Fighting for the Stars (On hold)

Chapter 1

The light is turned off and we are sentenced to darkness for the night. Tonight though I don't fall asleep instantly, I sit my back to the wall. Tonight before I am taken I try to remember my mother. Her memory has slipped away the fastest. All I can remember is the lullaby she would sing. As I sang it in my head a tear escaped my eye slowly sliding down my cheek, making a line in the filth that no matter how much I scrubbed would always come back. I choked down the cries of misery that threatened to tear from my lips. I wouldn't die at their hands, I would hold on, to fight for my life, I would stay alive because I wouldn't give them that satisfaction of knowing I had given up my will to live.

Somewhere during my silent cry I fell asleep for the next thing I knew the lights had turned on, a faint light that was minuscule compared to the stars but I had grown used to seeing by it the last few years. It was then that I remembered, today I turned 18. I heard the clanging of cells being opened and knew that soon I would face more of them, the ones who kept me here, who made my life as bad as it could possibly be.

I heard the jingling of keys as they opened the door of the cell next to mine. The prisoner went with them willingly barely able to walk. We were all malnourished and rarely stood or walked. I was barely able to stand as I heard the keys turn in the lock, but I forced myself up. I would walk out of here, I would show them I was strong. Two of them walked in and tied my hands behind me with a rope. They must have thought humans were still dangerous, maybe someone had attacked them.

My hair was a tangled mess on top of my head. My clothes were little more than rags and I stank. I was self conscious of the state I was in. I scolded myself, why should I be ashamed, they were the reason I looked like this! I walked down the hall, careful not to step in the dried, black bloodstains. My bare feet picking up dust and dirt. As we reached the end of the hall it began to get lighter, it opened into a room larger than the cell I had lived in most of my life. There were showers and wardrobes, they were hurrying to clean us up, to prepare us for the sale.

One of them, a human woman, came over to take me from the guards. Her hair was brown and pretty hazel eyes. Her clothes were even more worn than mine. She quickly took me over to an open shower. Untying my wrists she directed me to get undressed. I rubbed where the rope had roughly cut into my skin, it was pink and raw. I stepped out of my clothes and she turned on the water, it was warm and eased the sting on my wrists. The woman gave me a cloth and soap before rushing away to the next girl.

I began to scrub myself as fast as I could with the energy I had left. The soap was unscented, but I was thankful for the luxury of hot water. I rinsed as much grim as I could from my hair, I was finished too soon, and once I had turned the water off had begun to shiver. I stepped out of the shower and was about to put the rags I called clothes on when she stopped me. The woman who had helped me earlier gave me a new outfit. There were leggings, a T-shirt, and a dark blue sweatshirt. I got dressed and the woman helped me comb out my wild mane of hair. It was smooth and wavy by the time she had finished.

I stood admiring my appearance in the mirror that stood against the wall. A harsh clang of a bell reminded me, no matter how I look I  could end my birthday as a corpse dragged off to where ever those who are stabbed are taken. I began to panic. I didn't want to die. I tried to calm down as I stepped into the line the other girls had formed.

We began to walk out single file not daring to put one foot out of line. One girl in the back though, had other plans. They had left us untied for the bidding so she was able to run faster without the hindrance the ropes brought. She sprinted down the hall away from the rest of us. Only one guard went after her. He was well fed and looked like he exercised regularly. She was no match for him and soon he had stopped her.

"P-please don't hurt me," She cried tears running down her face as he held his spear up to her neck. "I won't try to run again, I swear." The guard looked as though he was about to stand and let her live. We were all fooled into believing this. As the girl breathed a sigh of relief he trust the spear through her neck. It was the last breath she took as he yanked the spear head out, allowing blood to flow freely. I turned my head away not wanting to watch any more. All I could hear was a faint gurgling as she tried to take another breath, but failed. Then she lay silent, it was clear she had died.

"Get moving," The guards yelled at us, I forced my legs to move, taking me away from the bloody scene. The walk was short and no one else tried to run and the walk was silent. Fearful expressions were painted on all of their faces. We reached a shiny door that opened in front of us. There was a small stage and around it thousands of seats each filled with one of them.

Each filled with an alien.