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 heard someone singing. It was a comforting song, and bittersweet too.
"... darling little girl everybody loves to see? ... is as sweet as can be."
The voice repeated the words, over and over, along with more words and verses that I couldn't place. I was outside, and I was so very sleepy.
It was late at night, and we were supposed to be quiet. But Mama sang to me anyway. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't scared.
Then the setting shifted, as it changed into another night and another time.
I was older now, but in a similar forested location. I was more awake in this memory, and more in tune to my surroundings.
It had felt like forever since I had last been outside, I was so excited. I knew that Sean and Owen would get into trouble if we were caught, but they didn't care. It made me worry, but they said to trust them.
Summer was coming, and they said they had something that they wanted to show me.
"Sang, come on, you have to see this!" Sean pulled my hand as Owen led us right to the edge of a forest.
After a bit, Owen had us stop. The three of us stood side by side, with me in the middle, for the longest time. Waiting. Watching.
I wondered why we were here, I looked out into the meadow in front of us as I hoped to find some kind of answer.
But there was nothing exciting to see. Sure, there were a bunch of flowers, which were pretty. I liked them. But I doubted that Sean and Owen would drag me out in the middle of the night to see those. Especially because Owen already gave me a flower every day anyway.
"What-" I started to ask, but Owen shushed me and pointed towards the center of the clearing.
For another second, nothing happened. Then, after what felt like forever, tiny lights began to flicker on and off throughout the area. It continued until it seemed like a billion lights floated above the grounds as they moved in random patterns.
