Get Out Alive...

Meeting Cordellia

I sit in the chair waiting for Madam Cordellia to come, it's been about 20 minutes since the man has led me in here. Maybe she had an emergency, or had to run an errand. I begin shake my right leg up and down, I try to stop, but it's a habit, it helps me calm my nerves anyways.

I look around the room and find lots of books, strange plants in fancy pots, and a lot of small colorful knickknacks. I stand up and investigate her desk, there is a big mug filled with black pens and sharpened pencils. A big calender is in the middle of the desk with little notes on each day, 'Meeting with Katherine from district 17' is marked on today Monday May 18th. I look at a small pad of paper and find there are a bunch of these little sticky papers on the calendar with more little notes. 'Katherine's offspring is to be sent to General Copland of City Canton, State Fallswells.' I gasp at the sight. So they do make us have 'Offspring' and ship them off to other generals! I was right! I look around the room for some sort of camera or something to see if I am being watched. I don't find anything, so I take out my mini-pager and take a picture of the sticky note. I hear foot steps so I quickly go back and sit down.

Madam Cordelia walks in, I entangle in fingers together and sit up straight to proper, posture and manners is everything. Madam Cordellia sits down and also entangles her fingers and looks up at me. She is actually quite beautiful, she has green-blue eyes and honey brown hair that falls past her shoulders. Her eyebrows are perfect curved lines on her smooth pastey-white face, her high cheek bones and perfect pink lips make her face look like one of a supermodels. I would know because I watch Top Model Standards on the television a lot.

"So Miss," She pauses and looks at her calendar. "Katherine, do you know why your here?" She asks, her voice is calm and professional sounding.

"Yes," I seem to squeak out, I clear my throat,"I am turning eighteen soon and this meeting is to discuss who I am going to be er-" I trail of trying to think of how I can put this so it will sound lady-like. For Madam Cordellia's ways of speaking are much more better and persuasive than mine.

"Who you will be getting together with to have a child and live together in a house that your Husband will own and take care of ." She says looking back at me, avoiding my eyes. She's lieing, and I don't think she knows that I know she's lieing.

"Yes, so do you know who I will be with?" I ask, uncrossing and crossing my legs again.

"Yes one moment please," She walks over to the wall behind her desk. She looks at another sticky note and searches the filing cabinet leaning against the wall. My hands are getting sweaty again, I hope she doesn't want to shake hands with me soon. I quickly wipe them on my skirt. Madam Cordellia comes back with a file marked with my name 'Katherine Morris, Corridor 17, 324-0098-787' I'm not quite sure what the numbers are for, but it's probably something that has to do with my identity.She makes exhales with a sigh as she shuffles through papers, she says "ah-ha!" as she finds the one she needs. I smile and she walks back over to the filing cabinet and opens a different drawer and searches through those folders. I let out  a silent sigh and look at my hands.

She comes back with the folder she needed I read the name on the tab 'Brendon Merills, Corridor 4, 965-5443-613' Well I guess the new 'Name' Is going to be Mrs. Katherine Merills, on my gravestone after they dispose of me and take my child. I wonder what happens to the guy, do they let him live, or do they kill him too?

"This is your new, soon to be Husband." She says handing me a picture. I study it carefully. He has a perfect white smile and light red lips. His eyes are a crystal blue color, and his hair is a dark curly brown.He is very attractive, his olive colored skin and broad, muscular shoulders make him look like he should be in a magazine, posing for men's clothes. Madam Cordellia takes the photo back and puts into the neatly organized folder.

"So is his birthday on the same day as mine? Is that why were put together?" I ask, I already know that were put together because we are both attractive and will make a beautiful baby, but I am curious what answer Madam Cordellia will come up with.

"Yes, well no, his birthday is the day before yours, but no one else has the same birthday as you." She says, this time not avoiding my eyes, I can't tell if she is lieing or not. Her face seems calm and reassuring.

"Oh, ok, I was just wondering I say." Hiding my emotions in my emotions as best I could by smiling.

"Well would you like to meet you man?" She says standing up.

"Now?" I say raising my eyebrows.

"In a little bit, you will be staying here in a room until you to are sent away. Your stuff will be arriving in an hour or so, so I will show you to your room and everything else you will need to know before we send you away." She says giving me a quick smile. I stand up and flatten the creases that are in my skirt. Madam Cordellia walks to the door and I follow her, closing the door behind me.

She leads me to an elevator and we rise about twenty floors, it only took about 10 seconds. She walks out the doors and I follow her.

"This is your room key, I have one too, so don't think you can hide things from me." She says strenly.

"Why would I hide something from you?" I ask.

"Because, people from your corridor like to keep things from me, and that's how they get k- I mean in trouble before they can leave." She says angrily fidgeting with the key trying to get it in.

"Here let me," I say using the key she gave me. I swiftly put it in turn it to the left and open the door for her to walk in.

"Thank you." She says walking past me. I walk in and the door closes on it's own, the room is bigger than the one I have at home. It has a working beautiful bathroom, a big plush bed, a refrigerator with  healthy snacks, a television, a dresser, a closet, and a whole bunch a other beautiful things I will study when she leaves.

"This is your room," She says opening her arms, gesturing her arms around." If you need anyting, here is a phone, there is a list of numbers you can call, just look for my name and punch in the numbers." She says. "Your stuff will be here momentarily so I let you look around and when I come back you can get all settled in and I will come get you for dinner." She says smiling and walking out of the room, her black skirt and black blouse swaying as she closes the door behind her.

I slowly walk around the room studying each thing, I look at a small figurine of a little girl looking at a sunflower, I slowly and carefully stroke the porcelain figure. I have never really felt anything porcelain. I now know its really smooth. I walk over to the bed and sit on it, its very plush, and soft, there are over five pillows on it, I am not sure why you need so many pillows for one head. I pick one up and stroke it's velvet case, its so smooth and comfortable feeling. I could really get used to this. Then I start thinking about home, Home! Penelope, Marie, Lavender! I will never get to say good bye to my friends and my family. The ones I have known and loved all my life. I put my head in my hands and begin to softly weep to myself. Poor Penelope, and Marie and Lavender, I never got to apologize to them for my rude behavior. I hear a knock on my door. I quickly wipe away my tears and hope my face and eyes haven't gotten red or swollen yet.

"Katherine! Oh dear, have you been crying?" Madam asks, stepping aside so a servant can't bring in my suitcases with my items.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." I say, looking down at my shoes.

"Honey come here," She says guiding me to the couch and its me down. "Why were you crying?" She asks. She actually sounds like she has some sorrow in her voice, she must be a good at acting

"Well," I say," I never really got to say goodbye." I say looking down at my hands, which are entwined in hers.

"Oh darling," She says, Darling? What am I her knew daughter or something, it goes from miss to darling. "You will get to say goodbye, your maid Penelope and Your friends Marie and Lavender get to come here and say goodbye to you the day before you leave." She says smiling, wiping a tear from my cheek with her free hand.

"Oh," I say, " I do?" I ask.

"Of course." She says standing me up. "Now why don't you get settled in and then we can have some dinner and you can meet your knew Hubby." She says. Hubby? Is she trying to be my friend now? How could she? It must be really hard to be all nice to these people when you know they are probably going to be tortured and killed.