Chapter 1

Kiara Lester

All the girls from the town are gathered in the central square. Some are happy, some are furious, and some are just baffled.

The truth is I don't know how to feel, they have taken us out of our homes and forced us to come here. I was only able to take my phone and my identification, since it is not known why they have called all of us.

Karla is next to me, we were both at my house when all this happened. I must say that the guards who have brought us"Dragged"to here, did not do it with much delicacy. I still have the fingers of a guard marked on the skin of my arm.

"What will this be?" Karla asks me quite alarmed"Why haven't they let our parents come with us?

Karla's parents live a few streets away

from our house, so they witnessed all the uproar. When Karla's father tried to reach us, a guard stopped him very abruptly.

" I don't know Karla"I see the surroundings" This doesn't smell good to me. It's so weird that we're just girls here.

Karla gasps and I turn to her. 

"What's wrong?"I ask him when I see his sudden outburst.

"Will they kill us?"she gets upset, "what if they brought us here to kill us and wipe out the female population?"her eyes widen,"My God! We're going to die!

I quickly cover her mouth with my hand making her shut up. But to no av ail, since we are now the center of attention and now all the girls have turned to look at us.

Lord give me patience.

" Nobody is going to die Karla"I whisper and release her mouth"don't say stupid things.

"And if you're wrong?"

"I'm not, trust me" I tell him as calmly as I can" nothing is going to happen to us" I'm talking trying to talk about it

"But..."she tries to speak but is stopped by a strong and demanding voice.

" All girls over 20 years old, please stand in a row " we all turn around trying to find that person who is speaking to us. After a few seconds, on what looks like a small platform, we see a man in a black suit and gray hair. It is he who has spoken to us.

No one moves, we are all confused and we know that any false step would be risky.

The man, who until now had remained impassive, seeing no movement from anyone, gets a little upset.

"Now!"She yells causing us all to jump and act quickly.

After the shout they all begin to walk forward. Everyone except Karla and me.

I turn to my friend

"18" It's the first thing Karla says when she looks me in the eye" you know very well that I won't leave you alone.

I smile reluctantly. I know this is beyond both of us, I know that we can't do anything about this.

" I'll be fine, honey"I hold her hands next to mine and kiss them in an act of affection" it's just a moment, maybe they'll just communicate something to us.

His eyes waver and his grip tightens.

Almost all of them have already advanced, so I can't take long.

"Wait for me over there."I point to a tree that is considerably far away. I don't want him to be in whatever this is.” “Don't move from there if I don't ask you to.

" I'll be right there " I'm sure once he turns to me " I'll wait for you as long as it takes.

I smile.

" I know".

I pull her towards me and give her a short hug before placing a kiss on her head.

"I love you".

"I love you too, Kia"he answers when we part ways.

Without waiting any longer, I turn and walk away without looking back.

I don't know what's going on, but I hope it's quick. I agreed to have dinner with Alex, he wouldn't forgive me if I stood him up.

I make my way to where the other girls are and quietly line up.

"Every girl under 20 years of age must distance herself, we do not want confusion"The same subject speaks.

Standing in line I turn to Karla and smile at her. She lets me know with a sign that she will be waiting in the same place.

Karla is like my little sister, so sweet and innocent that it makes me want to take care of her and protect her from everything bad. Even when it surrounds her without knowing it.

After a couple of minutes, some cars suddenly arrive alerting everyone and scaring us in the same second.

These cars stop strategically and quickly and are parked near all of us. It isn't long before some men in suits and gun cases come down from them.

This looks like a movie, to be exact it looks like a bad version of the men in black.

I admit, I'm a little nervous. I don't know what this is, but I know it's not good. And I know the consequences will be worse.

There is nothing left of the line of girls, since they have all grouped together again. The subject who received us has gone to receive the people who have arrived, for which we have not been scolded or yelled at for the disorder, something I appreciate.

I notice more men emerging from more cars and that's where the fear comes over me.

