Die Trying

Man Moon

    I forgot to ask them what I should wear to the selection. So I picked a dark blue dress that went down to my knees, a necklace made of a sapphire shaped to look like a heart, and a pair of light blue heels made of crystal that was surprisingly comfy to walk in.

As I was walking back to my room I saw Caline. She was sneaking through the halls with a small bag behind her. I walked up to her and she jumped.

"Thank God it is only you," she whispered loudly.

"What are you doing with that bag?" I asked.

She pulled me into my room and locked the door. " I am going to go out of the border. I am going to make a run for it and leave this place."

I gasped. " Why would you do that. Don't you like it here?"

She looked at me with sad eyes. "Malean I have been here for eight years. Haven't you once thought of how life could be if we weren't controlled by men? To be free and to choose your love, not be bought like jewelry?"

" No... Will you still be here for my selection?"

She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. " I have to, don't I? People will get suspicious if I am not there to help my handsome husband's little sister. Whatever you do, don't let anyone know that you knew that I was about to sneak out."

"Where will you go?" Pleading filled my voice.

"There is a rumor that if you find a lake, follow it upstream. Don't go downstream that is where we get our water supply. Good luck I hope that you get a man worth staying for." Then she left my room.

Was my brother not worth staying for? Who would I be stuck with? What would it be like to leave? Would they catch me and would I get the punishment? Calm down, breath, it will be okay. I turned to look out my window so I could see the moon, but instead of the moon, I see a man's face watching me without blinking or any sign of leaving. I don't know what to do. What do you do when a man whom you have never seen in your life is looking at you through your bedroom window? I did what I thought best at the moment. I took little steps towards the door backward. Never letting my eyes off the man. Once I was at the door I quickly opened the door and ran out of the room backward then down the hall. I was so scared. My brothers never told me what to do if that happened. So I ran to their room shaking from the fright I just had.

When I knocked on their door they looked at me then gently grabbed my arm, sat me on one of their beds, and asked me what had happened.

"I was just talking to Caline about the selection in my room. She helped calm my nerves, and like usual I looked out my window because the scenery of the outdoors always calms me down, but then a man is standing outside my window looking at me not even making a move to leave." I was so scared I just started freaking out.

" I know that you don't want to but you have to tell us everything. What he looked like and what you did."

I had to think because when I saw him, I was more concerned on worrying that he had a gun or other weapon with him. " He had brown hair, a pointy nose, and pitch black eyes. I walked backward slowly towards the door not looking away from him until I was out of my room and in the hall. You never told me what to do if that ever happened!"

They looked at each other.

"I think I know what happened. It is illegal but some people do it anyway," Mic said.

"What is?" At that point, I was so confused.

"I did this last year with Shelly. Some of us guys wanted a quick preview of the girls at the selection and so we went to Shelly's house. Most dads do this, and so do some of the guys. I will not deny it, I am embarrassed about this now, but that's why I picked her. I knew a little more about her than the other guys there did."

I just stared at him. Of course, I knew that he was the troublemaker of the family, but to break the law! "I don't want to go back to my room for the rest of the week and I will not. I will sleep in the hallway."

They sighed. " You know father will never allow it. We will take turns guarding your room so no person will be able to look in."

It was quiet for a minute as my brothers looked at each other, having an eye conversation, one of the few that I can never understand because all three of them are doing it and I never know who will "talk" next. I sighed and they all looked at me. I looked at my brothers, concern, and anger written in the lines on their faces. I started to remember the trip to the Lakes house when I was six years old. I wasn't supposed to go but they sneaked me there and I was hanging out in their guest room when the Lakes son Hangl Lakes found out that I was there. He almost got me in big trouble. I would have been peeling potatoes for weeks if my brothers didn't walk in at that moment. When he started to say some words that I had never heard but by the tone and my brothers' reactions after a major insult. They tied him to a chair and forced him to swear to King William that he would not tell on me. I just couldn't have them do something like that to someone now, it could ruin me at the selection.

"I will not have you do this. You have more important things to do. I will sleep in my room. Could you put in extra thick curtains?"

"Mic and John can do that, but I am going to stay with you. You do know that people could be drunk when they come over and break the law."

"Jakub isn't going to do this alone. We will all be with you." John nodded at Mic.

"I am not going to sugar coat it right now. I am saying no, you can't guard me like I am Prince Harry."

They just looked at me and smiled.

"We are the guys and you are the girl. We are in charge and will do as we please."