Five minutes later I walked into the large locker room that was situated at the edge of the arena. The rest of the trainees were arriving as well. No one talked. We all knew that in just a few moments, the person we talked to could be dead.
“Line up!” One of the many assassins yelled.
They ushered us into two lines of two hundred and fifty trainees. We walked out of the locker room and the two lines split up. One turned left while the other turned right. Both lines walked around the edge of the arena until the two at the front of the lines met up at the other side of the arena. We stood on the border of the fighting place, underneath the raised bleachers.
The speakers came on and the headmaster’s voice echoed above us. “Good morning dear assassins and trainees.” The bleachers held every assassin and trainee at this school. I quickly spotted Logan, Lola, and Samantha, her golden hair shimmering in the sun. “We have had a tradition for many, many years when it comes to graduation. But, in life today, our world holds many trained killers; far too many, so, we have decided to switch it up a bit. Four hundred and forty of you will not make it through the day while sixty of you will become graduates. It’s time to introduce you. Abigail Adkins, Riley Adkins, Hunter Ash…” I let his voice drift to the back of my mind as I met Logan’s frightened and shocked eyes. Sixty of us will live. Four hundred and forty, undeserving people, will die.
Tears began to stream rapidly from my eyes as I realized just how much he wanted me dead. And like I said before, what he wants, he gets.
My name was called out and all eyes fell on me. My last name starts with a ‘G’, but it was the last one to be called.
A few of the trainees around me shifted and began to lean towards me. My eyes went to Jake, across the arena from me, and my heart dropped. I had been worrying about my life this whole time when my best friend was in danger. His eyes locked onto mine.
I instantly began to calculate how long it would take me to reach him. He knew what I was thinking almost immediately.
“Mattie, no,” He mouthed to me.
My last thought before the Headmaster told us to fight was that I must protect Jake.
Then, I was running. Running until I reached him.
“Jake, you have to stay safe.” I yelled over the loud noises around us.
“No, Madeline, you do! You’re the most important of us.”
“Don’t be stupid, Jake!” I yelled. Jake was a good fighter, don’t get me wrong, but he just couldn’t handle this many people at once. Neither could I, but I sure as hell could try.
I pushed him against the wall of the bleachers and took a stance in front of him. He tried to push me out of the way but I wouldn’t budge.
“You WILL live, Jake! You have to!”
There was a group of about twenty trainees heading our way. I didn’t know if I could take them all, but I would try. Jake has to live.
I was about to lunge when, as soon as the group reached us, they turned and faced away, making a semi-circle of protection around Jake and I. We were in the center with a wall at our backs.
