Dread

Chapter 2

Valiance is one of the 4 coteries in our world. Valiance is for the brave and selfless, Visionary is for the creative and the inventive, Astute is for the intelligent and gifted, and Idle is for the indolent and redundant. Before you reach the age of 17, you may choose if you want to take the Aptitude test to see what coterie you fit best in. If you take it, then you are separated by the rest of the world, including your family, and put into this huge building with everyone else who took it as well. There, you are separated yet again into small groups that consist of all who got similar answers as you.

I look across the room and spot Brynlee sitting on her bed picking at a loose string on her bed sheets. I walk over to her and sit near her. "Hey," I say. She looks up, her eyes ringed with red and swollen.

"Hi," she smiles, then looks back down. "I'm not up for talking." I put my hand on her shoulder and give her a little shake.

"What? Brynlee not wanting to talk?" I say. I feel her shoulders shake under my hand and I know she's laughing. But then, after a few seconds, her shaking grows stronger and stronger. "Brynlee?" I ask. I tilt her head back and look at her contorted face. Foam comes out of her mouth and a trickle of blood appears in her nostril. I shout franticly for help, but the few girls in the room just glance at me and Brynlee, then look away. "Go get help, please!" I plead.

Suddenly, just as Brynlee's body falls onto the ground in an unhuman way, the door flies open and I see Dane with Konrad to his right and Kirk to his left come in. They see Brynlee's body and Kirk curses under his breath.

"Konrad, get her and take her to the White room. Dane, go get Jake and clean this shit up." Kirk demands. I look at Konrad while he picks up Brynlee's twisted body and leads her out. I hear her start to scream when he gets out the doorway.

All the girls that were in here previously were gone, so that left me and Kirk in here alone. At first, I think he doesn't notice me, but then we lock eyes and the blood drains from my face. "What did you do?" he shouts at me.

The next thing I know, I'm up against the wall and Kirk's forearm is across my neck while his other is pinning my body against the wall. "Tell me what you did!"

I wiggle under his firm grip, but I can't get out. "Nothing. I swear!" I cry. "She was my friend!" Kirk spits at my shoes, then brings his face too close to mine. His breath reeks of decay.

"I can't believe you, bitch." He growls, then releases me. I wrap my arms around my body as his back faces me. "I just can't fu-!"

"Kirk, calm down. Doc said she'll be fine." Konrad says as he makes his way into the room. There's blood on his shirt and arms. Brynlee's blood.

Kirk faces Konrad with a scowl. Before he can speak, though, Konrad says, "It wasn't her fault. It was the injection."

"What injection?" I ask.

"Nothing." Kirk snarls. "I'm going to go see it. And Konrad," he begins as he stands in front of him, "Don't you ever disrupt me you piece of shit." Then with that, he stomps off.

I look at Konrad's angry expression and admire the way his green eyes turn a dark emerald color judging the time of day, his attitude, and the lighting. He turns and faces me, his anger sizzling away.

"She's dead," he says, and walks numbly over to where I am. "She's actually dead."

"Were you friends?" I ask, but he shakes his head. I want to ask why it's affecting him, but I don't want to be rude. Instead, I say, "She was mine."

He looks at me and I look at him, but I don't see Konrad. I see a young boy with concrete walls surrounding his secrets, his emotions. "Tell me, Konrad." I demand. He shakes his head and looks away.