6: Scores

PHOENIX

The next morning, I wake up with a feeling of crippling anxiety. The breakup with Jake and Lila’s betrayal feels like nothing, the only thing that is running through my mind is what the scores would be, what the future has in store for me.

My only hope right now is for my score to reach even if it’s six. That is the pass mark which would help me not end up being a breeder. I’ve never wanted to go to the palace so my prayer is to get at least six, so I can be taken by hopefully a nice man. It wouldn’t be easy and it almost seems like wishful thinking but it is my only hope and I don’t want to lose it.

Jenny and I dressed in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts, knowing in just a few minutes, our lives are going to change, it would either be a good change or a bad one. One thing is certain, and that is there is nothing we can do about it.

We all gather in the square like yesterday. The entire hall is quiet as a graveyard, everyone standing with bated breaths, waiting for the results.

Lady Melissa walks into the hall, a piece of paper folded in her hands. There is that permanent frown etched on her face. I hear a few sharp intakes of breaths. I don’t move, I don’t even breathe as she stands on the tall podium so she is able to look at every part of the hall.

Jenny grabs my hand and holds it in a death grip, I don’t tell her what she is doing is stopping my blood flow, but I need something to keep me rooted to reality, and if it’s pain then so be it. She shudders beside me and I reach out, placing my hand on hers and giving it a small squeeze hoping it would offer her a little bit of comfort.

A throat is cleared from the top of the podium, every girl in the place looks up in time to see Lady Melissa open up the piece of paper.

“Good morning ladies, the day we’ve been waiting for is finally here,” her voice has a little more life to it than usual. The best word to describe the smile on her face is cruel. She is happy about this. Happy to be ruining the lives of about a thousand girls.

She makes me sick.

“I have all your scores right here with me. You have been assessed by the best of the bests, and this right here is your truth” I want to scoff at that, though I catch myself just in time. She looks around the hall and smiles again, baring her teeth. “Let’s begin.”

I’m a little surprised when I see guards appearing by every exit in the large hall, they all have identical frowns on their face, the same way they have the same uniforms on, and every one of them has a weapon.

My heart beats frantically in my chest as she keeps talking.  

“Your names will be called along with your pack and scores. Those with scores from six and above, move to this side of the room.” She points to her left. All our heads turn in that direction. It is then I notice how we’re all standing in the middle of the room, there is a vast space on both the right and left. “And those with scores less than six should move to this side of the room.” She points to her left.

I inhale slowly, feeling my chest tighten with anticipation. There are no murmurs of agreement of protest. We’re all quiet, waiting for her to say the names. It feels like forever because the first name comes.

“Andrea Whiteman of Greenland pack, 7 points.” The hall is quiet for a moment before a small squeal rings around the place and she moves to the right side of the hall. There’s a relieved expression on her face and it makes me wish to be her. The gravity of what is about to happen fully settles in me until now. “Gracie Young of Crest pack, 5 points.”

The girl's loud sob breaks out in the room and my heart sinks even further, the fear and anxiety I was feeling comes back. Jenny’s hold on me tightens, I’m holding her equally tight.

Lady Melissa goes on calling the names, and with each name she calls, my blood pressure goes up a little higher. I feel relief and fear whenever she calls a name and it is not me. Part of me wants to get this over with, but there is the other part of me that is living in sweet oblivion.

I can hear the fast and unsteady beat of Jenny’s heart, it matches mine.

“Jenny Green of Nightlight pack, 5.9 points.” Jenny freezes in my arms, I look down at her, my eyes wide with fear. She shakes her head, tears already running down her face and staining her cheeks.

The whole place goes silent, or is it only me?

I hold her tighter, scared she would disappear if I hold her any less firm. The words she is chanting is what is being repeated in my head, each time getting louder.

Or I think that’s actually her voice. I blink, only then realizing I have tears in my tears too.

“NO! NO! NO!” she cries. Her body is ripped from mine forcefully and I yelp, falling back on my butt.

“Please don’t hurt her!” I yell at the guards without thinking, jumping to my feet.

There are two buff guards trying to pick her up but she is fighting. I don’t know where I get the strength to move but I jump over her body just when I see one of them bring out a long thick looking cane.

I bite my bottom lip when the first strike lands on my back. My eyes sting with painful tears but I hold them back too. Jenny is sobbing from under me and that just makes me hold her tighter, protecting her body as much as I can with mine.

