dusk until dawn (the selection)

filthy six

Dawn closed her eyes and let out a sigh when she closed the door of her apartment behind her and leaned against it.

"We got a letter while you were gone." dawn recognized her mother's voice, "It was all very official, a royal messager hand delivered it to our door." she opened her eyes and looked at her mother, who seemed particularly pissed off while sitting at their small table.

"Oh." said Dawn. Wonderful. Dawn couldn't read very well. Even when she still went to school she always had more issues with it than others. Maybe something was wrong with her.

Her mother tossed the thick paper letter over the small, wooden table towards dawn. The envelope had been ripped open already when she picked up the smooth paper and got the letter out. It was handwritten.

With the most patience, Dawn started deciphering the words.

Dearest Dawn Feye,

Congratulations, you have been selected to attend my selection. You will be picked up from your province's, Fennley, train station on June fifteenth, five days from now. You needn't to bring any clothes. A royal tailor will be sent your way.

I look forward to meeting you six days from now, when you arrive at the Suncatcher palace with the other selected.

Helios Schreave

"There's no way he wrote this thirty-five times for each selected girl." Dawn pointed out dully and looked up at her mother, who seemed very, very angry. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun, with grey strands jumping out everywhere.

"You bet he did, and you are going to win this selection." She spat and crossed her arms.

Dawn didn't reply.

"I would have killed to be in your position when I was your age. You are not ruining this for our family." Her mother continued her rant. She seemed terribly jealous.

So that was it.

Dawn ignored her comments and sat down on the couch, she held the letter with both hands and looked at it again.

She toyed with the idea of the prince staying up all night to write letters to every selected. As if he was supposed to win them over instead of the other way around.

•

Dawn woke up before ..dawn. The light of the sun was starting to come out, Dawn saw it through the window of her and Ami's room. She didn't wake by herself, in fact, she woke up because there was a ticking against her window.

Dawn crawled from under her bedsheets to the window, located at the end of her bed, and glanced outside. She had to blink a few times to realise what was going on.

"Dawn!" the girl under her window said—she did not have to yell, it was quiet outside, she could hear her easily

Dawn's apartment was on the fourth floor of the building, so Dawn could barely see who it was, but the black braids and colourful bandana were easily identified.

"Elise." Dawn greeted softly.

"I can't hear you! Come downstairs, now." Elise ordered.

Dawn did as told, and ran downstairs in her pyama after she put on slippers.

Elise was one of the people Dawn "worked" for. An Eight. Elise was always very straight to the point and honest with Dawn, which she liked. But Elise's words were full of concern when she'd called her down, and so the way she spoke made Dawn wonder: Was something wrong?

When Dawn walked outside, Elise turned out to not be alone—she also was not dressed like the Elise she knew. See, Dawn's Elise would wear simple clothes, ripped tees and pants, worn out shoes. This Elise was wearing combat clothing. Red military clothing, and hiking boots. The people Elise brought, were dressed the same.