Superior

Chapter 2- The Auction

Speed sleep is strange. Instead of nightmares or quickly forgotten dreams, you are fed into a sort of filtered dreamland. I say filtered because inside the dreamland, everything is either toned down or tuned up. For me, it seems that my hearing and smell are toned down and my sight is magnified so far I can see each individual strand of hair as it blows out in front of me. Because I have next to no smell, it takes me a while to realize I am in a field full of flowers. And this realization only brings more confusion because, clearly, having been raised in land containing nothing but dirt, I have never seen a flower field before.

   I enjoy the scenery until, gradually, some noise is nursed into my ears. It sounds like nonsense at first, but then I realize it's a voice. A very familiar voice, in fact.

   Following the noise, I move forward in the flower field, and find that my legs are covered by the pants of my orange jumpsuit. This comes as no surprise, but as I follow the pant legs up to my chest, I see that the jumpsuit has become a neon orange straight jacket. My arms are tied up around my ribs, constricting me. 

   Then I hear the voice again, and I recognize it at the primary Reject. I look up to find her standing behind a wooden podium positioned in the middle of the flower field. And suddenly her words become strikingly clear.

   "As of last year, our holding house was cleared for Royal picks. The group of Rejects pulled will be transported to Royal country until the first day of fall. There they will serve for the Royals and sojourn in their residence." Then the lady pulls a name out of her jacket and announces, "Crystal Saudens."

   Instantly, there is a strangled cry. Then Crystal appears beside the primary Reject on a new stage. Only she's not touching the wooden ground. She's not moving, either. I squint my eyes against my rapidly diminishing eyesight, and try to figure out what's happening.

   That's when I see the noose tied around Crystal's neck.

   My heart stops cold. She's dead.

   The picker continues to read on. "Silk Stevens." Bang! Silk drops and her neck is instantly snapped by the rope. "Elaine Thorn." Crack! Elaine's empty body appears beside Silk and dangles hauntingly. The picker reaches to pull the next name, and my throat constricts. I know who's next.

   "Spruce Kaple." Snap! Her neck is severed and her body is left to hang. My Spruce, my little eleven year old Spruce is dead. I scream out until my throat is ripped to shreds by my voice. Then I can only manage to choke out random exhales of breath and suck deeply on the putrid air in an attempt to take it in. I jerk my arms in an attempt to loosen them, but before I can make any progress the picking lady calls out, "Kylee Gaud," and my skin runs shock cold.

   In less than a second there is a noose around my neck and a bucket balanced under my feet. I struggle to stay balanced on it as a crowd of guards circle around me. They move in quickly, leaving me little time to beg. I can only gag on my spit as one guard steps up onto the stage with me and stares through his multicolor shades.

   "Please!" I cry. "Please don't!"

   But the guard acts as if he didn't hear, and with one cruel leg, kicks the bucket out from under my feet.

   Snap!

   I jerk awake and smash my head against something metal.

   "Ouch!" I hiss. I struggle to open my eyes and clear my mind of the vision of death from my dream. After some of my sight returns, I'm able to see a blinking orange light in the corner of my bed cell. I ponder it as I run my hand over my head and brush back the bits of loose hair. Then, suddenly, there is a thump in the bed cell next to me. A groan escapes the thin metal walls and I know that someone else has woken up, which means the drugs are wearing off. We'll be landing soon.