EVERY year 16 boys and 16 girls who reach the age of sixteen, are selected then literally shipped off to some military boarding school on a desolate island, 26 hours away from their home. They give you no choice, no say, no goodbyes, no reason, no nothing. They, meaning the government. Every teenager chosen, is torn from their family, their life, their everything. And are told to abide with no questions.
My town, Amicable, is known for its friendly and harmonious attributes. So, it takes a lot to wrap my head around why they allow this to happen every year. If my town is so into the importance of family and peace, why rip their child away from its household to be tossed into the hands of complete strangers?
I shift onto my right side. The wooden bunk beds in the ship are extremely uncomfortable.
I'm one of the chosen to be hauled away from everything I once knew. Selected along with the 31 other sixteen year-olds.
I was forced to leave behind my twin brother Ryan and both my parents without even getting one last chance to say goodbye. You could easily see the sadness in their eyes when they called my name at the Selection Ceremony. Tears flooded my mother's eyes. My father then pulled her into a tight hug. I caught they're glance for a moment before I was rushed away with the others. Their eyes looked empty, defeated, and heartbroken. Ryan was lost in the crowd. I didn't even get to see him one last time before I was taken away from him and my parents for good.
I roll onto my back. It's been at least 14 hours on this ship, and I haven't gotten used to it one bit.
"Quit shuffling!" A girl hisses, from the bunk under mine. She pounds a fist against the bottom of my bunker. She clearly doesn't like me. She has long blonde hair that flows down to her mid back and bright fiery eyes to match her temper. I once heard her say her name was Zaida, or something like that.
I mumble "sorry" then hop off the bunker. I need some fresh air, away from this small wooden room filled with 15 other girls. Fresh air, away from people in general. I'm not much of a people person. I don't like people, and people don't like me. It kind of works out I guess.
I open the shabby wooden door, breathing in a whiff of fresh sea air. Feels like forever since I last felt the comforting winds brush against my skin. In Amicable, we are not allowed outdoors for longer than 3 hours every day. The town leaders believe it to be unhealthy if we stay out for too long. It has been a rule in Amicable, ever since I can remember.
I step out onto the main level of the ship, where the guards and ship crew spend all of their time laboring. The sun is bright and feels warm, and the sea waves continue to hit calmly against the ship. It is a beautiful day, but it doesn't lighten up my mood one bit. I just want to be home again, with my family, not in a ship, where I know nobody, and nobody knows me.
"Excuse me Miss?"
I turn my head in the direction of the voice. It's a guard. He's tall and wears the black uniform all the guards have to wear. His gun attached to him at the hip.
"Are you alright?"
I'm being dragged away from my home, my life, my everything, and you're asking if I'm alright?
"Yes, I'm fine."
But one thing I've learned is to hide my feelings, to lie. Nothing good comes with expressing them.
He takes a scanning device from out of his back pocket.
"What's your name, Miss?"
"Raelyn"
He punches my name into the scanner keyboard.
"Ahh, there we go, Raelyn Matthews, daughter of Fredrick and Abigail Matthews"
I cringe at the sound of my parents names. I miss them already so badly it hurts.
The guard points the scanner to my face.
"Stand still, this will only take a moment"
The scanner flashes a bright light. He motions it from the top of my head down to the tip of my toes. I don't move a muscle.
"There, you're free to move now" The guard says, punching a few more things into the scanner.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"I just had to scan you, to make sure—"
"No. I mean what are you doing with us? All of us, sixteen year-olds?"
"You will be attending Alaina's Military Academy for Youth" he replies.
"For what reason? What have we done, that we deserve to go to Military School?"
"Nothing. You've got this all wrong. You being chosen to attend Alaina's school is a good thing. You're not only helping yourself, but helping the whole world. Consider it a gift—that will benefit all people" he says.
Bullshit. Every word out of his mouth is utter bullshit. How in the world could all of this be a gift? How am I helping myself or even the whole world for that matter? I want to rip the ugly smile off his face, but I know the gun at his hip would be used against me. So I keep quiet.
* * * * * * * *
I hear yells coming from the main level. I was finally resting peacefully in my bunker, until the shouting started. I lie on my back with my eyes closed, but my head fully aware and alert. I would like to know the reason for all the noise, but am too tired to really care. I slowly open my left eye. There's a piece of sharp glass wedged between the wooden ceiling. Big enough for me to see my reflection. My green eyes barely look green, they look exhausted and faint. I see my narrow nose and pale white skin. My bony collar bone peeking out of my white shirt, that is no longer white, but a dingy brown. And my brown hair in need of a deep wash. I'm not pretty. Or at least, I don't think I am.
Someone barges into the small room. A male guard or a ship worker. I can't tell who.
"We've arrived. Wake everyone up, it's time to go" he shouts.
Groans begin filling the room. Much like me, everyone just wants to sleep in peace. I rub my eyes then sit straight on the bunker so my legs are dangling.
"Watch where you put your legs" the same blonde girl from before, shoves my leg. Hard. She's really starting to irritate me.
I grumble "sorry" again, before hopping off the bed. She glares at me. She knows I don't mean it.
"C'mon! Hurry up girls! Let's Go!" the same guard yells, barging into the room once more.
I hear someone call him an asshole. I grin. And follow the crowd of girls out the door.
