The Chosen

23

I can see everyone's faces turn to me, then turn to Rhyliegh. They all thought I was going to win.

I didn't.

I'm dead.

Literally.

I'm going to die.

Tomorrow.

Rhyliegh, still shocked walks up to Alkai and receives her rose.

"Thank you," she says.

"You all may go now," Alkai says.

I'm the first one out the door. 

I can't believe this! I thought he loved me. He made a bench for the apple orchard. Always brought me apples. Took me on wonderful dates. Made discoveries with me. And, he got me one of my favorite things in the whole world, my apple necklace. Maybe this was a just to make me feel better. Like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. She buttered them up with candy, then tried to kill them. Unlike that story, they will actually kill me. And I'll let them. I'm a failer. I loved him! But, I guess he never loved me.

 I feel so betrayed, I have no clue what to do. Once I get to my room, I pack a few things for my family, my favorite book from the bookshelf, my journal, notes, clothes. Then, I wrote my goodbye letter, making sure each section has a part for each of them. I can't believe I'll never see my brother, sister or mother again. Just that thought makes me burst into tears. I'd done so well on holding them back. Hey, at least I'll be able to talk to my father again. I haven't seen him in a long time. Just like him, I never gave a proper goodbye to my family. 

"Knock, knock," says the door.

I get up and open it, not even bothering with my tears. It's Alkai.

"I'm sorry," he says, his face full of concern. "my father made me choose Rhyliegh, not my heart. I wanted to choose you. Please believe me! I love you! I can pull some strings, and you don't have to get killed,"

"I don't want to talk to you. You broke my heart in the worst possible way," I say, and close the door on him.

I get into the shower and take a shower for the last time. Ever. It's a cold one. No one ever said your last shower should be a good one. 

I get out and put on some jeans and a sweater. When I'm getting up tomorrow, I won't change. I'll just get up, and be the first one in line at the stockade. 

I can't sleep, so I walk around the room, taking in every last detail. The closet full of beautiful clothes that I was so grateful for and that I'll never get to wear. The bookshelf full of beautiful books. The secret doorway that I didn't even know was there. The bathroom. The big fluffy chairs that I often sat on. They were my friends when no one else was. My desk that I did homework on. My side table where I kept the seed. The seed. I almost forgot about it. I guess I'll never know how or when it got here. I leave the seed out and put the lipstick container in the trash. Lastly, I acknowledge my bed. The most comfortable bed that I've ever slept on. I'll miss it. 

I say goodbye to everything, even myself. Then, I get in bed and cry myself to sleep.  

~

The alarms are going off. The ones that mean someone's in the palace. I don't care. I'll stay here. I'm sure everyone else is in the safe room. I don't care enough to go down there. If they really cared about me, they would have chosen me. 

I don't expect the door to open, but it does. Not the secret one, the main one. 

That's when I get scared. There are big figures coming towards me. Then, the light turns on. I don't recognize these people. They're not palace guards. They don't have anything to do with the palace. In fact, I think they're against them.

"Ah, missy, missy. Hello. You're coming with us!" one of them says.