If I Love You Was A Promise

The Beginning (Syrah's POV)

School just started up again, and here I am up at 5:00 AM wondering what I'm doing.. I hope this school year goes by faster then last year.
When I woke up, I brushed my medium length dark brown hair, but I ended up putting it up because it was a little more oily then I had originally thought it would be. The autumn air had a sort of pumpkin spice smell, and the colors of the leaves were surprisingly vibrant.
After I had gotten coffee, I realized that by the time I got to school, I would be late. I had forgotten today was the day of the selection.

It was all going to be the same, or so I thought. Every year they select a two group of students, and out of these group, two people get selected to write to each other anonymously. But there's a twist. You can't tell the other your name, your location, or any private information you wouldn't normally tell. They call this "pen pals", but it's not what you think it is.

Unlike the original version where you write to someone to meet new people, you're forced to write, and you've had no contact and you've had no information given to you about the other. You're only given a number. If you don't address them by that number, then you lose the game. The rules to this game are simple. Write at least five times a day, give absolutely no information about yourself, and don't fall in love with the other individual. The punishments are as follows: Loss of the game, Torture, and even death if severe enough.
The game is set once a year, and if followed through, the prize can be up to one million dollars. If you refuse the game, you'll either be imprisoned, or face the death penalty. That's how much the creators enjoy the games.

That day started around 8:30 in the morning. I was late to class, and the bell rang before I could get to the room. I forgot that today was the day they selected the people for the games. Once you hit 18 years old, they remove you as a candidate for the game. But being 16, I wasn't safe at all.. I walked into the room, being about five minutes late for class, and they had asked for my name, ethnicity, and my age.

After they registered me, they told me to have a seat, so that they could choose the candidate for this years "game". Once I had gotten to my seat, the person who makes the decision brought out the new device used to help make the choice. They went based on blood, and fingerprints, and if you didn't register and they found out, they would send you straight to the authorities. Once you were caught, it was over for you. We learned that a few years ago, when my best friend Owen didn't want to be apart of the cruel system. They counted twenty nine out of thirty people. They went back through and caught him, later they called us in to let us know that he had lied about the situation. They then said they were going to use this experience as an example for later in our lives, then they made us watch as he was blindfolded, and shot ten times, three in his arms, two in his legs, four straight through his back, and one in his head.
Out of everyone in our class, no one ever disobeyed that rule. Then I snapped back to reality, and quickly realized they were about to select one person from this class.
They came around the room, searching our bags, and clearing the halls. They silence the room almost completely. All I hear after is the ticking of the clocks, and the sounds of the doors squeaking as the doors close, and the hallways become as empty as it does every year, on this very day.

The clock hits 9:00. It's time. They read off the names of people who will not be chosen this year, because the system allows those with the highest grades, to be pardoned from the game. My name wasn't there. I had just barely missed the cut, and now the price was being paid. Then, I focus my hearing, and all I hear "Syrah". My name was being called. But not for immunity.. I was chosen to play the game. The game that everyone else was trying to avoid. But there was nothing I could do. I decided to comply with the rules. If I just played the game, I would walk away with the money, and I'll still be alive. All I would have to do is follow three simple rules, how difficult would that be?

School ended early for me today. But that was only so that I could collect my thoughts. "Why me. Out of the thirty people in my class, why me?" I said to myself. I was trying to calm down, but there was no easy way to take this.
I went up to my room, and I started playing music. Music was what usually kept my mind at ease in situations like this. At first, not even music was working. But not long after I guess I fell asleep.
When I woke up it was around 8:00 am. "NO NO NO!" I started screaming as I realized my alarm clock didn't go off. I was really making a bad example of myself at school being late two days in a row. But I had no time to think about anything after that, all I could think about was getting to school as quickly as I could, because today was the day I got the information for my so called "pen pal".