The Selection

Chapter 1

Cold.
It's always cold in our small house, or hot in the summers. I lay down on my old bed. Just five minutes, not more. After this I shall help father but not now. For a moment I close my eyes and let my mind wander to that one thought I don't want to think too much of. What if I get picked? I would stay as long as possible to send money home and then leave to continue my life, just like mother did. But she had father. "Maren! Maren!" Selene shouts from our living room if you can call it a a real living room. "Will play soccer with me?" she now asks as her head peeks around the bedroom door. Her beautiful blonde curls hang down over her shoulders and on her thin face rests a smile. From pictures that I have seen she has the face of mother and the hair and eyes of father. In comparison with me I have the more round face features of father, the bright blue eyes, wavy brown hair and the toned skin of mother. A lot of people told me I looked like her, what I take as a compliment as she was a true beauty. A sit up on the bed and smile at Selene. "I would love to but I should go and help father." I tell her as I walk up to the door. "We don't want him to overwork do we?" Selene shakes her head and follows me into our small kitchen. "Besides have you already made your homework?" I ask her with a strict look. Because I couldn't finish school as I needed to help father I want her to get the best education possible for a seven. "I was just about to do it" she says as she sits down on a wooden chair and grabs Some old books from a shelf. "Of course" I say shaking my head as I start peeling Some potatoes. "Selene after diner we need to go to the Thomsen's. They asked us to re-do their garden." I say as I put the potatoes on the fire to cook them. "You know them, the two's who live just on the outside of town. They have a daughter around your age", I continue as I turn around and find Selene gazing out of the small window. "Selene! You were suposed to do your homework!" She looks up and then quickly down. "Sorry" she mumbles. "Do you think we can see the news there? I just need to know who get selected and if you are one of then, you need to be one of them!" She says. "I don't think so, unless they bought a new television for in the front garden. And I don't think they did that." Selene sightens, "It isn't fair! Why do they have everything and we almost nothing but non the less we need to work a million times harder!" She is right, it isn't fair but what can we do? Because our ancestors weren't really helpfull for Gregory we are here. "Life isn't fair, but you may never speak like that! We could be doing worse, we could be eights. Do you want to be an eight?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Come" I give her a potato as we walk out of the door. "Don't you really think prince Killian is handsome?" Selene asks walking backwards so she can see my face expressions. "And what if I thought he was handsome? Would that change the fact that he looks as arrogant someone can get? I fire back raising an eyebrow. Silence. A grin appears on my face, I won. We arrive at the house of the Thomas family. They tell us what they want as I write everything down and Selen takes the mesurements. Half an hour before the evening clock goes in we walk back home. "I think father will be very tired so if we are back please be calm for once okay?" I ask Selen as we walk through the town. Past clothing- and shoeshops, bakeries and butchers. She only nods. As we come past an electronic shop Selene grabs my arm and puls me to the window. On different sized television you can see the news. "We can't do this now! Otherwise we will be late and you know what happens then." I say worried, I can't let us get arrested! "Just a few minutes, they are moving on to making the selected known. Oh wouldn't it be amazing if you got picked. Wearing long beautiful dresses and all the people who would want to help you!" And indeed they were moving to make the selected known. King Ryder seems to be talking to Carver about it as prince Killian is looking at his hands of boredom. Doesn't he realise there are hundreds of girls out here who would do everything for him? I role my eyes as the king takes a stack of papers. The first girl that got selected was Adley Morris, a four from Midson. The second one Maeve Handerson, a two from Bonita. And so the list continued. Most of then were two's, three's, fours and sometimes a five. "See Selene I didn't get picked." I turn around to walk away as it Started to get darker when I hear a high scream of Selene. I quickly turn back to see what is wrong. "Selene wha..." and I get left with my mouth open. On the screen is a picture of me. Maren Baldwin, seven, Sota.