Summer Camp

Chapter Twelve

"Because the last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind,      you gave me roses,                                                                                                                     and I left them there to die.                                                                                                      

So this is me swalloing my pride,

standing in front of you,

 saying I'm sorry for that night,                                                                                                                                     And I go back to december all the time!"

~Taylor Swift Back to December

*Alex's POV*

        I had never been an irrational person, even as a kid I would always quietly listen to adults before I got angry. Now things were different, there had been a burning in my stomach sense we were brought to this awful place. I had trouble not screaming at anyone who tried to talk to me. I just felt like this was my fault. If I would have told someone about what I had heard they might have been able to help. There was only a small rational part of my brain saying it wasn't, I knew that it wasn't my fault, but maybe it was.

        I pulled at the roots of my hair until I almost screamed. I slowly sat up, unclenching my fists. I knew I had to get up and ready before the 'hall monitors' would come drag me out. The 'hall monitors' were always watching, they made sure you were in your room at the right time, and they made sure you were out at the right time, if you weren't, you were in trouble. It was like highschool, but the hall monitors could drag you to the king by your hair, and slap you. 

        I rummaged though dresser hearing people walking past my room. I speed up my search, and pulled on one of the plain beige gross jumper and slacks. The longer you were at the castle, the better clothes you got. I looked at the ugly jumper, and made a face. It looked like something you would wear at a poor prizon in alaska. I pulled it on, and quickly stuffed my feet in my shoes. Once we had gotten our rooms we had gotten our clothes burned, then they took any shoes that girls had, and given use odd cloth ones.

        I moved out into the hallway, making sure to stay close to the walls to draw attention away from me. The 'hall monitors' seemed to like picking on people for no reason. I shuffled along the stone floor, and moved into the dining hall. 

        The dining hall was almost full when I got there, the king was at the head of the table, and at the foot was a man who's name I forgot. He had held me still while I had gotten my back cleaned up. I quickly scaned the room for a seat. There were only four left, one on either side of the king, and one on either side of the man at the foot of the table. The others had smartly moved away from the men. I saw Pixie sit in the middle of the table shaking. 

        "Sit," the King said in a loud voice. I relized he was talking to me, and quickly scuttled over to a seat by the man at the foot of the table. I legs shook as I lowered myself into the cosioned seat, the king scared me as much as he did anyone else.  The king stood up, and peered down at all of us, he sort of reminded me of Miss. Trunchbull from Matilda the book, a chuckled at the comparison in my head.

        "Today is the beggining of something great," he said, "Today we will start testing all of you. The tests will tell you how your life will be spent, the better you do, the better your life. You will live in the castle for a while, then be transported off."

      The King clapped his hands, and like a movie a bunch of men carried out food. Each person was given a small stack of pancakes, and a cup with what looked like maple syrup. The king was given something different, but I couldn't tell what at first because where I was sitting.

        I picked at my pancake, but I clenched my hands, and felt helpless. When we could finally leave a scrambled out as fast as I could. We were supposed to wait in our rooms until someone would come get us. I paced the room for hours, my legs shaking visably. Just as I was about to sit the door flew open.

        "Your turn," said a man, grabbing my arm and pulling me with him. I stumbled next to him, and pulled my arm back to me. 

        "Follow the directions," he ordered. I nodded.

        "I couldn't hear you," he yelled yanking me forward.

        "Okay," I said in a hoarse voice.

        "Better," he said, leading me down a plain hallway. It reminded me of Lana, everything did.  Soon we stopped at a tall door, he shouldered it open and pushed me in first. 

        "Took long enough," muttered the King, before turning around. He smiled cruelly and sat in a chair with two others, one on each of his sides in their own chairs. 

        I stood shaking in fear for what felt like forever, all in a few seconds. Rough hands pushed me into the middle of the room. I took a few shaky steps and stopped.

        "Name," asked a man who was recording everything with a camera.

        "Alexandria" I said, trying to make my voice stop trembling.

        "Whats your last name" the guy asked again, getting annoyed.

        "Wolf."

        "Finally," he muttered. I shivered in the cold of the stone room. I couldn't see much farther then the King because of the darkness. My knees felt like they were going to buckle, and I wanted to pass out, I dug my nails into my palms, to remind myself I was still living.

       The king pulled out a list, and started reading off it, they were questions. He sounded silky, and smooth, always watching me. The questions were everything from, If I had experience with pets, to my favorite color. Everytime I lied, it was like the King could tell, he would narrow his eyes and glare at me for a second. It seemed to take forever, and the second I was out of the room, everything was better. 

     I sat back in my room shaking, and wondering how my answers would affect what happened next.