The Cursed and The Blessed

Chapter 5- Noah

As soon as the ceremony is over, the first person to come to me is pa. He's wearing his weird necklace that has a key on it again, but I don't mind. He gives me a hug and I hug him back. I spot West and his parents shaking each other's hands because his parents aren't the hugging type. He puts his arms around their shoulders and make their way out and I do the same with pa.

"Do you know how many people have had to re-sit training?" Pa asks as we slowly make our way out of the hall because of the large amount of people in front of us. "We're very proud." I flinch a fraction at that word "we" but at the same time it's quite comforting.

"Thanks dad," I say slowly. I know it shouldn't be, but it's weird him congratulating me after months of small talk and even going days without speaking to each other. We slip past a couple of people who are walking too slow for our liking. We finally reach the exit and the stuffiness is washed away with huge waves of cold wind. Outside is still surprisingly bright with the sun shining. I turn to look for my friends but they're surprisingly by my side, looking more sheepish than they actually are.

"Good evening Mr Kessler," they say together coincidentally before looking at each other.

"Good evening Isla, West, Brynn," pa says. "Congratulations on today."

"Thanks," West says on behalf of everyone before looking at me with a head toss. "Come on, we need to go and say our farewells to Daysha and Leon." Pa waves goodbye and I allow West to drag me away. We push our way through the crowd until we eventually find them surrounded by the other Hunters.

"I'll just... stay here," Brynn says stopping but I grab her arm and pull her forwards. The Hunters, for some reason, make way for us and the first thing we do is give Daysha a hug before clasping hands with Leon with a shoulder touch.

"You take care, yeah?" He says as we nod. If not for being Hunters, half of us would have been crying, I guarantee you because we're leaving the two individuals we practically spent our lives growing up with. "Now let's go eat."

"It's a buffet!" Brynn squeals before disappearing through the crowd to grab a plate.

"A what?" I ask, staring at all the different dishes on the counters around the room. It's probably everything we've ever had on our pods, breakfast, lunch and dinner all combined into one.

"Who knows...?" West says but he's already walking towards a bunch of desserts that seem to have hypnotised him. Isla and I read the headings above the counters. The closest ones are cakes, ice-cream sundaes, biscuits, burgers, pizza etc.

"I can't decide," Isla says. "We're not even allowed half of these things."

"Well take it now you have it."

"True..." She suddenly yanks me away blindly, cutting off my gaze. She tears her way through the crowd and grabs a plate for both of us and I hear something in the distance, beyond the chatter, smooth and relaxing.

"Do you hear that?" I ask but she's too busy dumping chicken wings on her plate.

"Music," she says and suddenly stops, as stunned as I am. She looks at me. "So, this is what music sounds like? Like on Earth?"

I shrug but I like it. It adds flavour to things like the food around us. I dump anything that looks the slightest bit appealing on my plate, careful not to take too much and end up wasting it. Most of the desserts are only given to us once a month to reduce high calorie intake. But even those that are allowed are still monitored. Not that I mind but it had bugged me a bit for a while until we got used to it. I had to get used to it, just throw it aside and continue with life.

I reach for Isla but she's disappeared.

I hear the Governors that are beside me burst into laughter, which makes me wonder where Brynn is. She's got me overthinking again, passed her disease onto me.