A Life of Would You Rathers

  The man came over to me, drawrfing my six year old body. "Would You Rather be queen and have your family executed, or locked in a dungeon but see your family everyday? You have 12 years to answer." He moved onto the next kid but I wasn't listening. Things were bad here in Finland. Every 45 years someone was offered queen, but with the biggest possible price. Death. When I turned 18, I had to give an answer otherwise they would kill my family and lock me in a dungeon. Gulp.

~~~~~~~~~~~11 years later~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up screaming. The man's words were in my dreams, again. I picked myself up from the leaf bed in which I slept. The bed lays on the floor sort of gracefully, I mean after all we were the richest peasants in Finland. I went up to the shattered palm size mirror we had managed to keep hidden. I began freeing my hair of leaves and such when my mother awoke. She took out stale bread, lightly rotted fruit and year old butter. My jaw dropped. Breakfast didn't happen, lunch was month old rotted meat, and dinner was wheat, right off the plant. Nothing done to it.

"Why such delicacies, Mother?"

"Your 18th birthday is in two weeks dear, I want the best of memories before I'm executed and you take throne."

"Never mother! I am going to the dungeon and that is final!"

"I would rather die than watch Finland in such peril!" She screamed before tearfully exiting the house.

  I looked around our empty place. At my father and sister's beds. Empty for years now. My father killed himself after the ceremony to try and make my decision easier. To try to make me feel like I was losing less when I became queen, if I became queen. My sister was sent away for the same purpose. I had my mom because I needed someone to raise and love me. Otherwise she'd be dead as a doorknob.

  My mother gave up beauty and etiquette for smarts. My father, closure for riches, and my sister, her sight for my own life. Me, I don't know. How could I kill those who saved me?

                                                                                *Time Lapse*

        I walked to the town square. Each Saturday, all who turned 18 within the week, or Thents, are asked. Those who will be Thents in 2 Saturdays are Recoiled, in simpler terms, updated or reminded. I was frantic. Today I was to be Recoiled, and sometimes, if the Would You Rather is  simple and non-sacrificial, it's changed during Recoilination. Then the ceremony began, snapping me from my worries. 

        "Many say it is wrong, Making adults who still may be considered children do this. It is not. It teaches sacrifice, that you can't have everything. That everything has concenquenses. I welcome those who will make a sacrifice today to the stage." Seven people walked onto stage. Only one child a day. If your child was born after another on the same day, it was executed. Like my brother was. The man would continued once all were on the stage. My best friend, Kylie stood on the stage. I swallowed hard. " I welcome Kylie, Gerret, Myleen, Shyleen, Hope, Ivy, and Terry." I swallowed HARD. I grew up with these people for goodness sakes! "Does anyone object to the trial?" No one ever says yes. We just think it.

"YES!" In shock we all turned to Ivy's father. He was then hung on stage in silence. That is not supposed to happen. That involves no sacrifice. It's cold-blooded and controlling. Finland is truly in peril.

The trial went like this:                                                                  

Terry- Ferge (sacrificing your own life) over her brother goind blind, deaf, and parylized.

Ivy- (horrific) Tortue over death of three innocents (under 6)

Hope- Ferge, moms, dads, and brothers death over 4 dead innocents burnig alive

Shyleen- Death of 15 over Ferge

Myleen- Parylized from waist down and deaf instead of Ferge

Gerret- Ferge over Kylie's death, but I think she would apreciated having been killed

Then Kylie walked to center of the stage. She chose burning alive over my death. I was forced by gaurds to watch all of it. She was my friend, close enough to be a sister. All I could do was stand and watch helplessly as the scent of her burning flesh filled my nostrils and her screams my ears. Only 20 out of 25 executions possible were made. I will avenge Kylie.