cleanse

3

I run out of the hospital and down the street to Town Hall. The gravel and rocky soil crunches underneath my boots. I'm out of breath by the time I reach the square. Nobility may be small, but it's still a lot of running for someone as small as me. I've always been told that I was petite. I never weighed much and I'm still five feet one inch in height. I can thank my mother for that. She never passed five feet four inches.

I stop right in front of Town Hall and look up at the tall brick building that towered over me. The bell inside the tower chimed one time, signifying that it was one o'clock in the afternoon. The Examination begins in one hour, but all the participants must be signed in thirty minutes prior.

I open the door and it creaks as I struggle to push it. It's a very heavy, wooden door. Inside is a spacious room with ancient murals, thousands of books, and beautiful statues everywhere. An attendant interrupts my staring to give me a stamp. "Right hand, miss." The old woman croaks. I pull my sleeves back and slowly give the woman my arm. Without warning, she presses a blazing hot stamp to the palm of my hand.

When she releases my arm, steam rises off my burning flesh. White wisps curl off my hand like a pot of pasta, ready to be eaten. "You are going to Corridor 1, Room 9." She says, pointing up the left stairwell. "Thanks." I mutter as I go to my designated area.

I walk up the cold marble steps with a rock in my stomach. I can't help but feel like I'm going to fail miserably. You have to pass. For me. For mommy. The painful words swirl around my brain like a whirlpool. I have to pass to make mother proud and keep Magdalena safe.

The anxious feeling creates an ache that takes over my whole body. With my searing hand and aching body, I don't know how I'm going to pass. But I can't let Magdalena down. I promised her that I would pass the Exam. She's going because of me. I'm the only one left who cares about her. If I'm sent to be Cleansed, I don't know what she'll do.

Would she kill herself? Would she run as far away as possible? If I get Cleansed, there's no telling what damage she will suffer. She could very well kill herself and honestly, I wouldn't blame her. There would be nobody left to care for her. Even if she was adopted, nobody could give her the love and care mother and I gave her.

I come across Room 9 and open the heavy wooden door, just like the one at the front. Once it opens, I see everyone I will be tested against. The vast majority of people in Room 9 are kids my age. I've even seen a few of them around school.

Once they hear the door creak, they all turned towards me. They had an expression on their faces that read the same message: "Help us."

I slowly shut the door and look for an open seat. After a minute of lurking through the room, I take a seat next to a girl who's in some of my classes and my homeroom. I can't remember her name. I think it's Mahree but I can't be sure.

She has long brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes that look very familiar. Then it hits me; she looks like my mother.