The Twenty Five Percent Rayanna

Graduation

                Two groups are called before me and Kat. I watch as they mount the stairs, hand over their lists, listen as Harmony reads out the clues, watch as the group pulls out the items as they are called, and then rejoin the rest of us. Harmony doesn't tell any of them if they brought back the correct items, she just says okay and moves on to the next. Maybe that means they were correct? Or maybe it means she doesn't want anyone to know, yet, who is losing? I am so nervous that I catch myself chewing on my fingernails. I really need to quit that habit but it's a hard habit to break. And then the moment I have been waiting for happens.

                  "Katrina and Rayanna." Harmony calls out.

                  My stomach feels as if I swallowed a ton of lead, my palms are sweaty, and I can feel my whole body shaking, even my insides feel like they are shaking. Did we get this right? Have all the items been collected? Are they the right items? What happens if we were wrong? Will we be cleansed? I shakily climb the stairs, with Kat right behind me, and stop in front of Harmony. I hand her the list and then wait.

                  "Let's see here... Oh, you are the ones who got this list. Okay, let's see how good you are." Harmony says looking over the list. "First clue, I'm wet, your dry, but when you get me, you'll be wet, and I'll be dry. Just don't forget to gurgle. Okay, what do you guys have for this one?"

                  Kat pulls the stone out of the bag. "This rock from the fountain in the single lady's apartment complex."

                   "Okay, next clue..." Harmony says.

                    Kat places the rock back into the bag.

                      I watch Harmony's face to see if she will react to our answer, but her face remains emotionless. What does that mean? Are we wrong, or right? Come on just smile or frown or something! This emotionless reaction is so frustrating!

                    "I'm high in the sky but I don't fly. I'm really rare, just call me royal. Drop me and I'll break."

                        For this one, Kat pulls out the rock-like egg.

                        "Hm. Okay. Next... When I'm young, I'm found in the dark. Once I'm old I come to the light. Any kind will do."

                         Kat puts the egg back and out comes the seed. I'm actually proud of this clue, I figured it out really quickly. After a nod from Harmony, it gets dropped back into the bag.

                       "I have branches but I'm not a tree. You have to bring back something yellow and green."

                        This time the vine-like grass comes out. The thing that saved my butt from dying in the quicksand. Harmony nods and then it disappears back into the bag.

                          "Check your reflection but not in a mirror. I'm something shiny and silver. One quick tug is all it takes, but don't worry, it won't hurt me."

                        Kat pulls out the fish scale and an image of Gelyan's angry face as she pushes me into the lake, fills my mind. Her jealousy ruined everything. If she hadn't pushed me in, I would never have had a single doubt about Altair. Would never have overheard Altair talking to the other man about isolating me to bend me to his will. And now... what Kat told me is gnawing away at the back of my mind. Doubt has crept in. I look over to Harmony and see a frown that's quickly replaced with the blank expression she's been projecting. Uh-oh. What did that frown mean?

                         "And finally, your last clue... I'm hunting you while you search for clues, if you don't follow the rules, you'll end up dead. A tooth, a hair, or a claw, bring a piece of me or lose it all."

                          Kat speaks up as she produces the hair. "I'm not really sure what it's from, but it moved really fast and the noise it made was a creepy singing-like sound. We were lucky we survived."

                        I wonder why she decided to play innocent on what the creature is. I watch Harmony's face but this time she is careful not to let any emotions show.

                      "Okay. Thank you very much. Now for the last pair." Harmony says.

                    I feel a little relief that our part is over, but the fact that only one team is left has kicked my nerves into overdrive. I swear I'm pouring sweat out of every single body part, and I probably stink too. Come on! Hurry up! I need this to be over already! And then it is, the last team is rejoining the rest of us.

                   "Okay. That's the end of that part. Since all four remaining teams completed the scavenger hunt, I need to speak with the other two judges to decide who is staying and who is being Cleansed." Harmony states, double tapping her throat chip. She walks over to Kyra and Altair, who stand to their feet, and they huddle together, whispering. At one point, I see Altair gesturing angrily. He looks down at me, stops gesturing, smiles, and turns back to the others.

                      Was that a good or bad thing?

                After what seems like an eternity passes, they quit whispering and this time Altair steps forward. He double-taps on his throat and speaks up. "Okay, after some lively debate, a decision has been reached."

                   Come one, please be me, I mean us. Please be us.

                    "In first place, we have Blythe and Baila. Congratulations. You not only got all your items correct, but you had the fastest time." Applause fills the air and both ladies grin from ear to ear. After a few moments the applause dies down and he continues. "In second place..." Altair pauses a moment.

                   Okay, maybe this one is us.

                     "Yulia and Saretta. Congratulations, ladies." Once again applause fills the air. Once it dies down, he continues. "And in third place, the last ones to become Dini out of this group..." he pauses again.

                   This one has to be us, if not we are dead. Please be us! I did not come through all of this mess just to die because of some stupid scavenger hunt!