The Lost Girls

Prolouge

Mr.Hanson stared down at his third child, Beatrice. Anna, his first child, had been determined imperfect due to her unruly hair that mimicked his wife's. Sam was a boy, but had been taken away to the wars at twelve to serve as a Runner a year ago, and had died at the front two months ago.
But,Beatrice was perfect. Skinny and beautiful with long black hair that streamed down her back in perfect waves. She was impatient and cruel at times, and he had been banking on that to keep her from being Selected, but in the end, he still held a letter from that clearly proclaimed that he was to surrender his daughter that very night.
"Father?" Anna asked gently, her voice quavering. At fourteen, most of the light in her eyes had already gone out, her heart broken too many times to count with the unjustice of this world. At it was about to be broken again.
"Anna, help your sister pack a bag. She's...she's been Selected," Mr.Hanson ordered, furiously wiping his eyes.
"Surely we can fight it, right? Can we not pay them off?" Anna pleaded, arms circling around her oblivious sister.
"Don't be ridiculous," Mr.Hanson snapped, any trace of sensitivity gone. "What riches do you see, Anna? We're barely paying rent! When, Beatrice is gone, we will be paid monthly. Anything you could possibly desire will be yours, Anna, anything."
"Anything except Beatrice," Anna said coldly, and led the child out of the small living room.
As soon as they were out of the room, Beatrice burst into questions.
"Where am I going? Why?Are you coming too?" Beatrice babbled, yanking on Anna's hand.
"You've been Selected, Bea. You're going alone," Anna said gruffly as she led the wiggling girl down the hall and into their room.
"For how long?" Beatrice asked, staring as her sister began to throw her belongings into the biggest suitcase they owned.
"When you turn twenty-one, you'll graduate the Academy, then they'll marry you off to the highest bidder. Help me pack, little mouse," Anna answered, turning her back to the confused child, Anna's own shoulders began to shake with held-back sobs.

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At 9:30 that evening, a sharply dressed man and woman came and collected Beatrice, the man practically snatching Beatrice from her shaking mother's arms, while the woman handed Mr.Hanson the first check, and grabbed the suitcase. And, once the front door clanked shut, Anna went directly to her bed and did her best to forget that she had ever had a little sister named Beatrice. Her parents did the same, and three years later, were delighted to find out they were pregnant with a little girl again.