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ZURI POV

  I hate lying here. I hate taking antibiotics twice a day. I hate the pain in my chest and how weak my arms feel. I want to be up walking and working. 

  I roll on my side and sigh. It's been weeks since I was brought to the hospital and all I have done is get weaker. Dr. Dembe says it doesn't look good. My body isn't responding well to the medicine. My boss lady has visited a couple times, but I can see it in her face. She doesn't think I will be leaving this place. She even hired someone else. 

"I had to do it. I needed the help," she said to me during her last visit. 

I don't blame her. She has to keep living. The world has to keep turning. It doesn't stop for anyone. My siblings have to keep living too. They are working even harder now that my income has disappeared. My brother had called my boss lady a week after I got admitted because my normal paycheck hadn't arrived. He was worried about me. She told them where I was and why. She said he took it hard when she told him. 

Another tear slips past my eyelid and I grow angry again. All I seem to do is grow weaker, lay here, and cry. I hate to admit how scared I am. 

All my life I have protected my siblings. I have strived to give them the best I could. Now I can't protect them and I can't protect myself. I have no one who can protect me and I am scared. 

******** 

The soft breeze blows through the window and I close my eyes as it caresses my skin. I am sitting up for once and actually getting to enjoy some quiet time. All the other patients have left or passed on. It's just me in this room now. I am sure they will bring someone else in later, but for now it's only me and my thoughts. 

  "I am sorry to disturb your rest, but I must," a woman's voice says and my eyes snap open. 

  A thirty something year old caucasian woman is staring at me from only a few feet away and my mouth falls open. She must move like a mouse. I didn't hear her approach me at all. 

"Who are you," I ask ratherly harshly and she smiles at me anyway. 

"My name is Kimberly Bishop. I work with the United States government. I am hear to ask you a very important question. Depending on your answer then I will be taking you to meet someone else," she says quickly before taking the small chair that Dr. Dembe normally sits in. 

  "Okay," I reply a little confused. 

  She nods and smooths her blouse rather nervously. 

  "This might seem rather awkward, but I need you to be completely honest...," she says while staring intently into my eyes. 

I nod slowly and she takes a deep breath. 

"Alright. Are you a virgin," she asks and I laugh outloud at the abrupt question. 

   She seems dead serious as she watches me laugh and I grow uncomfortable quickly. 

"Yes. I am and I don't plan on changing that before I die, Thank you," I answer rather sharply and she practically beams with joy. 

"Excellent. I have already gotten permission from the Government here to take you with me. The helicopter is waiting outside. This isn't how this is normally done, but my superior had an issue in Ireland. She is the only one who can complete the final steps so we will have to rendezvous with her and hopefully two other candidates," she says as she jumps up and looks down at me expectantly. 

My eyebrows draw together in confusion. 

"There must be a misunderstanding. I can't leave this bed. I am too weak," I say almost desperate for her to realize she has the wrong person.

"Oh, I apologize. Let me assist you," she says as she moves back to the side of my bed.

She lifts my arm and place hers around my waist. 

  "Move your legs to the side of the bed. I will help you stand," she says and again my mouth falls open. 

"Are you insane," I ask and she shakes her head. 

"Not at all. I am sorry to be so cryptic, but I can't disclose anything else. I have to take you to my superior. She will handle the next steps. But I will say it is in your best interest that you come with me. You have nothing left for you here," she says an inch away from my face and I just stare at her. 

This stranger comes in here and asks if I am a virgin then she tells me we are leaving in a helicopter. 

"There are probably healthy virgins all across the continent of Africa, why me," I ask and she bites her lip. 

"I can't answer that. Please come with me," she says sounding desperate suddenly and my protective instincts kick in. 

I don't want her in trouble and the worst that can happen has already happened to me. What is a dying girl worth, nothing. The least I can do is help her. 

  "Alright," I agree and she smiles at me again. 

"Okay on the count of three. One, two, three," she says before grunting and lifting most of my weight. 

My legs scream from not being used and my back stays stiffenly bent at my waist. But my feet listen when I tell them to take a couple baby steps forward.  

"That's it. Come on. We have a tiny window to get you out of here without anyone seeing," she says as we slowly make our way to the door. 

  Again I get confused and nervous, but her statement is still ringing in my ears; I have nothing here. 

  It takes us a solid ten minutes to travel twenty yards, but when we make it down the hall I see the helicopter waiting patiently through the window. 

"You weren't lying," I whisper and she shakes her head. 

"I wouldn't lie to a dying woman," she replies and I frown while shooting her a prickly glare. 

  The second half of our walk is a little faster now that I know there really is a helicopter. It seems like my weak body is suddenly excited for something. Probably the endorphins from getting out of that bed finally. 

******** 

  I yawn as my eyes droop. I slept most of the flight to wherever this building is and I didn't have to walk again because they had a wheelchair ready for me, but I am still exhausted. 

  "The others just arrived and the Irish girl has been sent," Kimberly says while staring at her phone and I give her a short glance before letting my eyes close fully. 

  I need a nap. I feel worse than I ever have. Suddenly I hear the door open and I force my eyes open once more out of pure curiosity. 

Two more girls in wheelchairs come through the double doors being pushed by women who are dressed similarly to Kimberly. Both girls have small dark slanted eyes, patches of short black hair, and look just as sickly as I am sure I do. 

  "Excellent. Zuri, I will leave you here now. Our superior will be with the three of you soon. Good luck," Kimberly says and the other two women give their charges small smiles before following Kimberly out the doors they just entered. 

  We all watch them disappear with the same look of shock written on our faces. 

