City Lights (Book 1)

Chapter 14

I stand, and walk towards the doors in the building. My heart beats so loud, I can hear it perfectly in my ears. My hands shake, and tear test my eyes. Rush obviously sees my fear, and tries to grab my hand. For reassurance. But I yank my hand away from his reach. I don't want to get too attached to him, and then rely on him too heavily.

The hallway gets smaller and smaller. I can't help it, but I start to breathe really heavy. I'm terrified for what awaits. A door becomes visible on the other side of the room. A white door, with white trim, followed by a white wall. I estimate at least 50 feet away from my destination. I close my eyes, wanting home more than ever. My stomach churns and my palms sweat.

When I open my eyes, the door is in front of me. I put my hands on the door and push. I tumble into the room, tears biting at my eyes. Begging me to excape their dark den, to go into the light.

I take in my surroundings. A completely white room, buzzing with laughter and talk. No one else is scared? Or maybe that's how they cope with it. By being social.

I was never good at that kind of stuff, talking to people, or even making friends in general. It was almost impossible for me. No one wanted to befriend a sarcastic, and judgemental girl, that has to fight for her life daily. And I don't blame them.

I walk to the corner or the room and lean up against the wall. Girls flirt with the boys, and they do the same. Allies would be a good idea, but I'm not sure if I'll make any. Callie maybe? Possibly Rush? My mind is racing too much for me to concentrate on that at the moment.

I close my eyes, searching for memories of loved ones, the woods, my father, anything, but find none. I keep my eyes closed and steady my breathing to a normal rate. A sickening need for home strikes me at the worst of moments. How long will it be until I see my family again. If ever. My mind screams, and through everything , I manage to settle on a memory. It's not a good memory. A memory long forgotten, a memory of my childhood.

One day, I was in the woods, shortly after my father had died. I was starving, longing for a good cooked meal. We had ran out of food and money. My sister, not even a year of age, back home with Jax. The woods were relaxing to me, a way to excape the horrors awaiting me back home. Me and Jax were managing on small birds and rabbits for a long time, and Hazel drank goat milk. Mother was still not any better. I sat on a log, creating my first bow. Suddenly, a baby bird fell from the tree tops. I tried to catch it, but it landed on the ground with a smack. I ran over to it, to help it to its mother, but it was gone. It had snapped it's neck. I picked it up, and could have taken it home and ate it, but I didn't. I dug a hole in the ground, deep enough for it to not be found, and set the bird into the hole. I put grass over top of the bird, and shoveled the dirt back into the whole. Everything deserves to be rested properly, I concluded after my father died. We never were able to lay him to rest properly.

My thoughts are interrupted, when the loudspeaker clicks on.

"Time to start the process of becoming an Elite. Thank you young teens." They start, "April Chance, please follow the doctors out of the room. You will be the first."

A scream fights at my throat and climbs up my chest. I swallow it back because I must be brave. For my mother. For Hazel. For Jax.