The Showcase

Chapter Five

Five days later, I was feeling a lot stronger. I'd been avoiding Cara and Chastity ever since the testing. Brady told them that I was sleeping every time they came to visit, but I was going home tomorrow. I couldn't hide forever.

"Hey, you know, I never asked you…" Brady started as he gave me my lunchtime pills. "How did you get this banged up?"

"What do you mean? You were there," I reminded him, washing down the first three with a glass of water.

"Well, we don't know exactly what happened. The test was supposed to use your greatest fears to test you mentally, physically, and emotionally. But how did you actually get injured? From what I heard, the rest of the candidates came out with nothing but a few nightmares."

I swallowed the other two pills and shrugged. "I don't know, I guess it was just a fluke."

"Impossible," he scoffed, using the voice he always used when he had to explain science-y things to me. "These things don't just fluke."

"What things?"

"Well," he said, his logic voice strengthening. "There was a gas pumping into the room. The other interviewers and I had taken an immunity pill, and as soon as we finished the questions, you passed out. So we set you on the floor, and everything after that was in your head."

"You guys drugged me?" I exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.

"Not drugged, exactly. More like...altered your perception of reality," he laughed.

"Drugs are defined as reality altering substances!" I was practically shouting now, definitely not amused.

He continued laughing as he set my lunch in front of me. I made a face at the tasteless clam chowder. My complaints were interrupted by a knock at the door. Brady shushed me quickly and I lay down on the bed, closing my eyes and facing away from the door.

"Yes?" I heard him ask as he opened the door.

A deep voice responded: "May I see Miss Daulton?" It wasn't a question, it was a demand, and I listened as footsteps crossed the linoleum floor to the chair in front of my bed. I sat up and faced their owner, a man in a grey suit and short-cropped hair sat with his hands folded.

"Yes?" I asked, crossing my legs and trying to keep my cool. As if he wasn't intimidating enough, his gray suit could only mean one thing.

"Amia," he said, leaning forward and pinning me down with his dark eyes, "I'm here to inform you that you've been Chosen. You are officially a Product in the 25th Showcase."

***

"What?" Brady and I exclaimed.

He shot Brady a stern look, but quickly adjusted himself. Meanwhile, I continued to stare at him with my mouth open. "I'm sorry; I think you have the wrong girl."

"You are Amia Daulton, are you not?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Yes, but...sir, I've been held up in the ER for the past week because I broke the simulation. I was shot, stabbed and emotionally scarred! I dropped myself twice!"

"And this is why you are the ideal Product for your Aggregation."

I blinked. "I don't see your logic."

He rose slowly and took a step forward, speaking through his clenched jaw. "You don't have to. You were Chosen. Whether or not you agree with our decision will not change the fact that it has been made. Do you accept?"

I swallowed and nodded.

"Very well. You have one day to pack your things. At exactly seven in the evening tomorrow, you will be flown to Los Angeles, where you will stay until Entrance Day. You will be cared for by staff until that day."

"One day to pack? What will I need?"

"Anything you wish. All the rest will be provided for you; clothes, food, entertainment, etcetera." He turned and walked to the door. "I shall see you seven o'clock tomorrow."

"You must be kidding me," I sighed, rolling over and slamming my face into my pillow.

***

Brady talked to the doctor, and he was willing to let me out early, due to my 'special circumstances.' They sent me off with a six-week supply of pills and long, complicated instructions on how often to take which pills, and what I should and shouldn't do after taking them. I half-listened, since most of my mind already occupied with more important things than whether I should take the blue pill with hot or cold water.

"Goodbye, Amia," Brady said finally, hugging me for the last time as I left the hospital that Friday morning.

"Bye, Brady." I smiled, holding back tears at the thought of leaving him. After what happened during my test, I would never look at Chastity or Cara the same. Now, Brady was my only friend.

"Don't forget to write to me, if you can. And good luck."

I nodded, and he hugged me again.

"I know it's hard," he murmured, "but when you walked into that room a week ago, I knew that you were special. You were meant for this, even if you don't think so."

I smiled, much weaker this time, and waved before stepping through the doors and heading back to the train stop where everything had started, just a week ago.

***

I waited until Cara and Chastity were at school before sneaking back into our apartment to gather my things. Everything that I didn't take, I threw away. Even though I knew sneaking out on them like this was wrong, I also knew that I'd never be able to look at either of them again. And I couldn't bear the thought of them living with my stuff, remembering me, when I was doing my best to forget them.

Not only was I running from my past, but I was slowly being overwhelmed by my future. How did they choose me out of all the other sixteen year olds in the entire country? I completely bombed my test a week ago, and a week from now I’ll be Performing. It just didn’t make any sense, but I didn’t really have a choice. I was Chosen, and you can’t just back away from that.

I tossed all my clothes, makeup, papers, binders and books, only saving a sweatshirt, my music player, and my antique gold locket.

I pulled the sweatshirt on and stuffed the music player and the locket into my pocket. Then, I dragged the bags full of all my belongings one by one to the trash chute, left my key on the desk and closed the door for the last time.

***

Author's Note: Thanks again for reading everyone! This chapter's song is 'Runaway' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs