Refinement: A War of Europe

Chapter Twenty-Six: West: An Adoption

Eloise~ West (England)

"Jenny, wait up!" I yelled to her. It seemed like she was heading to the training room, and so was I. I ran up to meet her, and she greeted me with one of her sweet smiles.  

"Hello, dear friend. I was just heading to the training area to practice knife throwing. Want to accompany me?" I grinned.  

"I am not very good at knife throwing, but I was going to practice shooting. We could help each other out."  

"That would be lovely." Her prose was very poetic. We walked into the training area and it looked deserted, which was nice to have the whole room to ourselves. Most Inaugurates didn't intend to spend their free time in the training room. I walked in, and grabbed a gun. I shot at the target, barely ever missing a bullseye. I had been practicing with Lieutenant Polly, and it was really paying off nicely.  

When I shot, the whole world and its problems drained from my mind, and cowered in forgetfulness. I saw nothing but my target, and heard nothing but the unescapable bang that came from pulling the trigger. I turned swiftly between targets, not stopping to see if a bullet had lodged itself into a bullseye or not. My breathing coordinated with my steps, long deep breaths filling every inch of my lunges.  

And then I stopped. 

I looked at the targets that were set in front of me in a circle, and every single target was punctured in the center.  

"It is interesting. It seems as if shooting is your escape pod from the earth, but it is a weapon that can quite literally force someone to leave earth." I turned my head, and wiped some sweat from my upper lip.  

"Are you okay, Jenny?" Jenny hid her face in her arm, and sat on the ground.  

"I can't handle it. I can't. And Lex desperately wants me too, Eloise. He wants me to kill, but I cannot do it. I am sorry." She broke into a sob. 

"Oh, Jenny, that is nothing to apologize for. You can stay here and become a nurse, or work at the bakery." 

"If I make it through Inauguration." My mouth clamped shut in horror. Jenny closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, "You have to promise me something, Eloise. You have to promise that you will take care of Lex. Because if I- you have to take my place. Arielle can't do that, because they are- well, they will be- together." My horror turned to anger. 

"Jenny, I forbid you to talk like that. You will make it through Inauguration like the rest of us." Jenny's eyes hardened.  

"There are fifty-eight kids here, each searching for a spot in the 39 that will live. We are in a group of nineteen that I know for a fact are the top dogs in this competition. What makes me more worthy to live than them? What would make me any better than the 19 who are going to die, Eloise?!" I opened my mouth to reiterate, but words had escaped me. I looked at the ground.  

"Because you are the kindest person I have ever met." Her face twisted into an expression of pity. 

"And because I am kind to your standards, that gives you the right to condemn others who are not kind? Death affects those who are hated as much as it does the kind."  

"That isn't true! The kind leave sadness behind them. If you die, Lex will be-" 

"It doesn't matter what the people left behind feel, does it, or does it not still affect the people DYING the same? They both feel the same amount of pain." My lip quivered.  

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RANK IS, JENNY. SO DON'T TALK LIKE THAT."  

"I am talking rationally, dear. Please, please try to understand that I am preparing you." I let out a huff, symbolizing how stubborn I could be. I didn't need to prepare for anything. She was the ignorant one. She just wanted attention. That was it.  

That wasn't it. 

"Come on, let's go to the Lewis'. I told them I would help them with Jasper so they could take care of some stuff for their new baby coming soon." 

"I think I will go hang out with Lex some, if that is okay with you." I glanced down at the floor. It was white like everything else in that garbage heap. My eyes were begging for relief from the tears attacking them, but I stood my ground. I hated this place. I loathed their cruel impulse to get rid of the physically incapable. Why did they wish to kill off so many of their own, when the Easterns were killing so many of us already? I felt arms wrap around me, and a head dig into my shoulder. 

"Please don't be scared, it just makes me so much more so." My arms tightened around her small waist, and my head buried into her neck for comfort. I let a tear slip. 

She had an odor resembling a peach orchard in the sunset.  

She pulled away from me. 

"You know that whether you like it or not, you are a part of my family now?" Jenny smiled, her brilliant teeth shining through her lips. It seems as if those who are adopted are the best at adopting.  

"I am proud to be your little sister." 

~~~ 

"Thank you so much for doing this. The baby is due sometime next week, and this is my last check up before that. Grayson wouldn't do it because he said it was 'Unprofessional'", Lieutenant Polly formed air quotes in the air, rolling her eyes. "Just because he is a decorated soldier he can get away with not helping his poor mother. Anyway, Jasper should be pretty clear if he wants something, and he can show you where everything is. He will be pretty content if you read to him." She handed me a book that must have been 600 pages long. The title made me giggle. "THE BOOK OF WAR TACTICS AND WEAPONRY RECOGNITION." Jasper looked stunningly like Grayson. His big blue eyes stared up at me in curiosity.  

"You Elly?" 

"No, I am Eloise."  

"ELLY!" He smiled a toothy and slobbery grin, and grabbed my leg in a bear-hug.  

"El-uh-wees." He nodded knowingly. 

"El-lee."  

"Okay, then. Elly will work, I suppose. Now, how would you like to read about weapons?" Jasper frowned. 

"No. Can we play?" I smiled. He reminded me of when Gabriel was this age. 

"Yes! Do you like to play pretend, Jasper?" He nodded his head vigorously. "Well, how about I am a princess, and you are a knight in shining armor, and you can save me from the pretend dragon. Sound cool?" Jasper's smile grew so big, I was afraid it would tear his lip. I positioned myself on the floor, ankles crossed poshly, and hand to my forehead in distress.  

"Oh, Jasper, where art thou? The evil dragon has taken me to his layer for safekeeping, and I am terrified!" Jasper put his hands on his hips heroically.  

"Me will save you, Elly!" He jumped towards the invisible dragon, and swiped his intangible sword at it. The next series of events, Jasper did not vocalize what he was seeing in his mind, so I sat there and watched, acting distressed.  

"THE DRAGON'S GOT ME, ELLY!"  

"OH, oh, oh dear." I snatched a pretend sword and swiped at the air. I jabbed, swiped, turned, ducked, rolled, and slid.  

"I believe you killed the dragon." I paused, and whisked around. It was Grayson.  

"Go away, Grayson. We are obviously defeating a dragon." Jasper nodded in agreement. 

"Too busy for even me, Jas?!" He stood, and positioned himself at my leg. 

"I am protecting Princess Elly, Gwayson."  

"Well, Princess Elly has to go home." Both Jasper and I were unhappy, but I turned to give him a hug goodbye, nonetheless.  

"Keep defending our Kingdom, Jasper." He nodded dauntlessly. I smiled, and walked to the door.  

"Eloise, thanks for- you know- hanging with Jasper."  

"Better watch out for him, Grayson. He is a skilled fighter." And I left with the sound of Grayson's laughter echoing in my mind.