Warcry Academy

One

Clematis's POV.

"Ginger!" I yell, squeezing my ginger cat. I dash upstairs with my hands full of frizzy, orange fur and slide underneath my crooked bed; it creaked slightly as I slid under.

My heartbeat abruptly sped up to a pound that seemed to be thumping, almost like it was leaping out of my chest in fright. The doorbell rang faintly and I heard a loud knock on the door. They were here; my eyes shut suddenly and I felt tears gushing out of my eyes in fright. I covered myself in my thick, unbrushed, golden hair and tried to back up to the edge of the wall at the corner of the bed. I was petrified as I could hear the rusty handle of my front door click, and the door opened as one man stepped inside. I could hear him exchanging whispers with another man who was shifting around on the door step of the house.

"Search the house," grumbled the man on the door step. I heard an obvious shifting noise and then I froze as I heard someone saunter up the shiny, wooden stairs. I squeaked a voice smaller than a mouse's voice in fright as my bedroom door ponderously shuffled open.

Through the corner of my eye, I could spot a man. His posture was broad and muscular, and he was dressed in clean white. He was wearing some sort of army suit, and it was easily visible that it has been polished today. I was motionless, petrified so much that I wished to die — Please, please, oh please don't let me get picked! I thought, pleading in my mind.

"Where are you?" the man spoke, walking around the room as he checked the wardrobe. Abruptly, and not wanted at all, Ginger dashed out of my hands and down the stairs, forcing the man to turn around hastily. I held my breath, frightened that he was definitely going to find me now.

And then, I found myself in his arms, being carried down the stairs to the man that I thought was at the doorstep of my house, screaming for help.

•••

I was chucked into a dark room. Dimmed lights dangled unstable from the cobblestone ceiling, from which drips of mineral water pattered slowly one by one to the wooden floor. A few other children, some older and younger than others were here too.

"Wear this," commanded the man, throwing me a uniform. I changed as he said he would, scared that if I didn't, I would be dead. The uniform was checkered with light blue and white squares, with a skirt that was blank as well - I kept the same shoes I had on before, patented black.

I sat down next to another kid. "Hi," he said shyly. Everyone else looked at him, including me. I looked away from his face. He was thin, skinny, and smaller than me. He looked so innocent, I didn't want him to get picked.

After some moments of waiting, the lights switched on fully, making the room shine brightly. A couple of men, wearing the same army suit, entered the room.

"Form a single file line, it's time to go," they ordered simultaneously. We all did as they told us to. I imagined we were all feared the same thing — death.

•••

After walking through endless corridors expressionlessly, we came to a final stop.

I observed the towering arena, and countless thirteen year old children waited impatiently in neat lines. We added to those at the front, until everyone looked like clones. The skies were dark, and the children looked sad.

A man in a black tuxedo stood at the front, and started talking in a very bored voice, while everyone stared at him: "Welcome to the Warcry Pickings. Two people from each opposite gender will be picked at random to attend Warcry Academy," he stopped and looked at the piece of paper in his hand before continuing, "blah blah blah, whatever, whatever, blah blah, whatever... Let's just get on with it, shall we?"

I swear that time stopped for a moment, and so did my heart. I felt as if my consciousness would slip now. My heart started beating again, faster than possible, racing around, as if it was getting ready to literally jump out of my chest. I felt like throwing up, I felt like fainting, I felt like crying, I felt like rushing to a hospital. I didn't want to be a part of this at all.

The man's shaking hand lifted up two pieces of paper. And he spoke.

"Chive Spirikust and Clematis Missful."

I'd been chosen.