Jacks And Jokers

6: The Queens

The Queens were even more vibrant. Colors popped from every edge, the dullest of which trumped even the brightest of what I had seen in the Tens. This all made me excited, yet skeptical. Everyone was dumbfounded at the splendor held before them. The possibilities, which were endless, seemed to impossible to comprehend. It smelled like it had just rained, and lavender blooms had just opened.

Everyone passing us on the street waved, with many of my class too dumbfounded at the vibrancy of the people to wave back. Only a small amount of us had the audacity to reply with another such wave, Izy being one of them. This all had a strange feeling to it, like it was too perfect. How could everyone be so happy? We in the twos could barely scrape to get scraps, and these people carried enough bags of food to feed one family for weeks in the twos.

We started a tour of what they called a university. Apparently it was just school after school. All of the buildings on what they called a 'campus' held the same grandeur the queens offer, with a few surpassing my expectations of the Kings. The people here learned advanced types of math I couldn't comprehend, and don't want to understand. Psychology classes were also offered, which I find it weird. Psychology is just the brain trying to comprehend itself.

We end up getting to a giant mall, and we have to find at least one free outfit for our 'graduation'. The mall had everything from food, to clothing, to some things called phones. When we finally get to the clothes store, our entire class is, yet again, dumbstruck. There were dresses and suits of all color. Some of the clothes even had card suits embroidered into them. 

I choose a tux with a black blazer and a cyan shirt with a spade embroidered on it. Izy, still not talking to me for some reason, finds a practically neon white dress. I say that because it glows with the might of a million stars. It all went from her shoulders down to the ground and flowed so much I couldn't help but compare it to a fabric river. My heart started to melt at the beauty of her. In an instant I could tell she would be fitting in the Kings, that is, if a two could even make it that far. We changed out of our clothes, took our goods, and finally made way for the trains.

I was still getting used to the brightness of the city when I noticed something. There was a crowd surrounding something. With closer inspection I noticed it was not something, but someone. This someone was holding something gleaming. 

My heart sunk, but not as much as when I heard, "I have done wrong against the system, and I am willing to punish myself for doing so, take this blood as payment for the judgement long past due." With those final words growing louder and more frantic I got even more scared of what he'd do with the knife. But instead of turning on others this person immediately started cutting at their arms, legs, wrists, and face. Blood started flowing from every wound in surplus before the man hit the ground. Soon there were dings from the wounded person's wristband and everyone started clapping in some sick, twisted ritual. 

"Nathan NO!!!" A voice screamed. Someone came running into the middle of the crowd crying. "You didn't have to," the body was already limp when she tilted the head up. Even from here I could see the pain and agony in this girl's eyes. Several guards pushed past the crowd and grabbed the woman. "Why'd you take him form ME!!!" She wailed in desperation. "He never wanted that to happen!" She didn't stop screaming till she was shocked with a taser.

Only after the woman was dragged out of sight did I finally look away. I would do anything never to return to the Queens, but the environment was intoxicating, unlike anything I had experienced. Anything, up until I felt the familiar sensation of the tingling on my neck. I look around and see the whole crowd around the man staring at me. Spinning around in panic I saw a school mate smile quizzically at me, then look away. I look back to see the body surrounded by a bustling street. They'd just moved on. The crowd and their march never stopping. Just another gear in the machine. Not halting, and if broken, just replaced. This thought only gave me more existential dread and fear of this place than before.

We got on the train, and a slight pit  lived in my stomach as we took off to the King's.