  "Wow. Just abandoned us like that," one of the other girls whispers and I glance at her. 

  She sounds weaker than me, but at the same time stronger too. She seems feisty and determined to fight back against our awkward situation. I think I could be friends with her if our situations were different. 

  After a few more seconds the door on the other side of the room opens and a sharply dressed woman with a briefcase comes in looking rather tired. 

  "Hello ladies, my name is Laura Cummings. I work for the United States government. The three of you have been brought here to discuss an exciting opportunity," the woman says, and my eyebrows furrow. 

What is she talking about? We are three women too weak to stand on our own. She looks over our expressions with an emotionless face for a few seconds before nodding.

"All of you have already been asked the important question so I shall continue then. Have you ever considered that Earth wasn't the only planet that could support life," she asks and my already confused mind shatters. 

I am obviously dreaming. I am probably still in the hospital bed. Nothing has made sense since my last dose of medicine. I must be having a drug induced dream. 

"What," the feisty girl asks, and Ms. Cummings doesn't miss a beat. 

  "Aliens. Do you believe in the possibility of aliens," she asks, and I rub my forehead. 

I am too tired for this. This is stupid. I shake my head and try to wake myself up. This dream is ridiculous. 

 Ms. Cummings sets her briefcase on the dark desk near the door she came in through and opens it. She pulls out a stack of papers and begins to separate them on the desk. 

   "Aliens are real. The Earth is small compared to other planets that support life, and we are considered behind in every aspect. Technology. Physical ability. Intelligence. The other beings in the universe laugh at what we consider transportation and healthcare. I know this information is sudden and completely unbelievable, but it is true. Currently, the Earth is part of a treaty called The Harvest Peace act. More than half of the planets that support life have also signed. Due to our standing in the universe, Earth is only required to participate in one of the treaties conditions. Every ten years, five women are to be sent to the Harvest's Mating Tournament. The idea behind the concept is to mix the different races of beings so harmony can exist. More then forty years ago, the universe experienced a major war. Many were dying, and Earth was going to be caught in the cross hairs. Luckily the quarreling planets held a meeting and came up with the Harvest Peace Act. If you all agree you will be the last three of five women that will be sent to represent the Earth," Ms. Cummings explains robotically, and my mouth falls open. 

  My brain explodes with information before disbelief begins to creep in again. Maybe this is real and these women are part of a group of insane people. They go around kidnapping dying women and convince them there are aliens. 

  "You're crazy," feisty girls says and I nod in agreement. 

  "The governments of the world wants to keep the existence of aliens secret, so the selection of candidates is strict. Only terminally ill women of age can be considered. The virginity rule is listed in the treaty. Women going to the mating games are basically prizes for the galaxies strongest warriors. Because while the majority of the planets signed the peace treaty and stopped fighting, there were planets that did not. The allied planets are still at war with this small portion of beings. Earth is under protection of the treaty because we send women to the tournament. Other planets under the protection of the treaty not only send women but they also send soldiers to aid in the war. Humans are considered to be too weak to fight. So Earth is not required to send soldiers," the woman states as if she didn't hear the girl. 

She pauses again as if to give us another chance to voice our disbelief, but we stay silent. Three pairs of eyes are drilling into her and she seems calm. She doesn't look as if our disbelief bothers her at all. 

  "If you sign these contracts, you all relinquish your status as citizens of the Earth. You understand that you all will be saved from your current illnesses, and in return, you agree to marry a male that chooses you at the tournament. From that point on you all are a citizen of your mate's home planet. He is required by tournament law to provide for you. These men are considered to be the heroes of the galaxy. They are all wealthy and excited to be participating in the tournament... This contract is your ticket to life. Only death awaits you here," she says meeting all of our eyes and my stomach drops as I begin to take her seriously. 

She walks around the desk and picks up the papers. She hands each of us a contract and a pen without another word. I look down at the papers in my hands and big words I don't understand greet my eyes. I look up to find her back at the desk calmly gathering stuff and placing it back in her case. 

  

"What does this all mean," I ask and the woman looks at me as she closes her briefcase. 

  "It restates all the information I have just told you. It also talks about the legality of leaving the planet," she replies. 

  "How will we be healed," the other girl asks in a thick accent and Ms. Cummings turns her attention to the girl who has been silent until now. 

  "Their technology far exceeds ours. They cured cancer long ago. So you will be cured once you arrive. Before you ask, humans aren't considered trustworthy enough to be given the information. They consider us barbaric. They dislike almost everything about us... They do consider our women beautiful, though so all of you should do well in the tournament," she answers, and I look back down at the papers.

   This can't be real none of this can be real. 

  "This is crazy," feisty girl says again and Ms. Cummings sighs. 

  "Signing these papers saves you. Believe it or don't believe it. You should sign and find out if I am lying. You won't lose anything if I am lying," the woman states sounding bored again. 

"Okay... say I sign. What happens after," I ask allowing myself to believe for a second. 

  

  "You would be processed immediately. I am the only human on this planet entrusted with a teleportation beacon. Once you sign, I turn it on and it sends your location to the medical center. They are aware of the condition of Earth's candidates and have prepared accordingly. Our harvest participants are sent to a medical facility before they join the other women sent by other planets. They transport you there the second we finish here. My agency then takes care of everything here. The hospitals notifies your families, and their grieving process begins. It is not ideal for them, but unfortunately, your deaths are inevitable at this point. They will be grieving soon anyway," she says with zero emotion, and I bite my lip to keep from crying as I picture my siblings.  

  They will be heartbroken, but I am dying anyway. I can't protect them anymore. I need to protect myself. 

  "I'll sign," I whisper after a second.