Truly Selected (Book One of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 24

A/N: I forgot to give some copyright creds in the last chapter, so I'm doing it now:). Creds to Jesse McCartney for the song Beautiful Soul. Also, creds to Kiera Cass. I used a few lines in the flashback. Without further ado, Chapter 24 :D. Enjoy

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Darkness was all I saw. For what felt like hours, I was trapped in a cold darkness. And then, a faint light appeared in the distance. I ran to it; more like sprinted.

Inside of the light, as I got closer, was a frail looking women. She wasn't very tall and she had short brown hair. When she saw me, she smiled.

"Hello Sapphire."

My eyes widened, but that wasn't what shocked me the most. Hearing myself respond was.

"Hello." I heard my voice say, but why did I respond? Sapphire was not my name.

"Sapphire, you must not know who I am. But I know you. My name is Song. Song Illéa." I was stunned into silence.

"That's not possible." I finally whispered back and Song laughed lightly.

"Anything is possible, my daughter."

It felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head.

"No no no. That's a mistake. I am not your daughter. In fact, you don't exist. You are only a figment of my imagination." I screamed and ran back towards the darkness.

"Sapphire, wait!" Song yelled but I didn't stop and turn around. Instead I ran faster until I hit icy cold.

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I sat up gasping as sweat dripped down my face. My back stung, like acid was penetrating my skin. I hissed as an attempt to silence my screams because I was in a large metal room that had about thirty sleeping girls in it. It wasn't really working.

I clamped my hand over my mouth to keep my voice muffled and I felt hot tears in my eyes. I blinked them away and saw Matthew standing over me, worriedly.

"Are you alright Sol?" Matthew whispered softly with great concern.

I nodded only after the pain stopped.

"I think so. What happened?" I croaked out.

Matthew sighed and sat down on my make-shift cot in front of me.

"It seems your skin got clipped in a lot of places from the zipper of your dress. You lost a lot of blood from the rips in your skin." Matthew whispered.

My eyes welled up as the memory of Harmony ramming the zipper into my back filled my head. I found myself in Matthew's arms moments later; after I flung myself there. He was stiff, but eventually wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace.

"Don't worry, we'll have a very long talk with your maids on this matter. We could replace them with..."

"No." I said and pulled away fast; but not leaving much room in between us. His face was only a few inches away from mine.

"But, I thought you would want that?"

"They're not the ones who are responsible for my back." I said and swung my legs to the side of the cot.

"Then who?" Matthew asked and I opened my mouth to answer. But suddenly, a guard came rushing down into the safe room and shouted out.

"The rebels are gone. It is safe to come out."

Lights were turned on and the other selected started to blink awake. I heard a sickly moan from across the safe room and looked to see Daniel was clutching his stomach and his eyes were shut tightly.