The Selection + SGE

Agatha

Here we go. I hope you enjoy it while ignoring my spelling and grammatical errors. ;D I don't write very often (im not that good) but I wanted to give it a try. It's a weird mix but i hope you like it.

When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her brilliant plan was me.

"Mom, even if I wanted to be royalty, which I don't, I'm a never. They would just reject my application," I argued.

I have never particularly felt like a never. How do you feel like a never anyway? Just because a few hundred years ago evers decided nevers were worse than them doesn't make us bad. I'm mean come on. Forcing people to become part of the lower castes? Doesn't sound like ever behavior now does it? Evers and nevers are just different but that's not a problem. Not all nevers are evil and scheming. Take me for example, i have never in all my years felt like eating a few children (so many bones) or wanted to poison my step-daughter (not that i have one) or attempted to steal someone's voice (just why) but because one of my ancestors from a long long time ago was 'evil' i'm a never so i too must be evil.

But like my friend Sophie likes to point out ; i'm different, and different usually turns out evil.

"Different how?" I ask.

"Well, for starters, you only wear black."

"Because it doesn't get dirty."

"You don't ever leave your house."

"People don't look at me there."

"For the create-a-tale competition, your story ended with snow white eaten by vultures and Cinderella drowning herself in a tub."

"I thought it was a better ending."

"You gave me a dead frog for my birthday!"

"To remind you we all did and end up rotting underground eaten by maggots so we should enjoy our birthdays while we have them. I found it thoughtful."

"Agatha, you dressed as a bride for Halloween."

"Weddings are scary."

"Well then it wouldn't hurt to fill it in, would it?" my mother sassed back.

"What would be the point? The form would be received and they would realise I'm a never. They only pick evers and I'm decidedly not an ever. Not ever. Never. It would probably be burned before even entering the palace."

I never thought myself to be a particularly disobedient daughter, but this was where I drew the line. Besides, filling in that form would be close to death. It was no secret that the rebels hated Illéa. Their attacks on the palace were both frequent and violent. I had seen them in action before in Gavaldon - they raided a jail and released a girl who had gotten herself pregnant. Funny thing is they never arrested the 'gallant' Garrick and supposed father of Belle's baby. Being an ever gets you a long way. So I couldn't help but think the rebels were in the right there.

I sat down on a rickety chair and placed my bowl of soup - lizard and onion - and started to eat.

"Look around you Agatha."

And I did. It was no secret to the others in the province that we were amongst the poorest. We weren't destitute, but we weren't far off. We were fives, three steps up from dirt. Literally.

When our country was reformed after the fourth world war, the caste system was introduced to help organise us. The ones were royalty, while the eights were those living on the fringes of society. It wasn't uncommon to see them lying dead on the main road, and each time I saw it, my heart ached for them. The twos and threes had things easy. They were rich and always always evers. Your caste is decided before you are born, and usually is dictated by what your ancestors did during the war. Warriors were rewarded with being twos while rebels were condemned to be eights.

We also have another label, you are either an ever at a never. Evers look down on Nevers, mainly because they are in the lower castes. This was supposed to help reform us but all it did was make nevers more bitter.

My mom and I are fives. We specialise in art and music. My mom plays musical instruments while I focus on art. We are employed for birthdays and holidays but we never get enough. That's why we live on Gallows Hill.

"Please don't make do this. What's the point. No never make it past day one. Nor does anyone below a three."

"Queen Guinivere was a four and she was a beautiful queen."

"Until she ran off with Lancelot to Swendway. Face it, they won't make that mistake twice."

The doorbell rang. I looked at the clock and it said four o' clock. Sophie was waiting for me outside. I got up from the table and threw open the door.

My friend Sophie was a four. And an ever. You could tell from the top of her long golden hair to the tips of her pink boots that she was destined to be a princess. I never knew why she chose me to be her best friend, but she was and nothing could come between us.

"Saved by the bell," I whispered to her and I shut the door.

So what do you think? I'm wondering if mixing these two worlds will get complicated but I'll try my best. Thanks so much for reading. I'd be grateful for any feedback you have.

My updates will be whenever i can sit down and write without procrastinating. So far i'm hoping for the best and am writing a few in advance to get going.

All the best,

xoxo paige_turner_