YIS APOCALYPSE

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

***Grace***

They gathered by a set of the bleachers on the far corner.

"Someone help me tear this paper... I can't do this." Hudaifa muttered handing the sheet of paper to Mounika. Mounika took it and started folding it in half, ripping at the crease. Grace could feel the nervousness surrounding her. It clawed at her. But at the same time, she was glad that she wasn't going to be the one drawn from the eleven pieces of paper that practically decide one's fate as to whether or not they'd be staying in the safe zone or venturing into the unknown. It sounded cliche to her. Like as if it was the summary from every other book or movie. Like it wasn't real.

"There's only one problem..." Alexis added breaking her train of thought, "there's no pencil..."

"Oh here," Eric added pulling a pencil from his pocket. He had always kept pencils in his pocket. But at this time, his pencil could be the beginning of one's death. That pencil's led would carve a name into the paper. That paper would thus be chosen-or not- but either way it would decide the person's chances at life. That thought sent a chill down her spine. Every. Choice. Counted.

***Harper***

They had gathered the tomatoes from behind Professor X's classroom. Just in case, he had told them. they had emptied her backpack of the books and portfolios that no longer seemed to worth anything. Now, what seemed to be the most precious was food, water, and a first aid kit. Professor X zipped up his bag.

"All set?" He asked scanning the room.

"Yeah, I think so... where are we going from here?" Harper asked.

"To find your class..."

"Wait... were you serious about eating just plain tomatoes?" Aliya interrupted remembering their previous conversation.

"If we have to, trust me, we'd be fighting over them. I'm just being precautious." Professor X replied shrugging his shoulders.

A stalling silence passed over them. This was it. They were leaving. Who knew if they'd make it past the door? Who knew if they'd have to feast on tomatoes. From now on out, nothing would be certain. The unexpected would be something to expect.

"Ready to go?" Professor X asked breaking the nervous, anxious, silence.

"Ready to go..." Harper replied letting go of her long held breath...

***The Others***

"Now, who's gonna do the honors of choosing?" Zack asked pointing to the pile of folded pieces of papers.

"Me!" Grace shouted from the crowd after realizing that she was choosing who was to die.

"I wanna chose!" Alexis began. She was doing it out of competition. Everyone could tell.

"Please bruh, I'm not even going, it won't be biased in anyway." Grace pointed out.

"Bias? How would it be biased if I chose?" Alexis asked back.

"What if your name was chosen... you wouldn't say it, would you?" Grace snapped tilting her head to one side.

"You know," Felix began contemplating, "Grace does, have a point." Alexis simpled sneered at him with nothing to say back. She sat back down with a look of defeat.