Six months ago I received my letter from the castle. I'd been waiting a year and a half for it. I didn't start getting nervous though, until six months had already passed. I was afraid I was going to be summoned to the chamber of the magistrate. Have all the justices stare me down and scrutinize me before telling me that I've been found useless. It's a nightmare. No one wants to find out they're useless. It's almost worse than death. No one is guaranteed to be useful and as a child gets closer to becoming an adult, the more nervous the families get because living on this planet and having a purpose is never a guarantee.
The chamber is the second biggest building after the castle. It's creepy looking and looks like it belongs on another planet. The entire building is made of marble, black marble. The mountain of steps and pillars don't help either, they just make it look haunted. The most haunting part of all being the fifty foot statue of lady justice at the top of the steps. Like she's judging you with her scales every time you pass her. I've never actually been there, but I've seen it on TV and that's enough. I've always believed that when a person is judged and found to be useless or having no purpose to serve, they vanish too. I've never seen the inside of the building and nor do I have any desire to. No one wants to. No one thinks they will ever see the outside world again. Ever. Receiving a letter from the Chamber of the Magistrate is worse then the end of civilization. It could also be that the stories told by stupid boys have a feeling of truth in them.
