3

Cora

The drive to the facility is filled with silence. There were only about twenty people on my bus as there was very few this year. Both males and females alike sat like stones and were lost in their thoughts. My mind drifted back to my home and the idea that my father was most likely still yelling at my family. I would have never had the guts to speak to him the way I did had it not been for the fact that I was leaving. I still can't help but wonder to myself if he has ever loved anyone. He grew up with loving parents but with all that was happening during that time, I can see how that might change him for the worse.

I often had to hide my true self from him and my mother. He had never really abused us but he had this way about him that made you feel like there was no room for argument and that if you pushed him hard enough he may crack. I think that his coldness created a new person in my mother. I could at times see the fire in her eyes when she was looking at him, but it always disappeared just as quickly as it came and I knew that it was something she was trying hard to not do. Showing emotion was something that we did not do in our home. The only exceptions were my grandparents.

I feel the bus stop and I turn and look out the window to see the facility. With a sigh so quiet that no one could hear it I stand and head out of the bus, following the others to our fate. I see a large crowd of people standing and I notice the extreme quiet. Whether it is because of the leaders standing on a small stage or if it is just that everyone is nervous, no one makes a sound.

A man walks up to the stage and makes his way over to a microphone and begins to talk. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen. We are going to get started. I need all of the males to make their way over to the right side here and follow Mr. Jack to the private rooms that you will have. Each of you will get your room which is stocked and ready for you. You will be able to view the results of the assessments and along with photos starting tomorrow afternoon. You will be able to mark the females that you want in order of choice. As your name is called you will be given the first female of your choice that is left. You will be able to decline altogether or chose another. If you decline all together you will be able to come to next year's reaping to find your mate."

With that being said the males make their way to the right and are quickly out of sight. "Ladies you will head to the left to the dormitories. You will be housed in rooms of fifty. Each room will be taken to the various assessments in a group and your group will all be tested at once. This is a reminder to you that no matter what your results are and no matter how you feel about them, you will go with whoever chooses you. There is no fighting it. I believe that most here will find that they will find their mates acceptable and that your lives with them will be adequate. Please proceed."

Following along with the group, I reach the inside to see that the dorms are broken up by names and follow the rest of the girls in my group to the room. Still, there are no voices to be heard. I feel like I am in a tomb. Some of the girls have the saddest faces that I have ever seen. Even some of the most beautiful girls in the room seem to have this sense of dread. The way the assessments are set up qualities of strength and intelligence is looked at more highly than beauty. I have never thought of myself as anything other than average but I can see that there are some here who are what many may believe to be below average. I think that looks are only that looks. What matters is the inside of a person. Even the most beautiful person can be a snake at heart.

The next few hours start our assessments. The surprise is that this year they are reevaluating our intelligence. That assessment usually happens when the female finishes what little school they receive, but this new leader has decided that he wants to change that. I honestly answer the questions this time. I know that my father would be flipping out on me if he knew that I was doing this. As I told them before I am letting fate handle this. I trust in myself enough to know that I can't always hide my brain or my thoughts, even though I try. This will at least give the man who chooses me an idea of what he is getting into.

Night turns into morning and I finish the rest of my assessments. I do my best and I know that there are not many in the room with me that can say the same. I think that most have truly given up hope of being happy. I know that it is a long shot but I can't give up the hope of having a happy family. I will do everything in my power to make that happen, no matter who I end up with.

Thomas

I find myself once again in my office waiting for the elders of the Chosen to come barging in demanding something. Over the last five years, I have had to listen to the same arguments over and over. My father was the leader before me and his before him. Most leaders only stay in office until their son turns twenty, and by that point, they are beyond ready to step down. It is a thankless job that most see as a cakewalk but never understands all that the job entails. The elders are the group who have been around since the beginning. They helped my grandfather gain control of the chaos that was in North America. What happened however was that many of these families became greedy. Every day I see it more and more.

My father tried to combat this by promoting those whom he found worthy of the status of a Chosen and found them some typing job to make them feel important and keep them on his side. The Chosen is not as strongly in charge as many think. Those involved in the leadership are not loyal to anything but themselves and my family has been stuck trying to get the group together. This has made us look like tyrants in the eyes of the people because all they see is what the low levels of the group do and sadly that is corrupt and not what my grandfather intended.

A knock at the door brings me out of my thoughts and I see my father standing at the door. Since he stepped down the man has done everything possible to stay out of the headquarters and to spend time with my mother and younger siblings. I know that for him to be here is something that he thinks is important.

"Dad, what brings you here?" I ask as I walk over and hug him. I have been fortunate in my life that I have loving parents who love not only us but each other.

"Thomas I came to talk to you about something that I think is going to make you upset with me." The look on his face makes me want to cringe. "I know that every year you said that no interests you, but son I think you need to consider picking someone in the reaping." I feel my heart drop. I have fought this from day one because I want to find someone that I love, not just pick at random.

"Before you tell me to know, just think about it. You can what the girls through the monitor and see if anyone catches your eye. The longer you put it off the longer you may stick in that chair or worse run the risk of someone else taking over. Your mother and I just want you to be happy and we don't want you to be stuck here alone." His voice is a pleading one that I know I can't say no to. I have been lonely I just didn't want to give up my hope.

"I will take a look, Dad. I'm not promising anything will come of it but I will try." After a few more minutes of talking, he leaves. I let out the sigh that I have been holding in and turn on the monitors. What could it hurt to take a look? As I am watching I notice one girl who is talking with one of the assessors. I turn up the volume and listen to her.

"Cora we checked and you appear to still have your virginity in tack. Is there a reason for that? You must know that is not something that we see here very often." The assessor looks at her with a curiosity that I haven't ever seen them have.

"Well to be honest I thought about changing that at one time, but it fell through. Honestly, the only reason I would have done it is to make my parents happy. I know some may think it is stupid but I have the hopes that the man who chooses me will be someone that I can fall in love with. I have grown up in a home where there wasn't an ounce of love between my parents. I just want something more than procreating. I want a companion, best friend, and lover all in one. I will give myself to the one who takes me and I will do my very best to make him love me." She says this with a look of determination in her eyes.

I feel my heart skip a beat and I find myself looking at this girl on the screen in a way that I have never looked at anyone before. She is an average girl with red hair who looks like she wouldn't stand out in any way. For all I know I could have walked past her a million times and just never noticed her. The more I listen to her talk the more I want to know her. There is something about her that makes me feel like I could find what I am looking for in her. I pick up my phone and call the head assessor.

"This is Thomas. I want to choose at the Reaping. I will be first and I will not hear any arguments." With that, I hang up and know that I have just made a decision that will change not only mine but that girl's life as well.

"Oh my dear Cora, you have no idea how you have made my day." With a smile, I get back to work so that I will have time to spend with my new mate.