Nine Open Eyes

Obstacles

Fourteen-minute read

Allison's POV

Allison Grynn ran for her life, the colors whizzing past her eyes as she pounded her feet onto the dirt track. She had not made good time. More than half the cadets were a good feet ahead of her.

She quickened her pace enough to pass a long legged girl in a pink tank top. Then she ran on till she spotted the first hurdle. She jumped over it, her calf grazing the wood.

Allison landed safely and continued her running, feeling as though she might make it. She spotted the next hurdle, a bit higher one and jumped.

Her toe caught on it and she fell face first into the dirt, her head turned to the side. Just in time to see the pink tank top soar over the neighboring hurdle with ease.

Allison cursed and got to her feet.

That morning they'd been instructed to do a 1000m hurdle run, and she'd barely made halfway as she sat down now. The cadets a blur of moving legs and arms.

It had turned out that A5 was actually a training facility for beginner cadets where most of the students were her age or older.

It was a week after that night when Allison had been ushered into a room with one way glass a white table with two glasses of water. An interview room.

She'd sat down at the chair facing the mirror, her green eyes staring back at her. A man with close cropped hair and blue eyes like chips of ice had asked her the questions, his earpiece buzzing from time to time.

"Ms. Grynn, we've been informed that you've trespassed into Penillo and lived here for six years, is that correct?"

She'd gulped down her fear."Yes, officer"... Stick to the truth

"Who aided you in crossing the border?"

"A group of border penetrators"... Mostly true.

"Describe them."

"Four cloaked figures that wielded the four elemental powers"

The man's shock showed on his face.
"The Priestesses of Amithy?"

"Yes"

He scratched his chin.
"Why did you leave Rablen?"

"I had never had any of the Three Powers and later lost my wings to a fire"... Be honest, be honest.

"That does not answer my question"

"Therefore I was deemed an unfit citizen, my nationality was taken and I was deported from my own country" her heart aches unbearably.

"Because of the honour system surrounding wings?"

"Yes, the... Untried are usually exiled or banished to the Wasteland but I was too young, therefore they handed me over to a human foster family"

"The Grynns? They had fake identities?"

"Yes"... Don't lie

"I'm afraid we cannot allow you to live here, you will be sent back to Rablen"

"Rablen isn't my home, or my country"

"Perhaps the Wasteland then."

She flinched.