The Parables

Eely - Precinct Five

Eely - Precinct Five

"My name is Eely Spinster," I whisper to myself, bringing my knees to my chest and hugging them tightly. "I'm fourteen years old and I'm a Martyr in The 99th Parables."

Resting my chin on my knees, I gaze at the wall opposite me and let out a sigh. Shafts of faint light from the early morning sun slither under the doorway and onto the carpet of my sleeping quarters, lighting up the room dimly. Sliding my legs back under the duvet, I pull it back over me and gently lay my head down on the pillow. Rolling over so I face the wardrobe doors, I cocoon myself within the duvet and close my eyes

Today, I will finally see some of the Martyrs who I'm up against. Eight other innocent Martyrs, who I'm going to be competing against in a life or death matter. Only one of us is going to win and only a few are going to survive. I will be walking amongst the dead. I will be training amongst the dead. I will be dying amongst the dead. Pulling the duvet up further over my face, I curl up into a ball and hide myself from the rest of the world.

"My name is Eely Spinster. I'm fourteen years old and I'm a Martyr in The 99th Parables."

I whisper those words to myself a couple more times, trying to relax my mind and stop myself worrying about every other detail. The more I worry, the tenser I get and the more panicked I feel. I can't leave this train an emotional wreck; I have to show my strength. Else, I'm going to look like a naïve, vulnerable child who is surely not going to make it out alive. That may be who I feel like right now, but it can't be who I'm going to be. I have to change.

All of a sudden, I hear a soft tap on the door. Sitting up, I drag the duvet off my legs and spring onto the floor. Yawning, I stumble over to the door and open it up. Standing in the doorway, smiling at me, is Neilia. She wears a strapless black dress and her rich brown hair drapes down over her shoulders.

"Morning, Eely," she greets. "Did you sleep well?"

"A bit," I reply, putting on a small smile.

"Good. I just came to tell you that breakfast is nearly ready and when you get dressed, make sure you wear either a dark green dress or blouse with a black skirt."

"Why?"

"It's our Precinct's colour. Every Martyr wears their Precinct's colour when they first enter The Commune."

"I didn't know the Precincts had their own colour." I frown. "And ours is dark green?" Neilia nods grimly. "It could have been worse. Like...I'll just go get dressed." Closing my door, I groan and let out a sigh.

Opening the wardrobe doors, I walk in and start to sift through the various outfits the wardrobe has to offer. After a couple of minutes, I choose a juniper sundress and grab a hairbrush out of a box beneath the clothes. Leaving the wardrobe, I quickly change out of my nightdress and into the sundress. Brushing through my hair, I swiftly put it into a messy bun then leave the hairbrush on the bed before heading into the main area of the carriage.

I'm greeted by the scent of bacon frying and my eyes land upon a large spread on the table. Eyes widening, I move through the room and take a seat at the table. A moment later, I hear movement behind me and when I turn around in my seat, I see Jacinth emerge from his room, smartly dressed in a black tuxedo. He grins at me and I nod at his outfit.

"Very smart," I remark, smiling.

"Why thank you," he replies. "You look pretty smart yourself." I smile at him as he takes a seat opposite me.

Just then, Neilia bustles out of the kitchen, clasping a bowl of sausages, her hands protected by a pair of oven gloves. She places it down in the middle of the table then wipes her forehead, letting out a sigh of relief. Taking off the oven gloves, she goes back into the kitchen then returns a second later without the gloves.