Empire

Chapter eight

  There is a feast that evening in the biggest longhouse. It's better than the other parties because only the contestants are there. There are obviously still cameras but no reporters or other people to ask us questions. We eat the stag and what Asta's team caught. Our team won the challenge.
  I spend the evening trying to get to know the other contestants. Marisol introduces me to her country mate Nicolas and I meet many of the people for the first time.
  I notice that everyone here is naturally good looking. It is done on purpose of course.
  I also talk to the girl from Japan, Song, a little. It turns out to be a nice evening, until I'm told to pick a fight with Edwin by a cameraman. They want more drama.
  Instead I walk out and go to our house to sleep.
  Next morning is another train ride, this time to Germany. There's another public appearance that we have to get all dressed up for. When it's over and I'm sitting in a chair while Maroon undoes my hair, I think about how close I am to my family and they don't even know. I try to hold back my tears, but they build up inside me making my nose hurt and my stomach curl up in knots. One tear escapes and after that it's all I can do not to weep.
  "What's wrong dear?" Maroon asks me. I think she truly wants to know.
  I tell her and she says "You know you can write to them right?"
  "I can! No one told me. Thank you!" I say. I am starting to love her.
  As soon as she's done with my hair I find a pen and paper and start writing.

  Dear Family
I miss you all so much.
I hope you haven't been worrying too much    about me and that someone has told you why they need me. If not, then I am part of a competition with people from all over the world. I have been traveling a lot. So far I've been to Canada, Great Britain, and Denmark. If I do well then when I come home and our family won't have to pay taxes anymore.
I was worried I'd be alone here but Stefan's friend Tretan is here and has helped me not feel so homesick. I've also made new friends here. One girl from Emor, her name is Flair, is my very good friend. And she now believes in my Father.
I'm in Germany right now but by the time you get this letter I'll probably be somewhere else.
I love you all and hope to see you soon.
  Love Susan.

  It's not very long or detailed but it will have to do. I read over it to make sure I haven't said anything wrong. The letter will probably be read before it's given to my family.
  I give it to Maroon who says she'll make sure it gets sent.

