The Circle

Chapter One

I remember watching it on the TV when I was little. A display of strength and idiocy from the people of Lushein, in a silly little of game of a literal 'last man standing'. I didn't know what it was about until I saw my dad on it. He looked happy but I didn't understand why. Maybe I was the cause of his problems and he wanted to try the stupid game. The game where death was not an option. It was stand or be shot, it was that simple and very good entertainment for the people but I knew there was something wrong with this.

When I watched it, I saw people drop from their feet in discomfort and they looked in real pain. I still enjoyed that bit but It was what happened after that that shocked me. I always had to close my eyes when I was younger but I could still hear what was happening. A gun shot and a wince of pain. Mum told me it was nothing when I asked what it was but I knew the shot was from a protector of The Circle.

The Protectors are nasty pieces of work. I remember one day walking to school and I saw them dragging out a young girl about my age. I don't know what she had done but she seemed like a sensible girl and not the fatuous, rambunctious children that deserve to be hurt. She was different. When I saw her, I could see the sadness in her eyes and the fear making her shake as the protectors chucked the poor girl onto the floor. I was scared and wanted to run along but I had to stay and watch what was going to happen to the poor, sensible, scared little girl. A few seconds later one of them pulled out a whip and another a gun. My heart sunk as I saw the young girl getting her skin whipped away from her body by one of the protectors. He ripped her shirt off to bear the bloody scars that he had inflicted on her back from his whip and, looking quite proud of his artwork that he had created, shouted... "This is what happens to the TRAITORS!" The other protector then pointed the gun towards the ,now, rundown young girl. I watched on and the time seemed to go in slow motion. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest and then the trigger was hit. I saw the bullet travel so fast but slow at the same time. Time froze as the bullet penetrated right through her heart. I felt the pain as my heart stopped... and then continued. The pain I felt was a harsh shooting pain. I knew I had to go but I couldn't leave.

I waited until I saw the Protectors jump back into the, black, military standard shuttle they had arrived in and watched them shoot off with smug, proud faces. I quickly raced towards the girl. Was she ok? I looked at her as she was taking her final breaths. "What happened?" I asked her.

"I didn't want to go into the capital with my parents" she whispered

"Why are they there?"

"My dad has been chosen to be in The Circle. You can't say no... But- I – did" she took her last breath and went to the angels. I ran to school, I was going to be late but luckily, I got there in time. That day was tough, I couldn't help but think of that girl. I have thought of that girl ever since then and now I know why my dad was in The Circle. But why was he chosen? I remember him just being a perfectly normal guy but there must have been a reason.

When I was older, I soon found out about how to get chose for The Circle. When you left school at 15 you were added straight to a database. I don't know how they got the details of everyone in the country but they did. Every two years the database would be randomised and someone from each age group up to sixty years old were chosen to play in The Circle. Now I come to think about it, every year I would be scared my name would come up on the big screen in our city, Reiles.

Reiles was a small city with a small population. It used to be beautiful with skyscrapers touching reaching new heights and the breath-taking monuments. I loved it. But when the new government came to power, when I was six, it all changed. They destroyed every single house, office, shop and, even, the playgrounds. The playgrounds were amazing. They contained anything fun that you could name. Footballs-Yes-Bikes-Yes-trees to climb on- Yes- It even had a gym for the adults. But the fun days were now behind us and the cities had been ruined. The cities, like I said before, had all been destroyed and replaced by metal boxes, the shops on the street were shut down.I can't complain the houses they built were amazing until you realised what were in them. They were all metal so would not crumble or move if hit by the strong storms that we have every summer. They had grand flooring, a green and blue mosaic depicting a king and luscious brown furniture; but I knew straight away the houses weren't all they seemed. The luscious brown furniture was uncomfortable, thorny and hard to sit on. The mosaic did not depict a grand king. It depicted the cruel thoughtless domineering ruler of Lushein. Jory Hanover.