Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Fourteen

     A hand shakes my shoulder, rising me from my much-needed rest. "Stars, Millie. I'll be up in a minute." The hand stops and pulls away.

"Ada, Millie isn't here." I open my eyes to see August crouched next to me. I roll onto my back with a sigh and rest my arm over my eyes.

"Why couldn't this all just be a bad dream?" I groan and sit up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I rub my hands over my face before standing and shaking feeling back into my limbs.

"I'm sure we all wish it was." I look over at August who's already dressed and set to go. I'm sure that I'm the last one up. August rubs at the back of his neck and stuffs his other hand in his pocket. "I tried waking you up earlier by knocking, but that obviously didn't work..."

I remain standing there, waiting for him to continue. "You mind stepping out so I can change? I'll be out in a couple minutes."

"Yeah, listen, there's something I need to tell you." I look at him silently, waiting for him to continue. We both stand there looking at each other for a few moments, so I take a seat back on my bed.

"Last night, after you went to bed, the rest of us stayed awake in the common room for a short while talking strategy before retiring to our separate rooms. Anyway, I was in my room," He points to the wall separating this room and the very last room. "And because our rooms only have a small wall separating them, I could hear you crying until you fell asleep. I wanted to tell you that you can talk to me if something is wrong." August walks over to me, taking my face into his hands. "Is there something wrong?"

I choke on a laugh. "You mean other than the fact that we were taken from our families, sedated, and now the center of almost all conversation? No, there's nothing wrong."

I pull away from him and sort through the clothes in the dresser. Two white shirts, a black tank, two pairs of white jeans and a pair of black shorts. "Ada..." I grab a pair of white jeans and my shirt from yesterday.

"I'm fine, everybody is in the same situation. Let's just focus on getting through these training weeks then on getting through The Trial." I cross my arms over my chest and look towards the door.

"Okay, sure." August lingers, trying to decide if he should say more, but opts not to. He slips through the door and again, I'm by myself.

I start to change but know that if I do, I'll want to leave the room that is slowly closing in, and I need to find something first. I walk over to the wall opposite my bed and see a faint rectangular outline and know that there's something behind it. I scan the rest of the room and find another, smaller rectangular outline next to the door. I lightly touch the panel and a holoscreen emerges from the big wall. That's what was back there. I quickly change clothes and block out thoughts of my family, emotions from home can't be used here, not when I'm in front of the eyes of essentially the whole country.

I leave my room and find the others speaking in the common room. I'm about to join whatever conversation their having when a bell rings throughout the building. "Let's go, our observers await." August meets my eyes and I can't read his emotions or tell how he feels about what I said.

Lincoln and Eve are the first out of the room and start down the hall towards the elevator. I start to follow when August sets a hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" He looks deep in my eyes and the foul mood I've found myself in since last night bleeds away.

I take his hand and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm as okay as I can be." I side-step him and drag him along with me as I leave and head down the hall.

We walk in a comfortable silence, dodging the occasional person that hurries out of their room after waking up late. "Your brother has obviously been in our position before and you've been in our families'. How do they know how we are? How do they know what happens to us as The Trial proceeds?"