The Society

The Society Chapter 1

We live in a perfect world. A world where we are shielded from the outside. A world where there are no hard decisions, no heartbreaks, and no unplanned death. Our world is perfect. Or so we thought.

Chapter 1
        Today is the job selection program. When you turn 16 your life is given to you. You no longer go to school for the essential science, math, english, etc. You are given the job that you will hold for the rest of your life. There are 7 job titles. The Healers- they are all of the medical workers. The Helpers- they do most of the building. The Guardians- all of the teachers and nannies. Entertainers- the singers, musicians, artists, actors and actresses. Law Holders- those who enforce the law (among the most unnecessary of jobs). The Society- the rulers of our proud nation. And lastly the Roanoke- the career of which shall not be spoken of.
        After the disease broke out some of the survivors came together to build our perfect world. They built the walls which surround our nation. Our walls keep out the disease. The survivors decided in order to achieve a perfect world we had to deal away with rough decision making. Through that the job selection program was born. They also decided to deal away with heartbreak. We no longer feel love. No, that sounded wrong. We do feel love, just not until we're of age. The healers give us pills to hold back this feeling. Now you may think that is insane. It's not. When we grow older we have the power to choose when we want to receive the pill. The pill is what helps us feel love again. We can not do it alone though. We have to have someone we plan on marrying go to the Healers with us.
        There is no unplanned death in our world. The Healers have the medicine to cure any sickness. In a world like that you would think it would be impossible for someone to die that wasn't meant to. I believed that too. Until the day my mother died. I remember the way my father fell to his knees. He lost a part of himself. There are whispers it wasn't an accident. I have always been told-
        "Chantelle?" My best friend Irina interrupts my thoughts. "Chantelle? Earth to Chan!"
        "Sorry, I  was just thinking," I say snapping out of my trance.
        "Uh oh, that's dangerous. What were you thinking about? Are you nervous for the selection? Oh I see, you were thinking about Daniel. Oh Daniel my love!" Irina says mimicking me.
        "I don't love Daniel. He's only a boyfriend. Neither of us know what love is. I am feeling a bit uneasy about the selection, though," I roll my eyes.
        "Oh please," she rolls her eyes back at me. "Chan, you are the last person who should be nervous. We all know you're going to be a Healer. You've been a medicine genius since diapers."
        I didn't answer Irina. That's the type of friends we are. We can just stand together in silence. Besides, some things don't need a reply. I looked at my best friend. She was wearing the same white ceremony dress as me. Our hair was styled in the same clean bun. Irina always was beautiful. Irina's golden hair was usually down. It was weird seeing her wavy hair tucked into a bun. The sun was reflecting off of her seemingly gold eyes. She wore the same smile she always did behind her red lips.
        I pulled out the compact I kept in my pocket. I had brown hair that had natural blonde tips and highlights throughout. My eyes were a combination of blue and green. Daniel always compliments my eyes.
        Irina and I made our way up the marble steps into the grand white building, our heels clacking with every step. When I was younger I always thought the marble pillars were the most beautiful thing ever. We made our way to the seats with the other 16 year olds. I scanned the room for my father. I couldn't find him. I saw Daniel sitting a few chairs away from me. He caught my eye and winked.
        "When did Harlen get so hot?" Irina asked, turning to me. I followed her gaze to the boy with dark brown hair, broad shoulders, and eyes as dark as night. Eyes that were staring directly at me. I  looked away, not being able to take the intensity.
        "Do you think he blames me?" I asked, avoiding the question.
        "Don't be silly, Chan. It's not your fault his mom went crazy." I know her words were meant to ease me, but nothing about Harlen Shade put me at ease. After my mother died, his mother went crazy. She was best friends with my mother.  Idina started coming up with many conspiracies of what happened to my mother. She told the town. When the society found out they sent her away. They sent her to a mental hospital. Idina always acted like a mother to me. I hoped she was in the hands of the best Healers.
        "Welcome. You are all here today to witness the selection of jobs. The children sitting in these first 3 rows are the leaders of tomorrow," I recognized the woman speaking. Her name was Ivy. She was one of the head members of the society. "After the disease plagued us, our world was shattered. Through the brilliant minds of the survivors we have fixed our shattered world. We have created peace. Who will keep this peace?"
        "We will," my classmates and I said in unison.
        "Very well," she smiled. "As tradition we shall call you up by name, say a few words, and hand you your slip of paper. You may open it on stage. Telling others of your job is completely up to you. However, if you wish to tell, save it for after the ceremony. Thomas James Abrahms." She began calling my classmates. I saw her hand Thomas his slip. He opened it and smiled. I smiled too, Helper. I didn't need to see his slip to know.
           She went down the line calling up my peers one by one. I watched as it became closer and closer to my turn. I was nervous. I took a deep breath. Irina was right, I would be a healer. I had nothing to worry about.
    "Daniel Isaac Layhey," I jerked my head up. Daniel strolled up the stairs and along the stage. He was smiling wide. "Daniel is the son of Zane and Rachel Layhey. Daniel has always lit up the room with his smile. We are excited to see where Daniel takes his career." She handed him the slip and we all clapped. He opened it. I couldn't tell if he was excited or not, his smile was always so big. He looked up and winked at me. I smiled. Daniel knew how to put me at ease.
    "Irina Diana Lexen." Irina gave me a small shove and smiled. The way the light hit her made her look angelic. She looked like a movie star. She flaunted across the stage, heels clacking away. "Irina is the daughter of Samuel and Diane Lexen.  She has always been strikingly beautiful. Her outgoing personality is something we have all grown to love. Her happiness is contagious. I know she will make us all very proud." Irina shot her an award winning smile and took her slip. We all clapped. I heard her parents whistle. I watched her eyes move across the slip. Her eyes bulged and her smile grew enormous. She practically sashayed down the stage. She sat down next to me and showed me her slip Irina Diana Lexen: Entertainer. I smiled. My best friend would be famous for sure.
      "Chantelle Paige Markel." I stood. My knees wobbled. I was terrified. I put on my best fake smile, praying no one would see my nerves. I made my way up the stage and looked for my dad. My eyes locked with Daniel. He winked and blew a kiss. I looked at Irina. She flashed me a grin and gave me the thumbs up. I accidentally caught Harlen's eye. He looked at me as if to study me. His head was cocked, his forehead bunched up. "Chantelle is the daughter of Darlow Markel." I finally saw my dad. I knew he wore the same pained expression as I did. My mother's name was never mentioned. "Chantelle has been surprising us all with her intelligence. We believed Chantelle could make a huge difference in this world. We believe Chantelle could even find a cure for the disease." Everyone gasped. I brought my hand to my mouth. I had never heard anyone say that. I grabbed my slip and everyone clapped. I looked down, my hands shaking. Chantelle Paige Markel: Healer.
         The next few names were a blur. I was ecstatic. I had wanted to be a healer ever since I was young. I knew I only should have been thinking about my future. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about how they didn't mention my mother.
         "Harlen Zachary Shade." I watched Harlen walk across the stage. I tried to remember when he got so muscular. He had this rhythm about the way he walked. He walked with purpose, but also as though he didn't want to be seen. "Harlen is the son of Scott and Idina Shade. He is strong and knows when to blend in. We only hope he is strong enough for where his career will take him." I furrowed my brow. What was that supposed to mean? I guessed Harlen was a Law Holder. He opened his slip. His face turned white. He looked up. He looked right at me. It felt like he was staring into my soul. I couldn't help but get the feeling he was trying to tell me something. The feeling that he knew something that I didn't. The feeling that I was about to find out what that something was.