sᴄʏʟʟᴀ (ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ)

CHAPTER ONE

"Get the hell out of my trunk!" The loud, shrill voice of my roommate broke me out of my pleasant dreams. Whoever she was screaming at seemed to have gone quiet and yet, I could've cared less. I just wanted to sleep while I could.

Turning over in my thin, metal bed, I glanced over at the old black rimmed analog clock that hung on the pale gray wall that was opposite to my bed. My pale blue eyes half closed as I read the time written on the aging timepiece.

"4:50," I muttered under my breath when I realized I would be getting up in another ten minutes anyways. A sigh escaped my lips as I flipped my thin white comforter off of my body. Swinging my legs over the sides of my bed, I pushed myself up off the bed and then walked over to my old, wooden clothing trunk.

I grabbed a bundle of clothes that made up my uniform and then pulled out my toiletries before. Turning to head towards the showers so I could get ready for the day, I passed by Krissa who was sitting on her own metal bed, fuming with anger. Her trunk was left open and clothing was strewn across the sides and the floors

Krissa's eyes shot up when she heard me approach, her bright green ones locked onto my pale blue ones and a scowl sprouted on her face. She tore her gaze away from me and turned her head up. In response, I shook my head, my dark chocolate brown colored hair falling out of its messy bun as I did so.

Deciding to carry on, I turned away from my roommate and headed out of our room. My bare feet padded along the cold, tile floors as I moved through the plain gray colored hallways towards the shower rooms.

I passed by many other young girls who were in my year. They all took quick glances in my direction as I walked by. No one seemed to be in the mood to smile, let along to stop and chat. Yet, I kept a smile on my face as I walked.

After walking for another few minutes, I saw the sign for the showers come into view. I sped up my pace so I could be ready for the morning inspection that would happen soon enough.

In my haste, I bumped into a young girl coming out of the showers and I immediately turned around to face her. I was met by the sight of my best friend's rich amber colored hair.

"I'm so sorry Calypso!" I said to her. A frown was written across my face and worry laced my voice. Calypso looked up to meet my gaze and let a small smile cross her face.

"It's fine Cassia," she told me in a quiet tone of voice with her small smile still on her face. She then seemed to remember something and turned to hurry away. "You better hurry up!" She called back over her shoulder as she rushed down the halls back towards her room.

I then hurried into the shower rooms and sat my clothes down my clothes on a table outside of a stall. Stepping into the shower stall, I turned the metal knob to get the water to come out. As I washed my thoughts drifted towards the matter of The Choosing which was coming up soon.

"I wonder who'll be chosen this year," I thought as I finished with my shower and quickly dried myself off with a scratchy white towel. After placing the towel in the dirty laundry bin, I picked up my plain uniform and slipped it on.

I made sure that the tie was tied correctly and fixed my hair into a ponytail before leaving the showers with my stuff and headed back down the now, empty gray halls to my rooms.

I reached my room relatively quickly, it seemed like it was quicker than on my way to the showers. When I entered, Krissa had disappeared and a frown crossed my face. The frown deepened when I saw the mess that was left behind. I realized then that she must have been taken for a correction.

"Why Krissa," I muttered as I moved over to my side of our room and placed my stuff away in the trunk before tidying up my bed. With a glance back at Krissa's area, I shook my head and then moved on towards the inspection hall. "That girl really needs to stay out of trouble."

This time as I walled down the halls, my Mary Jane's clicked on the tiles. I weaved my way through the hallways and as I got closer to the inspection hall, the more crowded it became.

All of the girls in my year were crowded into the large hall that was used for the inspections. I stood next to the girls from the room next to mine and waited for the inspectors to start the inspection. I looked next to me and didn't see Krissa though.

"Still in correction I see," I thought to myself as I stood still and silent in line. The only movements I made was the faint rising and falling of my chest as well as the fluttering of my eyelids.

Suddenly, the inspector came into view and the inspection began. He walked up and down the rows in a slow procession. Stopping in front of every girl who stood in line, using a keen eye to search her for anything that the crown deems wrong.

His words sharp as he ordered each of us to step out of line for him and preform a task of some sort. He demanded obedience - so did the crown.

Us girls complied as quickly as we could, hoping to escape a correction. Well most of us did so anyways. There were some girls who still defied him - disobeyed him - and the crown.

Those who defied the crown were given corrections and those who continued to defy them, are killed. Many of us citizens of Scylla - well at least us girls anyways - have always tried our best to follow the crown's laws.

We had always hoped to not get that many corrections - if any at all. And yet, some got singled out despite their good behavior. Those ones always have made me sad - and worried.

"Cassian Belle,"

My thoughts were interrupted by the inspector calling out my name. His voice gruff and sharp as he spoke. I blinked my eyes up at him in surprise before realization dawned on me that he was speaking to me.

"Oh, yes sir?" I asked as I stepped out of line to stand directly in front of him. He glared down at me with cold eyes before shaking his head. The inspector looked me over before giving a slight nod with a frown on his face.

"Shame," he muttered to himself with a shake of his head then announced to me in a louder tome of voice. "You're cleared." And then moved on to the next girl in line.

When the last girl was cleared the inspector went back up to the front of the hall and looked over everyone one last time and then said two final words to all or us gathered in the halls.

"All cleared."