The Forest

Chapter 2

Several whispers of fear reached my ears as i passed by the clay houses. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the The Choosing. 

I had always been a fearful person but the thought of going outside of the village made my heart skip a beat. I wondered what my profession would be. My life.....

Would i be chosen to go outside of this prison, or be condemned to live the comfortable life in the community?

                                                                           FIRST DAY  

I stood proud, but shaking, along with 15 other children, awaiting the trails. We were told to meet in this secluded spot, along the farthest of boundaries of the village. 

A dark skinned woman bounded up, clad in tight fitting clothes, with a long skinny stick strapped to her back. She surveyed the lot of us, counting our numbers in her hands.

"Alright, listen up!" She spoke up over the small conversations going on around me.  "Boys to the left, Ladies to the right." We shuffled to the directions she pointed. She no"dded once we were settled. 

"Now, form two separate lines behind me, Do not talk. Eyes forward. Stay behind me at all times."

We did as we were told. We walked around the clay wall, past the barns, fields, workshops, and orchards. After walking for a good ten minutes, we stopped. In front of us was a large wrought iron gate, with two sentries posted on each side high above. They saluted the woman as she strode past the now open gate. 

She stopped once inside.  "You will be able to see your folks in a few months. You will not be able to leave here-"

"This is not right!" A boy cried. "Do the Elders know about this?"

"Who said that?" The woman thunderously asked.

No one stirred.

"Fine. I will address you for the insubordination later." Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching. "Now, four each will be assigned a tent."

She turned wordlessly and we followed her to a dark part of the forest, where tents could be seen scattered far apart, probably just in range of  shouting distance.

"In a bit, I will assign you to your tents. You will be required to keep your site clean inside and out. All ashes will be cleaned out daily, and inspected daily. Any infraction will be severely punished."

"You will be required to feed yourselves, but there will be occasions where we will provide food for you.  If another tent has low food, share your catch."

She droned on about rules and expectations. I stood in line, watching, waiting, terrified of the future.

And for all of our lives.