Okay. I just reread the Selection books and had to do this.
(( All the girls I metion are 17-20yrs))
- Annabeth -
I wasn't home when the letter arrived, I was out studying. When I did arrive home, my mum, Athena, was practically jumping with joy. Naturally, I was obedient and did what she 'recommended' and filled in the application. I filled in my name, Caste, etc.
We were a house of Threes. Years ago, we took in a Six, Helen. She still lives with me, along with my mum and my father, Long story short, my father had an affair with Helen and she became pregnant with twins, that's why I have brothers. They always got on my nerves so I studied all the time I could, in the occupation of being on architect. It was an outlet that, sometimes, didn't let the stress go quick enough. That was why I started playing the piano and singing, in no ways was I good at it but it's only me that'll hear it so it doesn't matter that much. Light filters through the open window, lighting the room in a way that reminded me of the way water trickled down glass when it rained. I loved it.
The Selection was an event that happened when the heir of Illéa had come of age and was looking for a husband/wife. In this case, the Prince was looking for a wife. 35 girls will be transported to the palace for a once in a lifetime experience to compete for the heart of the beloved heir. Intentions could vary: some could want the crown, some could be there by chance, some may want to genuinely be there because they want to try and appease the Royals. Personally, I think that I would be sent home before the Prince even met me. The Castes were the system of which our society is based upon. There's the Ones - the Royalty, the Twos - the models, the pop stars, the actors/actresses, professional athletes and politicians. The Threes - teachers, inventors, architects, doctors, veterinarians, therapists/psychologists, film directors, writers and scientists. The Fours - jewellers, real estate agents, insurance brokers, head chefs, construction managers, properties/business owners and farm owners. The Fives: The stage actors, classical musicians, singers, dancers, photographers, sculptors and circus performers. The Sixes - secretaries, waiters/waitresses, housekeepers, seamstresses, store clerks, drivers and cooks. The Sevens - gardeners, construction workers, farm hands, gutter/pool cleaners, rubbish collectors and movers. The Eights - the homeless, the mentally unwell, addicts and runaways. The lower you are in the Caste System, the poorer you are and the less your income is.
--- --- ---
Two weeks later, my name was drawn from the thousands of other forms and there was not a moment of silence from that moment on. People rushed to and from my house and it was now impossible to leave the house without someone knowing my face and it was the strangest kind of torture that made me feel all warm inside. When the man came to bluntly question whether or not I have had sexual relationships with anyone, that earned a disapproving look from my mother.
Before I knew it, I was dressing in the uniform of the Selected, waiting to be taken to the airport. When I got there, I was surprised to see my cousins and aunts standing in crowds that were making too much noise to interpret what they were saying. Three other girls were in the plane, talking in hushed tones and not turning to look when I walked in and I suppose that I was too quiet to be noticed. I find a seat near a window, placing my hand luggage beside me and sitting up that little bit straighter. My curls are loose over my shoulders, falling like a river around my face as I pulled out a pen and paper, beginning to write about how I feel: nervous, nervous and- Oh! Did I mention nervous? I planned on reading these notes when this ordeal is over, laughing at how pathetic I was. The girls got slightly louder, one voice standing out over the rest as she laughed the loudest. I now realise that I made the mistake of not learning the names of any of the other girls. Well, I knew names, I just can't match them to faces. Piper McLean. Hazel Levesque. Silena Beauregard. Rachel Dare. Clarisse La Rue. Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. Katie Gardner.Thalia Grace. So many more. I was too lost in writing to realise that the plane had set off and we were flying. I look up to notice that the girls had moved to the seats on the opposite row and were not-as-sneaky-as-they-were-going-for observing me. I flash them a small smile and look away as they started muttering again.
