Gone

I'm sorry

Today, I haven't done very well. I caught four trout and one salmon. Hopefully if my family are able to scrape through this winter in the summer we can stock up on plants and berries.
I pull my old boat on to the shore, struggling with the weight. I look around the old pebble beach I've grown up on. Everything is so grey, the rocks, the air, the sky, even the sea. This beach is all I know, along with the small village about half a mile away.
I pick up my net, fishing rod and bucket of fish and start walking home. My house is on the cliff parallel to the beach, it doesn't take long until I'm home.
"Mia!" My little brother shouts as I walk through the door.
"Good afternoon little hunter" I reply dropping my things and pulling him into a hug. he squeals and I start to tickle him. Hunter's nine but large for his age. He resembles me a little. we have the same greeny-brown eyes and dark brown hair. Mine flows far down my back and his is cut short like those who keep our country safe.
"Hello sweetheart" my mother pulls me into a warm hug, the same one she would give to me as a child.
"Catch anything?" She smiles at me hopefully. We haven't had anything decent to eat for about a month. We can only keep some of the fish I catch, the others we have to trade for other materials or food. I know mum can tell from my expression I haven't caught much. The
corners of her mouth turn down.
"I'm sorry." I mumble. She hugs me again.
"Don't worry" she replies. "Maybe tomorrow." There is little hope in her voice. I know how she feels.
At that moment dad bursts through the door singing at the top of his voice. I can't help giggle, he looks extremely comical when he does this. Hunter runs up to him and hugs his leg. Dad look over to me showing his hopefulness.
"How's my little pearl done today?" He beams.
"Not great." I reply.
"Well that's okay." His smile isn't as wide. " Let's go to market together and we'll trade one of them for a gift. After all tomorrow is your special day." I smile thankfully.
He's right tomorrow is my special day. Tomorrow is the day that determines most of my future. I'll take the test that had my sister taken away. Nobody knows exactly what happens durning the test and those who have taken it have a memory loss serum planted into them. The test determines whether you are allowed to stay in our country. Most people pass but my sister, Heather, was one of the few that didn't. So at the age of fourteen she was taken away. We never saw her again.

My father and I walk the half a mile to get to the village, taking with us two trout and the salmon to trade. We have little money so what I catch is almost all we have. We trade a trout for some milk and the other one for some fruit. Finally we go to a small jewellery stall, no one in our village really has enough money to spare and buy jewellery but dad trades the salmon for a beautiful bracelet.
It is silver and twisted in a unusual pattern. I've never owned something so expensive and I know the women owning the stall gave it to us cheep. We spent what little we have on a present for me. To us this bracelet is life threatening. I slip it on to my tiny wrist.
"Thank you." I whisper to my dad. He smiles at me then seems to have an idea.
"Amelia."
"Yes?"
"This summer I'm going to teach you how to hunt." This could be life changing for us. Hunting could bring all kinds of different meat for us to trade. I hug him.
As a child dad used to hunt and fish for his family, he put the food in the table. As he got older he had to work and during the week no longer had time to help get our meals so he taught me how to fish and what plants you can eat. I am also talented when it comes to knife throwing (something I taught myself) unfortunately you can get a clean kill with a knife so no one would want to buy it.

We walk home and the whole way all I can think about is what will come tomorrow, will I stay here? Will my father ever get the chance to teach me to hunt?
Outside our front door is a patch of dandelions, my father and I harvest the leaves. Then my mother creates a meal from the leftover trout and dandelion leaves. Over the table I show my mother my bracelet but other than that we stay silent. I now know I'm not the only one nervous, my parents have lost one daughter, they don't want to lose another. I know Hunter can feel the tension as well. He smiles at me encouragingly.

Later that night I fall into a restless sleep. I don't know if I'll even be sleeping in the same bed tomorrow night.