Allamenea

THE BLOOD SAMPLE

 After what seems like ages, I calm down and look at Nilla.  She is lying on her bed, her gorgeous golden hair spread around herself.  Her eyes are closed, and I can see a silent tear on her cheek.  I suddenly feel bad for how I acted.  Nilla is going through stuff, too.  She also has a chance of losing her family forever.  I slowly stand up and walk over.

 “Hi, Nilla,” I say.

 Her eyes snap open and stare at me.

 “We are going through this together, you know,” she sniffs.

 “I know.  I feel very bad about the way I acted.  Can you forgive me?”

 Nilla’s eyes widen.

 “Of course I can.  You are the only friend I have at the moment.”

 I felt pleased that she considered me her friend, although still ashamed.

 “In that case, can we stay together from now on throughout this?”

 Nilla smiles a watery smile.

 “Together,” she promises.

 I grin.  She grins back.  After laying down on my bed, I realize that I have had a very long day.  My eyes droop.  But my clear mind makes me think about how, no matter how bad my situation gets, I still feel as though I was meant to have this life.  I can’t think about it for long, though; my conscious mind starts to drift….

 I dream again, but I am not in Anna Maria.  I am in a small hut-like home.  I am wearing a cloak, sitting on a dirt blob.  Mom walks in, and she is wearing a cloak too.  I gasp.

 “Why are we here?”

 “What do you mean young one? We are home,” Mom says.

 That is when I realize she is not in a wheelchair.  She has perfect working legs.  

 “I am very glad the Choosing went well for you, dear,” she continues. “But I cannot help but think that it messed with your mentality.”

 Mom walks over and begins to comb through my hair gently.  Dad walks in wearing some sort of leather pants and shirt.

 “Is everything all right?” He asks, stopping to kiss my head.

 This breaks me out of my sleep.  My eyes snap open.  I am back in my bed.  Nilla is staring at me.

 “They slipped in some food,” she says. “Want some?”

 I quickly get up.  I am starving, so I quickly tear into some foul tasting fruit-like substance.  The food is awful, but I keep eating until I am full anyway.  Nilla eyes me carefully.

 “I thought you should know that they will be back for the killiest samples soon,” she whispers.

 I swallow a bite of food and stand up.  I did not understand at first, until it hits me; killiest means blood.  They would be taking the blood samples today.

 “Oh,” I breathe. “That’s…good.  At least it’ll be over with.”

 Nilla nods absentmindedly, as if she does not believe a word I am saying.

 “I’m…glad you feel that way,” she says.

 Her lip trembles.

 “Oh, Nilla…it will be fine.  I promise,” I say.

 She smiles.

 After a little bit, Nilla and I sit back down on our beds.  We are still there when something creaks.  We jump up immediately as the boulder slides aside.  Max strides in with a woman who is carrying some sort of hollow tree part.  Or maybe it is aralm.