“Stop, please stop.” I cry out, still trying to cover Jenny.

“Dumb bitch,” I hear someone say but I don’t look up to check who it is.

The hall has gone back to being silent, only the sound of the cane connecting with my body is heard over Lady Melissa’s voice calling out the rest of the names.

I try to think of anything to distract myself from the pain. Another strike lands on my leg and I hear a loud crack, followed by brain numbing pain. I whimper this time, the sound coming out choked.

“Oh, stop this.” The wicked voice of Lady Melissa says from above me. I open my eyes but I don’t look up at her. She sounds bored and annoyed when she speaks. “Why are you just standing there?” I don’t know who she is speaking to, but no one replies.

“Pick them up,” Lady Melissa commands and I feel rough hands circle around my arms.

“No,” I cry out, still trying to hold Jenny but the man is much stronger than me and he successfully pulls me off her. I refuse to let him make me stand, though that has to do more with the pain I’m feeling in my leg than anything else.

“You’re Phoenix Alaric, right?” Lady Melissa spits with so much bitterness in her voice. I try to think of anything that I might have done to her to make her hate me so much. I have never even met her before I entered that bus.

“Answer me!” she barks.

“Yes,” my reply is a choked whisper, she sneers and she turns, I almost sigh in relief but it gets swallowed down by a loud shriek when I feel a brutal kick to my leg. The same leg I’m unable to stand straight on.

Lady Melissa hisses then starts walking back to the podium. I’m a shaking crying mess by the time she gets there, I don’t look at her, dragging myself back to where Jenny is lying, almost unconscious. I place my hand over her shoulder and pull her to me.

She is the closest person I have to a true friend and I’ve only known her for a day.

“Phoenix Alaric of Crescentmoon pack, 4.2 points.” I don’t feel anything except disappointment. I just hold Jenny tighter, comforting her as much as myself with just that body contact.

My head swirls and I have to close my eyes to stop from falling. I feel so dizzy, the pain in my leg is only getting worse with the second.

I’m lost from what is happening around me, what I didn’t miss is the loud cry from a voice I’m very familiar with. Lila is sobbing hard which makes me believe her name must have been called, I don’t even have it in me to feel joy or anything at her obviously not getting what she wants.

“Yes!” the not so familiar voice fills the hall, making me look up this time. Sibel has a broad smile on her face.

I look down, feeling something tight around my neck and no matter how hard I try to swallow to get rid of it, I’m unable to.

I close my eyes and sniffle, feeling tears roll down my face now.

I miss my parents. The realization hits me so hard, it knocks the breath out of my lungs. I hold back a sob by pressing my lips tightly shut, not wanting to make a sound so as not to alert the guards.

They must have finished calling everyone’s names because Lady Melissa is no longer speaking, the only sound in the crowded hall is the squeals of excitement from those that got a good score, but the most common one is the heartbreaking cries of the other girls that got a bad score.

I inhale slowly, a sharp pain in my ribs makes me groan softly. All of this, I think as the pain subsides, is what our future is going to look like as breeders.

Maybe it is my punishment for leaving my parents the way I left. This is the moon Goddess’s way of showing me how wrong that decision I made was.

“Alright!” Lady Melissa calls the attention of everyone. “Those with scores under six, you already know what that means. Everyone on the left, follow the guards out. You are going to be transported to the She-wolf Center.”

Before I can fully let the words register, a striking blow is delivered to my back. Stars dance in my vision as I try to make sense of what the hell happened, but I’m in too much pain to even think.

“Punish them and drag them if they don’t get up.” a deep voice says, dripping with cruelty.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, another strike lands on my back. Without letting myself think, I bring my other hand up and put it around Jenny’s body, hugging her to me.

My throat feels parched, my whole body is numb from all the beatings, I can’t even tell where it’s coming from but I know they are still hitting me.

Just when I think it would end I’m about to die, a heady scent fills my nostrils. I ignore the way my ribs hurt when I stretch and try to locate them.

“What the hell are you doing?!” a loud voice booms in the hall, making everywhere go silent.

Black dots dance in my vision but I fight hard to not let them take over.

Shiny black boots stop in front of me, I move to crane my neck to see who it is because the sweet scent from earlier is closer, stronger.

The moment I manage to lift my head, just slightly. Everything goes black and I feel my arms loosen around Jenny.