground. "Are you alright?" I ask her.

All the sudden her whole demeanor changes. She smiles brightly up at me, a smile I could loose myself in. "Yeah! But hey, I'd like it if we didn't let them catch up to us." She walks a bit faster and I nod my head without questioning her.

...

We walk into half an acre yard. Travon jumps ahead of us, opening the door to our new home labeled 256. I glance at our neighbors, my friends Bain And Joshlin, and seemingly Vivian's enemy Hale, then that other guy.