Trapped | The Trapped Trilogy Book 1

Four (Part 3)

Four (Part 3)

The room is silent as I stand up, and every eye is on me. I'm still in the one color that is against the rules to wear. That's right. I forgot about that...

My empty face pops up on the screen, and some people snicker or laugh, and my face gets hot. Ken glances for a second behind him, and then looks at me. For a moment, I think I see the start of the smile, but as soon as it was there it disappears.

He walks over to me, confidence in his step. His dark hair stands up in the front, and his brown eyes seem to look past me as he walks to the seat across from mine, like he doesn't care that he was just matched with me for life. He wears a dark blue suit, and holds the jacket in his hand. He turns his back to the chair after draping the jacket over it, and looks straight back at the hologram, his eyes not falling on me once.

Is it the dress? My hair? My face?

I realize I'm staring, and turn away, my heart rate picking up. What if it's my face? But it can't be. Is my makeup messed up?

Great. I sound like the girls did on the bus.

"You want to sit?" He says, his voice smooth over the music.

I look over to him, almost startled, only to find him looking back at me.

My heart skips a beat and I take a shaky breath.

"Sure," I say, looking away and sitting at the table.

I really hope my makeup isn't messed up. I never wear makeup... I hope I didn't ruin it.

I apologize to the Shifter in my head, just in case. I hope she understands. If she even gets the chance to see it...

Nervous clapping awkwardly spreads around the room and grows in volume as the hologram's voice continues on with the rest of the girls and boys.

The last boy sits, and on the screen there are the words IT IS DONE.

"Please stand," The female's voice from the hologram tells us. "The person standing next to you will be the one you will be with for the next twelve and one half years. You will be permitted to talk over your tablets from the safety of your Domes, and when you turn eighteen, you will be wed. Then, you will move into the Home Dome together, have your first child at twenty, and a possible second child at twenty-two. This cannot be undone."

The audience claps and the sound escalates with whistles and shouts. Some of the people are crying from happiness.

But I still don't see Nad.

I look at Ken, thinking about what a funny name Ken is, and how it doesn't really fit him. He doesn't look like a Ken. If that makes any sense at all.

"Everyone stand," A mans voice booms over the noise in the Dome.

The flashing hologram disappears, and in the center of the round wooden floor stands President Murkas, dressed up more fancily than usual.

My face starts to feel warm again, and suddenly I want to throw up, or disappear, or sit down, or just do something that will bring me away from the center of attention, that'll make sure he doesn't notice me.

Another part of me wants to walk right up to him and tell him that he can't control me, that I can do whatever the heck that I want and he can't stop me.

But I don't feel like being executed today.

He can easily see me from where I stand.

And that's a problem for me.

He spins around, taking a look at the new pairings, and his eyes linger on me for a moment before he speaks again.

"Every year," His eyes move on to talk to the crowd. "The President chooses one of the girls from the ceremony to dance with and give advice and reassuring to about the years to come. I have learned every name of every person in this room, and usually I choose the girl beforehand, but I simply just couldn't decide. So I'm going to bring up my assistant to help me pick the lucky girl." I see him turn a little bit, and look at Lease. She was not matched. Maybe she really is a Safety. But she can't be. "Lease."

She nods once and walks up to him, planting her feet in the center of the floor. She looks around defiantly, cockily, as if she's queen of the world and no one can bring her down.

She can't be a Safety. Safeties don't act like that.

He whispers to her, and she nods again, a smirk bending her red lips like a banana.

Maybe a Government Official.

"Eenralla Land," She announces, holding her hand out to me.

Whispers and claps echo off of the walls. The President stares me down with a smile that holds a thousand secrets, waiting for me to walk forward.

Or maybe to bend at his feet and beg for mercy.

Ken is motionless beside me, his face like a stone statue.

I look around once more for Nad, and take a deadly step forward. With every stride, my nervousness increases, and my self esteem lowers.

One step.

I take a breath.

Two steps.

His outstretches toward me.

Three.

I try to slow my heart.

Four.

I take his hand.

Five.

He's glaring into my soul.

The music begins to play.

"Interesting color," He says as he pulls me in to dance.

"So I've been told," I say coldly.

We start to move.

"Did you change your mind on your job?" He chuckles.

I glare at him. He's the reason why I couldn't be a hunter in the first place. If he wasn't in office, I would probably be what I wanted to be. If he never said a thing about my seeing the outside, I wouldn't be so afraid of what would happen if I got another strike.

Or maybe I'm just too angry to think clearly.

Maybe it wasn't his fault.

But in my mind, it is. It's all his fault.

"Careful, Eenralla," President Murkas chuckles, crows feet clawing at the edges of his eyes. "I could kill you for wearing that dress."