Clarity

Chapter One

A/N Check out the video. It's like a trailer for Clarity. Hope you enjoy.

Photo of Clarke in her dress. Just in the book her hair is up.

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Clarke had always loved this holiday. It used to be called Halloween but on the Ark it was now called All Hallows Eve. Clarke was not exactly shore how it used to be celebrated on Earth but she had heard stories of grand and elaborate costumes that used to be worn.

She always assumed that's why they wore masks to the party. To try to keep the tradition alive. She could not help but wonder how the tradition started. Why did they were costumes on Earth. No one ever talked about things like this. They were expected to evolve the Earth traditions but at the same time leave the past on the ground. Clarke always assumed it was just too much of a painful reminder of the nuclear apocalypse that left the Earth an unlivable barren wasteland.

On the Ark All Hallows Eve was celebrated by all of the family's mostly of the Phoenix class baking sweets with the extra rations for the night. The lower classes usually chose to keep the rations for themselves. This was frond upon but allowed. Once all the sweets where complete the family's would bring them to the recreation hall. They would set up stations and one member of the family would stay behind and give out one treat to every child.

Masks where prepared by every member of the ark. Ones that covered your hole face. Each mask different. All hand made. One would randomly be handed to everyone under 18. They were required to wear it. They were handed out randomly so no one was able to be recognized by the mask they had made.

Clarke always loved this holiday for a few reasons.

First she loved being able to hand out food to all the little kids. Giving them all a little something special. Most of the kids on the Ark did not have enough food so this was really something special. It was the only time she could give away her extra rations without having to worry about getting arrested.

That did not stop her. She often gave the younger kids her rations. She believed they needed it more.

Second she loved that it was one of the only times where the different classes were allowed to mingle.

Class mixing was not illegal but very, very frond upon. Most of the Phoenix kids married other Phoenix kids. This kept everyone in their place where they were needed.

If a Phoenix fell in love with someone of a lower class there where two options. The lower class would have to prove they could live up to Phoenix standards. There was only one way to do this. Only one way to get out of whatever class you were born into. Join the guard.

They would have to join the guard and work their way up the ranks until they were important enough to matter to the Phoenix. This almost never happened because it is rare and would take years to reach a high enough rank guard job. By then the Phoenix had almost always moved on to some one more appropriate.

The second option was even rarer. If joining the guard did not work out and they still wanted to be together the Phoenix would have to abandon. Abandon everything. Their family, rank, job, and go live in whatever class their loved one was born into. This only happened twice to Clark's knowledge.

The third reason Clarke loved this holiday was the masks. It would be the only night of the year that she was not Clarke. The Princess of the Ark. No she would be just a normal fifteen year old girl.