Sang is chosen for the Culling, a series of fights to the death that are generally played by men. In fact, Sang is the first woman selected, well, ever. As the games start, and Sang forms bonds with a group of nine men, she comes to realize that the...
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Sang
I was in a dimly lit nursery, but from the soft lights in the room I could tell that the walls were painted a generic grey color throughout. In one of the cribs was a small child who appeared to be no older than four.
I thought she looked too old for a crib, but then it occurred to me that the cribs were not cribs, but rather tiny cages with mattresses. I couldn't get closer to see anything in detail though, I was currently stuck as a bystander in a corner of the room.
Horrifying sounds that resembled screaming and fighting were coming from another part of the house. The bedroom door opened slightly, an action that made the sounds of fighting louder for a moment, before the door closed once again.
The girl sat up at intrusion and clung to her stuffed doll. "Mama?"
Soft footsteps approached the girl, but it was too dark for me to see who it was that was coming.
I wanted to go save the unknown girl, she seemed to be scared, but I still couldn't move.
"No." A young boy appeared, he couldn't have been more than six or seven, crept to the side of the bed and peered through the bars. "You know that she is gone."
"Your mama." She relaxed as she spoke to the boy, as if she was familiar with his presence. Her previous fear gone.
"Yes. Mine is gone too." He solemnly nodded.
The girl shook her head at the boy. "She's not."
He ignored her statement and looked towards the door for a moment. There was a crash that echoed down the hallway. The two children fearfully jumped at the noise before the boy grimaced and reached his hand through the bars. "They are taking me away tonight."
"Don't leave me alone." The girl scrambled to the edge of the bars and held the boy's hand as she clung to it for everything she was worth.
