The Selection (Not as it seems)

The Unexpected Allis

"Don't try to move or scream." It was a girls voice. I kept struggling, trying to get out of her grasp, but then I felt a sharp pang in my arm, and I drifted to sleep.

I woke up with an achy shoulder and a headache. I sat up too fast, events from earlier swarming back into my head. Those were Northerners rebels. No doubt. They would have killed me by now if they were Southern rebels. Right?

"Morning sunshine." says a chirpy voice from the corner. I was in a dinky shack, one-roomed, with a shower curtain in one corner, little kitchen setup in another, a mattress where I stay sitting up, and a chair in the last corner corner accompanied by a desk where a blonde stood with blue eyes and sun-kissed skin only one shade lighter than Marlee's. I recognized her as the girl who curtsied to m in the woods.

"Where am I?" I tried to ask it with force, but failed. Her face changed to a confused, but amused expression.

"I thought your first question would be asking who I was." she said.

"I know your a rebel." I said. " That's all I need to know."

"Not just a rebel! I am Georgia (almost) Illea, one of the leaders of the Northern Rebellion." she said in a very dramatically proud voice.

"Wait, Illea? As in Gregory Illea?" That couldn't be. The Illeas died off, giving the throne to the Schreaves. Most everyone knew that.

"Almost Illea, and yes." she said extending her hand. On her ring finger was a plain silver band. An engagement ring. She extends her hand further for me to shake. I stare at it, unmoving. After a couple of seconds I say,"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, first you should know that I don't intend on hurting you. No northern rebel intends on hurting you. We already see you as our future queen. I want you completely trust me America. I want to be your friend. So ask any question, and I'll answer." she says with a smile.

I had to think for a moment. I had a bunch of questions, but on I was most curious about at the moment is: if they didn't wan to hurt me then...,"Why did you kidnap me?"

"Well it's kind of like an experiment. We think Maxon likes you the most, so if we kidnap you we want to see what h will do. Also all of the rebels are rooting for you to win."

Hah. "I wouldn't count on it right now." I mumble before I could stop myself. I quickly look down, feeling heat on my cheeks.

"Why?" she asked. I could tell it was out of pure curiosity. So I told her. I just told her all of the stuff about Celeste and Kriss and what had happened four days ago. She was surprisingly easy to talk to.

'Yeah I've been taking meals in my room since then." I said. "He probably doesn't even notice that I'm gone yet." I said. I believed that too.

"Oh he knows your gone," she said matter-of-factly, "We - the northern rebels- left a little note saying we kidnapped you."

"What do you mean 'a little note'?" I asked going half hysteric. Oh God what did she do?

"Heh, well by little note we kind of painted it in huge dark letters in the Dining Hall for the Selected and Royal family to see. Don't worry though, the king will be gone for a few months so he most likely won't hear about this."

"I...I don't even know how to respond..."

"We can see what their doing now." Georgia offered. I could tell she was trying to change the subject. But I was curious.

"How?" I asked.

"Well we hacked their cameras." She said it as if it was normal for anyone to ever hack the royal family's cameras.

"Fine." I gave in. "Show me."

"Aww someone's curious to see if their boyfriend noticed if they got kidnapped." she said jokingly in mock adoration. I threw one of the small straw pillows at her face, but she caught it laughing. I started laughing too. If you say it like that it sounds ridiculous.

"Ok come to the computer monitor." she said. I walk over to the corner with the chair and the desk. She typed in a few words and the dining hall popped up on-screen with the time in the corner. All Georgia said was "this is live footage." and I can only assume that means it's what happening right now.

In the dinning hall there are four figures at one table in a group. They look to be discussing something. Is it about me? There's one figure in a corner, pacing, and a sixth figure seems to be reviewing something on the wall. That's when I noticed the rebels' painted note left there, in bold, navy blue words:

"We, the rebels, have taken America, one of the Elite.

If you want her back soon then the first

step would be to 'follow the bright star

and trek the forest of flat green with no

trees, then right with a pen to the river

and wood will be your point.' Its a riddle.

You will need a map. Hurry if you want her back."

"You gave them a riddle?" I asked.

"Yeah, it basically means 'go north through the tall grass fields and then take a right until you get to the river, and around there is this shack-or the 'wood.' I know it seems complicated, but it's simple and their overthinking it." she said with a small shrug.

"Who are the people?" I asked. We couldn't see anyone's faces from the way the camera was angled.

"Easy. Your three maids and Marlee," she pointed to the four people huddled together with what I now recognize to be a map, "Prince Maxon is the one pacing, and the Queen is reviewing our riddle. "she finishes.

I felt comforted knowing they at least cared bout my whereabouts.

"What about the Elite?" I asked, now curious if the girls cared if I were gone. Why would they, it means less competition for them I guess.

"They are supposed to take meals in their room after the scene this morning. Speaking of, we had seen everybody's reaction this morning to seeing the note saying you were kidnapped, and out of all people, Celeste looked the most worried for you." She said with a smile on her face. There is no way that happened. Celeste? Worried about me?

I must have shown my shock because she then said, "I know!"

I stand up and walk over to sit on the mattress.

"Well there's a snack in the kitchen for you, but you should probably get some rest. You look like you got hit by a tornado!" she said with a laugh.

"Gee thanks." I say laughing. It just hit me how tired I was. I turn on my side, and think 'how weird that I was kidnapped and managed to make a friend out of it' and I fell asleep to the sound of Georgia hitting the keys on the keyboard.

Hey guys, weird-ish chapter, I know! Please comment what you think! Also Something bad and unexpectedly dramatic happens in the next chapter...can you guess what it is? Well I'm gong to keep this short and sweet so thanks for reading! I'm posting the next Chapter tomorrow and it will be very dramatic! I'm going to start using little flickers of different POVs but mainly America's. Love you all :)

Hugs and Love <3

Mer/Woofpaws