Femus

Chapter Two: Questioning

I face upstairs and pull on my light floral dress and stare in the mirror with disgust. I have a slender, shapeless build. I despise wearing dresses, but in our community it's almost a rule that girls and women are supposed to wear a dress or skirt, especially for events. I sigh at my reflection and pull my hair out of it's messy ponytail to brush it out. My brown hair flows down my shoulders in a mess, but I simply pull pieces back from the front and secure them with a clip. With one final look I run out the door.

My friend Salus is waiting for me by the fence. He's leaning on the rickety old thing just staring off into nowhere. His dirty blonde hair is combed back, for once, and neat. His light blue shirt is tucked into his beige pants. Salus is never neat and tidy, he's usually messy and reckless but he's cleaned up for questioning.

"Adie," he shouts smiling and waving. I smile, half running up to him. We fall into patterned steps, walking side by side to the Capitol Building. We walk along the dirt road, kicking pebble as we talk about the questioning. It's nothing new, I've been going for five years and him for six. We've known each other since preschool, and our families became close instantly.

The large white Capitol Building looked out of place amongst the farm houses and plantations. The government put a Capitol Building in every Segment of the country. We live in Segment F, the Capitol itself is Segment A, the next closest is Segment B, and so on as you go further from the Capitol. We joke the Segment F was meant to be, because we're also one of the farming segments- so F for farming. Me and Salus approach the entrance, passing the large white pillars at the entrance. He pulls open the uselessly large door and let's me in, then follows. Our shoes echo on the tile flooring and we cease our talking. It'd be disrespectful to speak in a public place without being asked to, especially in the Capitol Building. We stop at the front desk and Salus signs us in. I wait, admiring the large staircases on both ends of the entrance that wrap around and meet at the top. The marble stairs add an elegance to the building, and the delicate designs make it look fancy and almost too rich. Salus lightly touches my shoulder to signal me to follow him. We walk down a long hallway, and join a line of other teenagers awaiting their questioning. Me and Salus stand one in front of the other, and his being there relaxes me.

I know that I shouldn't be worried, I haven't done anything worth worrying about. Yes, I'm mischievous and dislike rules but I haven't hurt or done anything to interest the government. I also don't know much, only what the government shows or tells us. The line shortens slowly until I'm at the head.

"Next." A boring lady in a long dress and glasses calls. I turn to Salus for reassurance, and he nods and smiles at me. I walk into the room, not large nor small and take a seat in the wooden chair facing the desk. A man sits on the other side of the desk. He's wearing a suit and looks gruff and stern. His emotionless face doesn't give any clues to what I should be doing, so I sit still waiting for his questions.

"Are you Adeline?" He says sternly. I nod at him. "Ok we have a series of questions to ask you then you are free to go home unless told otherwise. First, have you ever left the limits of Claustrum?"

"No sir"

"Have you ever heard rumors or stories about the government that was not issued out by Capitol?"

"No sir." That was somewhat of a lie. I hear stories about The Fall and Capitol sometimes, and me and Salus express our disdain towards the government often.

"Are you satisfied and happy with our current government and monarchs?"

"Yes sir." I reply, lying again.

"And lastly do you pledge to follow all laws issues by the government and to show loyalty to your country at all times?"

"Yes sir." He nods at me to leave, and a sigh if relief escapes as I walk out the door. Salus goes in and comes out in about five minutes, and we leave silently as to not disturb or be distrespectful. We step outside and the sunlight floods over us. I wince, adjusting to the sudden brightness. I look out over the Capitol Buildings property and onto the fields and fields of wheat and crops. Salus begins walking down the steps and I follow. Since there was questioning today we don't have to go for our daily lessons, and it's harvest season so lessons aren't mandatory. I know where he's going, out to our usual spot. When we were in first grade we started walking out through the fields and past our fence. We discovered an old abandoned vehicle, a red rusty truck. No one goes out that far so we, in a way, claimed it as our own and go out there often. No one drives anything except the richer segments and Capitol. We race towards the truck, laughing and hooting after being forced to be silent.