Refinement: A War of Europe

Chapter Three: East: Elimination

Anya~ East (Russia)

"I am leaving!" A fifteen year old boy yelled. He ran to the emergency brakes and pulled the handle down. The words in my head, "Oh no."

A loud screech cut through the air. Metal against metal. I felt like chaos was everywhere. Everyone was yelling. My heart was pounding.  Two generals burst through the door and grabbed the kid by his shirt collar. "You're not going anywhere.", he spat.

He kept struggling and everyone was pushing each other over. It only got worse. A gun was cocked and bullets skimmed past my head. The subway was still rumbling and shaking. I didn't say a word. If I had wanted to I wouldn't have been able to muster up the courage to during a time like this.

The general thrust the kid onto the ground. "Nobody can leave. You hear me? This is your one and only chance. If ANY of you get any ideas to do so, I won't miss. We better not have any more delays. Especially this close to being there." His eyes burned into mine. A small part of me was worried for myself. He was singling me out. Even when I had nothing to do with this. He slammed the door behind him as he walked into a different compartment. We started up again.

I closed my eyes as I recovered from the shock of it all.

"You awake?" A voice whispered in my ear.

I opened my eyes. "Duh. How could I be asleep?", I said bitterly.

"Well, I didn't want to assume crying. You don't look like a wimp. You look tough.", said the girl.

I turned towards her. "Yeah, sorry. My name is Anya. What is yours?"

She patted her curly black hair. "Lauren. Well... not really. I don't like my real name so I changed it."

"So, what's your real name then?" I couldn't resist asking. Curiosity was in my nature.

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "You think I'd tell you? We aren't even friends, Anya."

"We could be." I smiled.

She tilted her head back as she yawned. "Debra. My great aunt named me that. She raised me." She paused and then looked at me seriously. "Do you think you will make it?"

"Make what?", I questioned.

"Make it to the end of course. The best thirteen who get to fight?" Her grey eyes widened.

I shrugged. "I didn't even know that they only let thirteen through."

"Well, they pick fifty something and they end with thirteen for each group, and out of those they choose a new thirteen to actually work on the field. The rest work at the base. Some of us they kill and some of us they send home along the way. When we get there they are going to send home one of us. Just to start off on a good foot I suppose."

I didn't like that thought. What if it was me that was sent home? I didn't have a home anymore. Somebody had probably already found out about the vacancy. It couldn't be me. I had to make it. Not just today, but to the end.

The door swung open as we came to a stop. "Get out. You will enter into a building. You will stay there and wait for further instructions."

We all stood up and walked out. I pushed my way to the front of the crowd. We were surrounded by grey. Grey walls, floors, ceilings, and doors. 

"Keth and I are going to make it to the end. I am sure of it." A brown haired girl boasted.

"You've got your facts wrong Lana. I already know who is going to make it." A long blond haired boy crossed his arms.

Lauren tapped me. "Hey, don't listen to them. They don't know what they are talking about. They lose at everything."

"You know them?", I asked.