I hate First Fall. It means longer hours and shorter breaks. The Hall reeks of sweat and the air burn my lungs. Beside me Reed's fingers dance across the tiles, his hands are blistered and bruised from the long hours of work. Down the aisle, a whip cracks and I flinch. I close my eyes trying to ignore what comes next.
"Please, I beg of you!" A middle-aged woman pleads. "My son will work hard, I will make sure of it. Please! Take me instead!" Dropping to her knees begging and pleading. The soldier tosses the woman aside their guns still pointed at the boy's forehead.
"Mother!" The child yells attempting to reach for her but the guard pushes him back in an effortless shove.
"You know the rules boy." The soldier declares his face clear as glass.
"I know the rules" The boy mumbles.
Reed gives me a nudge forget he mouths to me, I glare at him but I obey.
No, I will not leave him to die. I will not. I will not. I feel like screaming but I swallow hard, I know my rebellion will mean nothing to them. I will be put down like the others. Forgotten like everyone else.
Five, four, three— a gunshot echoes through the room. I'm trembling uncontrollably, one less worker will mean nothing to the king. The officer drags the child's body across the white corridor painting the floor with red blood. With his every step I shake violently the guard must notice because his face turns into an ugly sneer. He drops the boy's corpse and marches to the centre of the Hall.
"Dismissed, " He says.
When we get to the door Reed grabs my hand lacing his fingers into mine giving me a soft squeeze. I don't bother looking at his face because I know what he's thinking. Once we're out of the building we sprint into the night and don't look back and for just one moment we pretend that freedom is for our taking. We are free of the king's grasp away from all those who died.
We run for only what seems like seconds into the woodlands and I find myself a stump to sit on. For a while, I can only hear our erratic breathing and the loud pounding of my heart. Reed is smiling looking at me.
"What?" I feel the heat rise to my cheeks.
"Nothing Ara, nothing at all."
I wish I could tell him about how the future where we could be free. Even as I think of it I know it's a lie. I will give him hope and the hope will kill him.
"I wish the world was different," I whisper and his smile fades and depression washes over him.
"I know." He gives me a forced smile.
Since we were children Reed has always been strong even though he isn't, even if he's weak. He does it to stay alive, and he does it for me.
"It's dusk we better head back." Reed holds out his to me and I willingly take it. His grasp is soft and despite the cold autumn breeze, his hand is surprisingly warm. I glance at his face immediately I know what he's thinking.
"Hey," I murmur "She's alright, I'm positive."
"Ara, don't do that to me."
In a swift motion, he pulls me into a fierce hug. The silence hangs between us and the minutes go by as hours. When Reed and I were children we had not yet been assigned. But the assignment was not taken lightly to us either. It meant to be caged and watched for hours, and for many, it meant security and protection. We weren't given jobs until we were the age of ten, that is later than most children.
But I won't be assigned much longer. My sixteenth birthday is coming up, followed by the election. With my father dead and a delirious mother, there's no way we can pay off the election fee, so I will be elected like all the futile ones. Assignment is a blessing for most because nobody wants to be elected. By sixteen we are to be elected, trained prepared for the games.
My brothers were doomed for the games, by sixteen both of them had gone off to be watched and killed for entertainment. We haven't heard from them in years but receiving nothing is better than receiving anything. Usually, you are sent a red envelope soaked in your child's blood thanking your child for participating in the games. If you're lucky you may receive a small fragment of their DNA.
Alawn had left when I was twelve and when he left he gave me a worn piece of paper that yellowed on the edges that I decided to get tattooed on my collar bone.
Three lines in dark black ink. Harmony.
Later Faust continued the tradition when he left and now I have two symbols that remind me that they are out there.
Reed's father was not so fortunate. But then again when are Simples allowed the luxury of being fortunate. I was waiting for him the whole day so that he would come and play with me. Reed came out at noon, his eyes bloodshot and puffy. He stands there looking at his feet. Kicking small pebbles.
"Reed?" I toss a pebble his way "What happened?"
His hands are shaking and he presents me an envelope. I grab it out of his hand and hastily rip out the letter inside. With an uncertain voice, I read the letter aloud.
"Talon Slater has had the privilege of participating in the 308th games—" I nearly choke on the words that follow, "the Royal Court appreciates the life he has given for our splendid entertainment." Near the bottom of the letter, there is a lock of his jet black hair.
"Mother was taken away at dawn," he mutters bitterly. "and I believe she won't be coming back."
I'm still speechless standing there as if frozen in time. I know nothing I say will comfort him so I reach for his hand and pull him into a strong embrace. I have to swallow hard to not cry.
I will kill them all.
"One day," he whispers. "There will be no more deaths of simples but the blood of royals will cover the earth until the world is reborn."
His words send sivers down my spine. But the words tumble out of my mouth, four words that will doom us all.
"Leave it to me."