What if Karla was right? and if it is an extermination?

In a quick millisecond she went from feigning calm to truly desperate.

If I run away, will they notice?

No kiara, this is not school. Obviously they will notice.

If not?

Well, I think not, considering that there are more than 70 girls here.

I look around trying to calculate how fast I can run before they shoot me.

I try to continue with my escape plan, but my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a whistle.

I'm sweating cold. This uncertainty will give me a cardiac arrest.

I turn to where the men are, but I am surprised to see that they are now in a long line, as if it were a corridor of honor.

They are almost in front of us, but the strange thing is that they don't look at us, they just keep their gaze above our heads, as if looking at us now was forbidden, or was a sin.

I can see how the nerves of all the girls here are present as well as mine.

In the distance I can hear the sound of rumbling footsteps, so strong and sure that it seems that a giant is making them.

The footsteps become more present and...suddenly everything is completely silent.

My heart is beating a thousand per hour, so much so that I feel like it is hitting my chest hard.

I don't think I have prayed as much all my life as I am doing right now.

The footsteps resume and when they get closer, I try to hide in the crowd so as not to be seen.

I don't know who is coming, I'm not interested either, so it's better to hide and go unnoticed, than to be seen and possessed.

I see nothing. The girls cover my visibility, and well I have to thank them since that's how they cover me with their bodies.

I don't know what they are seeing, but from a moment I can notice how the scenery changes.

The girls who were terrified and trembling now smile, whisper and try to stand out from the rest.

Some start to fix their hair, others adjust their shirts, many sigh and few cringe.

I don't understand what's going on.

I'm not interested either.

I just want to go home.

The steps become more present while I listen to how the girls on the side laugh, sigh and... gasp?

What the hell?

"Very skinny"a very thick voice speaks making all the hairs on my body stand on end.

That voice....

"Very small"is heard closer

I know that voice...

"Mmm, I don't like blondes"I recoil when I hear his voice even closer.

It just can't be. He is choosing them.

I must get out of here.

"Very small".

I turn around ready to leave and escape to how it is, I don't know what they are playing, but I don't want to stay to find out.

I have a lot of life ahead of me, I don't want to die young and virgin.

I'm ready to run to Karla and get out of here, but suddenly I feel like someone's presence is closing in on me.

I can feel how every hair on my body stands on end and how my ears begin to paint.

I close my eyes trying to stay calm.

This can not be happening.

This really can't be happening.

"Move away".

The surroundings feel heavy and I just pray to go unnoticed. That's all I ask, and even though I know it's in vain, I want to not be seen. Not today

you know you lie

How can I look up and in the distance I can see a static Karla. She's totally petrified in place, which is a bad sign coming from Karla. She doesn't see me, her gaze is fixed on the person behind me.

Even with my senses on the ground, I can and am aware that Karla's gaze radiates... fear? I respect? Devotion?

His gaze radiates a chaos that he is struggling to let out, but the one that stands out the most in his eyes is: DANGER!

His eyes land on mine and they tell me that...

"Turn around"I feel as if presence surrounds me and makes me small in my place.

I know that right now not to refuse, that would be almost like putting the noose around my neck, so slowly and with my heart in my mouth I turn around. When doing so, he did not take his gaze off the ground and I keep my eyes fixed on my shoes, but there I notice that right in front of them, there are large black leather shoes. The most expensive in all of Russia.

"Look at me" Orders said person and without preamble places his hand on my chin. When doing so, a current runs through my entire body and it forces me to close my eyes.

That touch...

I feel an internal battle to open my eyes, since I feel how the person details me with obvious care.

"Open your eyes" I don't know why, but this time I have the need to open my eyes, as if this person had influence on me and made me give in to all his orders.

I slowly open my eyes and everything in me contracts when his green eyes collide with mine. His gaze is so intense and overwhelming that I feel my legs and body faint.

Those eyes.

He raises the corner of his right lip giving me a lopsided smile.

"Perfect".