The Parables

Laia - Precinct Thirteen

Laia - Precinct Thirteen

Darting over to the over side of the hall, I grab a spare bow, lying on the floor. I take its quiver of arrows and sling it over my shoulder. Taking one arrow out, I slide it into my bow and take aim. Pulling the bowstring as far past my cheek as possible, I focus on the centre of the target board then let go. The arrow zips forward in a straight line and stabs the centre of the target. I grin and take another arrow. Putting it in place, I pull the bowstring back and turn around. I aim it at the door behind me and shoot it forward. It pierces the wood and remains firmly in place.

Taking a third arrow, I pretend to aim it at the ceiling, changing positions until I stand sideways on and shoot the arrow at the wall. It jabs into the wall and vibrates for a moment, from the impact of the hit. Eventually, it stops moving. I pull out a fourth arrow and pull it back tightly. Dropping to my knees, I roll across the floor towards the target. Neatly, I spring back onto my feet in one swift move and let the arrow fly forward. It fires forward and slices my first arrow in half. Grinning, I look up.

Ahead of me, in the doorway, stands Mr Seward, the Educator and every student in my class behind them, craning their necks to try to get a glimpse of me. I drop the bow on the floor, freezing. I feel my cheeks burning as two dozen pairs of eyes sear my skin.

"Er, beginner's luck." I flash an innocent smile.

My eyes open wide. They land upon the back of the seat in front of me. Terrified of the unfamiliar surroundings, I crawl backwards in my seat, pulling my knees to my chest, panting heavily. Not that. Not that nightmare again. It reminds me too much of why I'm here. Why I volunteered for somebody I don't know. Why I sentenced myself to my own demise.

After a few moments, I grow accustom to my situation and begin to relax. My shoulders roll back, loosening up, and my legs slide to the floor. My hands rest in my lap, palms facing upward, no clenched, clammy fists. Breathing slowly, I close my eyes and envision something familiar. Something, that reminds me of home. Not that I had a home of course. I've been living in the Thicket since the age of nine and that is far from a home. My shelter is my abode but that is not a house. The trees conceal me but they are not my walls. Branches and leaves shield me from the overhead sky but they are not my ceiling. The grassy undergrowth of the Thicket provides a floor for me but that is not a wooden floorboard. Precinct Thirteen is where I'm from but that's not where I belong. Precincts aren't homes. They're death camps.

My eyes reopen and I gaze out of the window. A slither of nerves still exists inside of me amidst the excitement of my highly anticipated death. The sooner I leave this world, the better. The sooner I escape the embarrassment of yesterday, the better. I sigh at the thought of it. How could I have been so careless? I could have at least shut the door so I'd know when they'd return. It would have been much better for me to have remained in my seat. If I had, I wouldn't be here. None of this would have happened. But it would have, just not for me. It would have happened, to Anja.

For some reason, I keep thinking about Anja. Since the start of my journey away from Precinct Thirteen, she's always been there in my mind. I have no clue who she is. I have no idea how old she is. I have no image in my mind of what she looks like. Yet, I've saved her from her death. She would have been so overjoyed at being replaced, but so confused as to why a complete stranger took her place. Now I feel sorry for her. She'd never get to meet me. I'd never get to meet her. I would love to have met her. We could have been friends. But then she'd also know my secret. But knowing my secret means knowing why I'd volunteered to take her place. If only she'd have come to see me whilst I was waiting to leave. I have so many regrets right now, I wish I'd never have volunteered in the first place.