The Parables

Aliss - Precinct One

Aliss - Precinct One

She dashes towards a fissure in the bush, sprinting for her life. To her right is another person...a girl, racing towards the same destination. She grits her teeth and pushes on harder. She needs to reach the void in the bush first. Before it's too late. Before... Her thoughts cease mid-sentence as her opponent leaps through an opening. The opening. Within the blink of an eye, the ground below the fissure opens up and a wall of shrubbery shoots up, filling the gap as if it had always been there. Her gaps. Her eyes widen. No. No. No. She is trapped. Suddenly, she hears a bloodcurdling scream...

My eyes snap open. My hands are trembling and I can feel adrenaline pulsating around my body. My breaths become heavy and laboured as I struggle to remain calm. The seatbelt around my waist restricts me from moving, which is a good thing, as I probably would've leapt out of the car by now. We're still moving and I begin to wonder if we're ever going to stop. Is this sentry driving all the way to The Commune?

Days seemed to have passed since I left Precinct One. However, it's only been several hours and I'm still in shock of becoming a Martyr. Every now and then, my mind takes me back to Father or Tula or Merlin, as I try to gather the best memories I've shared with them, so with regards to death, they will be the last people I think off. I can still vividly see Tula's tear-stained face, Father's grave expression and Merlin's anger at his Father. I don't blame Mayor Ali, I'm just annoyed at him. It wasn't his fault he chose me trying to protect his son. He could've picked anyone, for that matter, but it just happened to be me.

The scenery outside of the car has transformed into lush, emerald fields and rolling hills, sprinklings of trees here and there as well as along the sides of the track we're travelling down. The track is uneven and littered with stones of all shapes and sizes. Whenever the car goes over a large bump or stone, the car jolts, shuddering for a few moments until it regains its balance on the track again. Hedges line the entire sides of the track, masking the rough trunks of the trees, heavily made of leaves that are damp with morning dew, even if is the afternoon. Wait...

"What's the time?" I lean forward, inches away from the driver.

He doesn't answer. I frown.

"I said, what's the time?" I repeat, slightly irritated.

"Eight o'clock."

Frowning, I glance outside. It's nowhere near getting dark. So that must mean...

"It's morning," the sentry adds gruffly. My eyes widen in surprise.

Leaning back in my seat, I sigh and glance out of the window. Will this journey ever end? Seriously, how big is Precinct One? If this is Precinct One. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine the day before the Retraction. Merlin and I had spent the entire day in the Thicket, setting traps and watching the animals becoming ensnared in them, fishing, and seeing how far we could throw Merlin's spears. We'd even trekked down to the lake and skimmed stones. I smile, my eyes still closed.

"We'll be at the train station soon." The sentry interrupts my thoughts.

"Where exactly have we been travelling?" I dare to ask.

The sentry is silent for a moment or two. "Along the border of Precinct One. This road leads to the train station. From there, you'll be travelling on a train with your tutors."

I vaguely remember the only two people of Precinct One who have won The Parables. Ria Franco was just seventeen when she won the 89th Parables and Hawke Silwood was nineteen when he won the 68th Parables. I only remember Ria winning it, yet I still know of Hawke as Tula and my Father have talked of them both countless times near to the date of a Retraction. When Ria became champion, there was a massive celebratory street party in the Plaza. That was the day I first met Merlin.