No Escape

Chapter 1

Rose's POV

Grandmother brushes my hair very gently, so not a single strand gets pulled. She's not my biological grandmother, but everyone in the foster home calls her so.

"We don't want anything to be out of order for tomorrow.", she whispered in my ear. 

I hadn't responded; only looked down at the dresser we were sitting at. Even looking at my reflection was too much for me to take in right now.

Tomorrow.

It will no doubt be the most terrifying day in my entire life. 

Once a year, every child who is 18 years old must go a gathering that the government holds for us. Although calling it a gathering is only to mask the emotions of what truly occurs.

Each child who is 18 years of age is assigned a mate. On the day of a gathering, they meet in a room and are told to engage in intercourse in hopes of getting the girl pregnant. 

And the only reason that I'm using the words girls and child is because I believe everyone is still young at 18. 

Once the girl is pregnant, her mate must take care of her until birth. The couple then raises the child until the age of 5 and then begin intercourse again until a second child comes into the world. 

This only happens until two children are born.

Once a child is 5 years old, they are sent to a foster home to be taken care of and the parents are expected to use their talents to give to society. Whether it be research or inventions. But they must be remarkable. 

Birth control is issued to keep the number of children each couple has in line. 

However, your mate is not only your lover. They are also your confidante. Your friend. Your partner for life. 

Or at least that's what they tell you. There have been stories of abuse where the mates have been reprimanded, however the victim is not allowed to have another. 

The mates are chosen with meticulous detail so the child will gain as many talents as possible. 

But what if you don't have a talent? What if you're infertile or sterile? 

Well, then you will be assigned to be a nurse and janitor of society if you are unable to have children. That's if you're lucky.

If you don't have a talent, you enter a version of hell itself. The government will perform experiments on you in order to gain more knowledge. 

A shudder escapes through me and grandmother pats my hand,"Don't be nervous dear. You'll be fine. And you have excellent child birthing hips. It's a gift bestowed upon you from your own mother."

My mother. 

She never once came to visit me. They have visiting hours in the foster home once every month. And every month until my 18th birthday, I waited. 

She never came.

My father on the other hand, was killed when his invention exploded. 

"I don't want this...", I whisper into my hands.

Grandmother sighs,"Sweetheart, everyone goes through this. Just think of what your child will be like. I bet your mate will be handsome."

"I don't care.", my lip trembles,"I do not want to copulate with someone I don't know. And I certainly don't want a child at the age of 18."

"Listen Rose.", she spins me around and for a second I think grandmother is going to slap me, but her features relax,"One day you will be happy. But you have to fight for it."

With that, she leaves the room.

One day I will be happy. 

I hope that one day comes before I'm forced to have a child.