“Night,” I whispered, letting my body calm down, and eventually sleep overtook me.
CHAPTER 19
The next day I awoke exhausted as the other recruits unintentionally woke us. I’d never been a heavy sleeper. We showered and dressed in the bathroom before heading down to the cafeteria. I still hadn’t made any friends except for Joshua. Margo seemed less than pleased to talk with me, and the other girls kept to themselves.
Joshua was seated at the cafeteria table with only a glass of water in front of him. I walked over to the line where breakfast was usually served to find they hadn’t set out any food. My stomach grumbled in protest.
“Hey,” I frowned, seeing the tired expression on his face knowing I was partly to blame. “Where’s breakfast?”
“Morning,” Joshua yawned, rubbing at his eyes. We hadn’t said much to each other when we’d had our wakeup call. The girls had been ushered to the girls’ showers and the boys to the opposite hallway towards their bathrooms. “I don’t know. No one’s saying anything. I wonder if there’s a food shortage,” he muttered.
I looked back at the door as other recruits came into the cafeteria, noting they had nothing to eat, either.
Hazel grumbled as she grabbed a glass of water. “Is this all we get? I’m hungry.” She plopped down at the long table, crossing her arms on the table before she leaned forward to rest her forehead against them, eyes closed. Her short, honey-brown hair fell over her face as she pretended to go back to sleep. “I woke up for this,” she mumbled into the table.
Why hadn’t they provided any food for the recruits? We’d nearly starved to death on our journey here. I didn’t plan on standing by while they denied us food. I dropped my voice so only Joshua could hear me. “Tonight, by nightfall,” my eyes darted around being careful the other recruits weren’t paying attention to us, “If they haven’t fed us, you and I will leave.”
Joshua nodded once. “Agreed. We’ve been down this road once before,” he reminded me. “At least on our own, we can fish.”
“And gather berries,” I tried to be optimistic. I didn’t want to remember what had happened by the stream. In all the days we’d been in the Gravelands, we’d only encountered one outlaw. Maybe we’d be okay – we’d be together. Though, we didn’t have matches or even a vehicle, we’d find a way to survive. I just hoped it wouldn’t come down to that. “I suppose it’s going to be another long day,” I mused, nudging him beside me.
Joshua smiled at me. “Yes, it probably will be.” He laughed, subtly checking out the other recruits.
“I’m still curious what the Chancellor was doing out last night.” I couldn’t fathom who he would have allowed in and out of town.
“Couldn’t say.” He shook his head. “No sense in really thinking about it. It’s not like we can ask him.” It was a valid point. Asking would be admitting that we snuck out. Neither of us knew the consequences for our actions. I certainly didn’t want to find out.
I paused as I heard the Chancellor’s voice interrupt us as he made an announcement over the intercom. “In twenty minutes, all recruits will meet at the front entrance.” Neither of us ever knew what was going on.
“Are we taking any bets?” I joked. Every day here was a mystery.
Elsa sat down across from me. She shook her head in dismay. “If they plan on starving us, I won’t be up for much of a fight.”
I glanced from Elsa to Joshua, thinking it over. “Maybe it’s a training tactic?” I suggested. “If we were captured by the enemy and they withheld food, how would we react?”
Jaxon climbed into the seat beside Elsa. “There’d be a riot,” he noted. “They can’t expect us to train on an empty stomach,” he replied, turning to Margo. “Any idea why there’s no food this morning?”
Margo raised an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me? I didn’t eat it all.” She rolled her eyes, sitting across from Jaxon. “Maybe the cook got fired?” Margo commented. “One meal won’t kill us.” She seemed annoyed by it, but not concerned.
I nodded in agreement. “Margo’s right. As long as they feed us later today, it’s probably not a concern.” I didn’t want to worry about something that may not be trivial.
Jaxon remarked, “And what happens if they only bring enough food for half of the recruits?” He gave me a serious look.
I hadn’t considered it. A test to see who could withstand nourishment the longest or who could win the prize of food if there wasn’t enough for all the recruits. Either option seemed unpleasant. I doubted they’d be that cruel, but after the way Haven had treated me, it was any wonder what some men were capable of.
Joshua and I stood beside one another as other recruits began lining up by the front entrance. “Any idea where we’re going?” Jaxon asked us both. I shook my head no, glancing around not seeing our instructor, Maya. Did she have the day off? Were we done with our archery lessons for good?
Before Joshua had time to speak, Chancellor Collins opened the grand double doors and counted us to make sure everyone was present. “Good, glad you’re here.” He clapped his hands together excitedly. “The real fun is about to begin. All of you are going to ride with me to the science center.”
No one objected. A few others in the back behind us were mumbling something, obviously curious and confused. I couldn’t hear much but a few words of, “We’re not kids” and “Are they really going to show us a museum as a training exercise?” I ignored them, pressing forward as I climbed into the van that awaited us. The walk wouldn’t have been that far, and I wondered why they didn’t trust us to be on our feet. No one questioned the Chancellor, and I wasn’t about to cause trouble. I’d done enough of that in bringing us here.
Once the last of the kids had packed into the van, the Chancellor got behind the wheel. He glanced at us in the rearview mirror as he drove along the dirt road toward the town and through a few streets, stopping outside the same building Joshua and I had seen him sneaking into the previous night. He parked the car, but didn’t let anyone out yet. “Now, I know the next part of training will be frightening for some of you. I can personally assure you it is completely safe. By participating we can see your true potential.” He let the words hang in the air before he stood, opening the doors and gesturing for everyone to follow him.
Already I hated him. He struck me as cold, a man without a heart. His words frightened me, though I did little to let it show. Reluctantly, I followed the recruits, joining them as they poured out of the van and inside the four story building.
Immediately upon stepping inside, my stomach somersaulted. It smelled of antiseptic. The walls were pale gray, and as I walked further in, I shivered from the cool temperature. The group walked up the stairs, and I tried to stay in the back with Joshua, but felt Jaxon and Margo blocking me from turning around or even slowing down. Where else would I go? Everyone filtered out onto the second floor. Another long, white sterile hallway with multiple closed doors aligned the stretch of the building. The smell was repugnant.
Chancellor Collins spoke up, “As much as it would please me to give you the choice of what you’re about to embark, the choice was made when you agreed to the tests and in coming here. Again, I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. The procedure is completely harmless.”
Something about his tone and his voice made me think otherwise. I reached for Joshua’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. I felt as though now was the time to run, to escape, to try and find a new home. The same fleeting look of fear crossed Joshua’s face as it did my own. He agreed.
We barely had time to react as Chancellor Collins stepped over and between Joshua and me, our hands breaking apart. “Jacqueline, I’ve been told you’ve made the most progress. You’ll be going first today.”