  We're in Berlin in one of the castles. I've been here before but never inside.
  We're all here, they're probably going to tell us about the next challenge. I find Tretan and tell him about my letter. He'll want to talk to his family.
  Then there's an official with his announcement "Tretan and Susan will be the leaders of this event." "Susan, Tretan, please pick six other contestants to be on your team. You do not have to pick both people from the same country, you may have ten minutes to make your decision. Also, just so you know your goal for this mission is stealth"
  We're led into a separate room to decide.
  "We're trying to do well right?" says Tretan.
  "Yes." I answer.
  "Okay let's see, Tayo is my friend but he's also good at being silent. I think we should pick him." He says.
  "Yes, Amandi too. He surprised me quite a few times in Canada." I say.
  "That's two, we need four more..."
  "Kimi, for sure. But maybe not Quinn." I say "I would like to pick Flair but I don't know how quiet she is."
  "Well let's pick her anyway maybe she's better than we think," Tretan says "what about Topher?"
  "Good idea, and Marisol from Spain" I say.
  "All right that's six." says Tretan.
  We go back into the main room, an official whispers to us "Susan announce the girl's names, Tretan the boy's."
  I go first "Kimi, Flair, and Marisol please come join me."
  Then Tretan "Amandi, Tayo, and Christopher you're on our team as well." they all walk over to us. Then the official continues "You will be playing a giant game of hide and seek. Susan, Tretan, and their team are hiding, everyone else has to find them. The game goes until every member of their team is caught. You have to touch them for them to be caught. If it has reached midnight and they're still not caught they win. Everyone else may form smaller search parties and can use lights. We will now drop you off at your different locations."
  We're led back to our rooms. One of my outfits from home is laying on the bed. I put it on right away. It is so wonderful to wear something my mother made.
  I take out my fancy hairstyle and braid my hair down my back then wash off my makeup.   Now I look like myself.
  I meet with the rest of my team. They are all in clothing that I'm guessing is from their home.
  We board a helicopter and it takes us into the forest. The pilot tells us we'll have a ten minute head start and that the rest of the people will land in the same place. We land in a clearing. I look around at the woods. I've been here before. I've been here three times with my brother on hunting trips.
  I whisper to Tretan "I know where we are. I could get to my village if I wanted."
  He looks around at the others and whispers back "Be careful, you don't want the cameras to know that. But maybe we could get closer without looking like we know where we are."
I nod and we turn to the others.
  "Okay guys should we stay hidden here or try to get far away before they get here?" Tretan asks.
We all decide to try get away. I start off first, going in the general direction of my village. I'm not sure if heading to my village will help but walking through woods I know is refreshing.
  I was right, Flair isn't very quiet but she's not complaining. Everyone else is very quiet.
  Eight minutes into the woods we hear noises and shouting from the clearing. The other people have landed. I try to be more conscious about our trail. Kimi stays at the back and tries to wipe out our tracks a bit.
  It's about six o'clock and there is some light left. As long as there is light it will be harder to hide, but there are leaves now so that helps.
It's funny a few weeks ago I was only thinking about finishing my bible and starting planting and turning sixteen this year. Now my normal life has to be put on hold. It feels good to be back home even though I know it will only be for awhile.
  "Susan, Susan, hello?" says Tretan.
  I snap back "What?"
  "I said, which way now?" He asks.
  "Oh uh that way." I say pointing towards my village. I didn't realize I had stopped walking.
  We keep moving occasionally hearing shouts behind us from the other team. The last of the light fades fast and soon it's dark.
  Suddenly a group of five or six of the other team are right behind us shining lights in our direction. They've spotted us. We start running but they're still close. I'm not concentrating on where I'm going and I trip on a root and fall. I freeze. The wind is knocked out of me.
They've stopped now and are shining their light in all directions. The front of my body is behind a tree but my legs are in the open. I haven't dared to move yet. The rest of my team has taken shelter behind trees as well. Their light is actually helping us, it makes the shadows longer and darker. After awhile they move off still looking for us but in the wrong direction. When they're gone we all come out.
  "Are you all right?" Flair asks me.
  "Ya I'm fine, let's keep going." I answer.
  The moon has risen but it's still very dark.
We walk in silence with me still in the lead.
  I hear a tree rustle in front of us and stop.
  "Somethings up ahead," I whisper to Tretan who is closest to me. We all stop and listen. A figure emerges from behind a tree holding a spear.
  "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asks.
  "Stefan?" I say.
  "Susan!" It's my brother!
  I run over to hug him.
  "I didn't know we where this close to home. Did you get my letter yet?" I ask trying to contain my excitement.
  "Ya we got it this afternoon" he says "We were pretty worried about you." Then he notices everyone else "What are you all doing here?"
  "It's one of our challenges, we have to hide from everyone else until midnight." I tell him.   He sees Tretan then and greets him.
  "Stefan, this is my friend Flair, she's the one I wrote to you about." I say.
  "Hello sister," he says with a smile.
  "And this is Tayo, Amandi, Christopher, Marisol, and Kimi" I finish.
  He says hi to all of them.
  "Well where do you have to go now? And how many people are looking for you?" He asks.
  Kimi answers him this time "So far we where just following Susan, and there's twenty people trying to find us."
  "Well how about you follow me for a bit," he says.
  I wonder what the camera people are thinking about this. Hopefully they don't get my family in trouble. Then again, it adds more drama to the show so maybe they'll be alright.
  I know that I won't have much time with my brother though. As soon as this challenge is finished we'll have to leave again.
  I ask him about all our siblings and our parents and all the people in the village.
  Judging by the stars it's about ten right now. We have two hours to go.
  Stefan leads us to a little fort that's high in a fir tree. The thick branches conceal it so you can't see it until you're right under it. We use the branches to climb up.
  "I didn't know you had made this." I say with admiration.
  "Waren and I just finished building it." he says. Inside it's big enough for all of us. It would probably work to live in.
  "We started it after you left, in case..." he breaks off when I shush him. I mouth "cameras" at him. He understands and is more careful after that. I think he was going to say "in case we all need to run".
  We all talk for awhile up there. A few groups of searchers pass under us but no one notices our hideaway.
  Now we're all relaxed and there are no other people here we start telling each other about our homes. Kimi is the youngest of eight children, most of her siblings are married. She is fifteen so not ready to get married yet but when she is she'll have lots of options.
  Tayo only has one younger brother. He and his family live close to the mountains in Nigeria. Flair doesn't say much about her family.
  Marisol has three younger siblings. She is seventeen, I didn't think she was that much older than me. She is engaged and was going to be married in the summer.
  When Christopher tells us he is thirteen Flair asks "Why did they pick you then? I thought you had to be fourteen."
  "Ya well it's because of my good looks." he says with a wink. We all laugh.
  "And also I'm almost fourteen."
  "What about you? I didn't catch your name." Stefan asks talking to Amandi. We all freeze not knowing how this will turn out.
  "It is none of your business." I think his voice gets deeper every time I hear him speak.
  "Well it's almost midnight should we make our way back to the clearing?" Tretan asks after a long silence.
  "We'll have to be careful," says Tayo "they will still be looking for us."
  We all climb out of the tree house quietly.
  "Are you going to come with us?" Tretan asks Stefan.
  "Yes, of course."
We're quieter now that we're out of the coziness of the tree. I walk close to Stefan knowing we'll have to leave soon. I don't know when I'll see him again.
  When we get to the clearing there is a helicopter waiting for us.
  "Promise you'll write to me?" I ask Stefan.
  "I promise. And I'll tell everyone how well you are doing. Goodbye Tretan, Goodbye Susan, Bye everyone."
  "Goodbye, I love you." I say and then we have to board the helicopter and we're off again.
  I whisper a prayer of thanks to God that I got to see my brother.