Astringent

Penguin Tests

I wake up with the paralyzing fear of today, the day that my life will change forever, and not for the better. Today is the day for the Penguin test, which will determine which district I will forever dwell in. Well, lying here all day won't change anything, so I decide to get up, although I would much rather freeze this moment and live in it forever, so I don't have to participate in this terrifying test. After taking my sweet time, I am pushed out the door by my mother. She hands me a paper bag containing food and shepherds me out of the house.

I walk through the city, which used to be a city called something like Saint Looey. Why it was called that is beyond me, but makes somewhat sense considering that when we began constructing this city, it took over 2 years to clear out the wreckage before we were even able to begin building. I arrive at my school, where the Penguin tests will take place. I am about to enter the building when I freeze, my palms begin sweating and my throat feels like it's been stuffed full with sawdust. Other people who are also taking their Penguin tests today push past me, I muster up my courage and push open the heavy glass doors. 

After a few agonizing hours of waiting for my test, I sit alone in the crowded room. I'm from the district that everyone likes the best, but nobody likes me because of my lovely people skills. I'm fairly sure that I have never belonged in District 7. Most people from that district are always nice, friendly, and agreeable. These are none of my natural qualities, but since I've grown up there, it has been hammered into my brain. The anticipation alone is killing me and thankfully I don't have to wait much longer. As I enter the room I see a woman with multi-colored hair that I know can only be dyed, it is the mark of a criminal. Once someone is arrested the first thing they do is dye your hair as many bright colors as possible so if you somehow escape you are marked and easily found due to the vibrant colors in your hair. Yup, she's doing community service. Definitely. She greets me with a smile, this is odd because I never thought of criminals as being friendly or even nice. Hmmmm... Most criminals aren't nice. I know this because my mother had dragged me to the prison a few times to help out in the kitchens and the people there were always rude and vulgar. But she gives me a pleasant smile, and I realize I've been standing there for a little while, just staring at her. I weakly smile at her and she gestures me to the chair in the middle of the room. 

I sit, at the edge of the chair, ready to flee if needed, since I don't trust her. She sees how cautious I am being and smiles again. All this smiling is really starting to get on my nerves, and just makes me more nervous. 

"I'm Clarissa, what's your name?" she asks me, an attempt to calm my nerves. It works, just a little. But it still works. So I answer,

" Odessa."

"That's a pretty name, Odessa. So are you ready to begin your test?" My hands begin shaking and I can feel my throat begin to fill with sawdust again. Before I answer she injects a plug into my arm and I feel myself begin to grow drowsy. 

I see a blur in front of my vision, it feels like the room is spinning around me and I am the only stationary object in the world. I try to blink it away, but I am unable to both open or close my eyes. I'm trapped in this medium where my eyelids are disfunctional. How is it possible for me to be unable to open OR close my eyes? This is strange. I feel like I'm about to throw up. 

Suddenly the spinning stops, but I am still stuck in this void where my eyelids are stuck. I hate this. I hear a voice from what seems like outside of my head. How am I inside my head? I don't know.

Somehow I wake up. My eyes have never closed, but it feels like a liquid veil was placed on my eyes and was suddenly pierced and drained out of my eyes. Multi-colored hair slowly blurrs into my view and I can see clearly now. A pounding in my head craves attention and I reach my hand to my head as a slight groan escapes my lips.

"Here," Clarissa says while handing me a paper cup of water. I shake it away, I'm fine. She's persistent though, and forces it into my shaking hand. 

"What just happened?" I ask.

"You just had your Penguin Test. It took much longer than it normally does. Usually it only takes about 20 minutes, but yours lasted 4 hours."

"Okay..." I say, waiting for her to continue.

"Well if your test was right, and since you didn't throw up immediately after the completion of the test, that means that you're..." she pauses and looks around before continuing in a whisper, close to my ear, "Astringent."

I almost spit out the water that I had begun to consume. Astringent is the barely whispered word only very vaguely mentioned in very political cases. Being an Astringent is a danger to you and anyone you come in contact with. I can't tell anyone, but this test was supposed to tell me which district I belong to. It doesn't. Instead it tells me that I am a danger and considered reckless to the government. I stand up to leave, but she stops me. Grabbing my shoulder.

"I need to go," I say.

"Yeah and I'm supposed to shoot you on site. But I'm not going to. You know why? Because you deserve a life, here's my advice. Choose the district that you'd be the best concealed in. Don't tell ANYONE." She lets go of me and allows me to leave.

Right before I leave, I stop and thank her, knowing that she's putting her life on the line for me, a girl she doesn't even know. She must have been from District 9, those of the brave and selfless.