They say that there was a time when people
made their own choices, thought for themselves, didn't have the council
available. Those were known as the Free Will Days, and they were our countries
darkest days. Could you imagine? Just doing whatever you pleased because the
mood struck you? My parents lived during these days, well at the end of them
really, but sometimes they talk about them, and it always fascinates me. Even
though my parents recall these days they now abide by the new rules, they asked
the council for the career path they took, they asked whom they should marry,
how many children to have and one day they will ask when they should die.
By taking away our free will, the council has
made sure that we will live in peace and harmony throughout our days. We trade
the ability to think for ourselves for a chance at a worry free life, one
without options, but also one without regrets or violence. When only appear in
front of the council three times in our life, at sixteen to ask our career
path, at eighteen to ask whom we should marry, at twenty one to ask if we
should have children and if so how many; and the last time when we are seventy
to ask when we will leave this earth. Your allowed two extra visits to the
council in your lifetime in exchange for a year of your life, that's what you
bargain with, your life.
Tomorrow I will turn eighteen and it will be
my second time in front of the council. I barley remember going to them two
years ago, I was so nervous I shook the entire time. After they reviewed my
academic record, interviewed me and studied me in different virtual
stimulations I was given the medical career path, just like my mother. My father
was given a financial path and my brother was given a militate path, we have
not heard from him since.
The council is made up of six people, three
men and three women. No one can really say how long they have been on the
council because you are not allowed to discuss council reviews with anyone,
ever. I had heard rumors that these were the same council members since the
Free Will Days ended, but that has to be impossible because that was over 150
years ago. The oldest man ever was Wally Grimmit, and he died at age 105, he
was a wonderful man who worked in Social Services and the council gave him, so
far, the oldest expiration date known because of all he gave during his life.
Some say the council members were high ranking officials in the old days, and some
say they are the ancestors of the first council members. Whatever they are,
they are responsible for the population and well being of our entire
population, not an easy feat.
My mother knocks on my bedroom door softly,
interrupting my thoughts. When she opens my door I study her face and see the
first time that she looks exhausted. Her already thin face seems to be caving
into itself and her brown eyes seem to have sunk further into her face. She has
a soft gray streak running through her mud colored hair and her forehead seems
to be scrunched up permanently in worry. My mother has always been tiny, but
her presence is mighty. She can control a whole room with just a flick of a
hand and she has been known to make larger opponents shake in their boots with
just a word, she is really an extraordinary woman and I have always strived to
take after her.
"Are you about ready to leave Sage?"
She asks me in her smooth silk voice. Some people claim my mother has an
accent, but I never heard it or noticed it.
"Yea, I am just finished getting
dressed." I pull the thick black wool sweater over my curves. Unfortunately
I did not get the slight frame my mother has, instead I have curves and fuller
figure, I suppose its from my dad side but since I never met any relatives I
just have to assume.
"Your patch looks nice, you did a great
job sewing it up" My mother gently touches the medical patch on my left
arm, the only sign of what I am. Whenever you present to council you must wear
black, its a sign of obedience and modesty, its like we are stating that we
accept we have no control over our future and we accept that.
"I guess all those suture practices had a
great cause." I smile ruefully. She clicks her tongue like she always does
when she has something to say but just cant bring herself to it.
"Mom, do you remember your spouse
committee meeting? I mean when they chose Dad for you?" I do not make eye
contact with my mother, instead I pretend to pick something out of my nail. My
mother sits down on the bed and pats for me to sit besides her.
"When I went to this meeting, many years
ago, I asked my mother the same question. Mind you my father died while I was
very young and she had to remarry because the council decided widowhood did not
suit her. She told me something that I am going to tell you, the council makes
their decisions in a very educated manner, so much so that we can not prove
them wrong, so whatever they say it is truely the best for you, even if you
cant see it at that time." She pats my clasped hands and starts to leave
when she stops in the doorway.
"Sage, I want you to remember something.
I love you very much and no matter what, you always have the human right to
decide your own fate." and with that my mother is gone and so are my
nerves.
The council building is located a little more
then a hour from our home in Washington. It boggles my mind that someone could
live in such a huge place! I mean I grew up in a nice, Tudor style home but to
have a house the size of the council building, well that's just excessive.
After the Great War when free will ended, the council was established to make
sure that people no longer lived in excess, allowing everyone the same chance
as anyone else. My parents were assigned a house based on their career routes
and were given it free of charge, then when they pass a new married couple will
get it. If one of my parents die before the other, and never remarry, they will
go to the Retirement village that is located in the South.
My mother walks into the council foyer with me
and then kisses my cheek before she is escorted into the waiting room. I am
starting to get nerves again and try to remember to breathe. A man in a dark
suit comes towards me and calls my name, "Sage Winterbourne?".
I nod my head and he extends a well manicured
hand into my. He is in his early twenties I estimate, with his mop of curly
brown hair and smooth face, he seems to be around my age, but who knows, there
are rumors that the councils have access to many procedures that make them look
younger longer.
" I am Mark Deedson. I will be your representative
for the council this morning. Do you want to tell me a little about
yourself?" I completely forgot that we get representatives at this stage
of council. My representative will present what I wish my spouse to be like and
try to reason with the council about my wishes. They hardly ever take it into
consideration but sometimes you luck out and they grant one request in your
favor.
"Well. I am eighteen (duh). I really like
the field I am in, I enjoy reading and well you know. Stuff." I stammer,
realizing how stupid I sound, but Mark is not even really paying attention he
is flipping through a folder with a look of concern on his face.
"Winterbourne. Your mother is Cecilia
Winterbourne?"
"Um..yes she is. Do you know her?"
Mark looks up and tries to form a smile but
instead it looks like a grimace, "No, no of course not. I just have heard
about her work in the neurological field, she is very impressive. I assume you're
in the medical field?" He asks eyeing up my patch.
"Yes, but I have yet to choose a specialty.
Right now I am just a basic apprentice". Suddenly I realize Mark is
staring at me very intently and its making me nervous then if I was alone.
"Well" Mark sighs as he looks at his
watch "we should get moving, we have a bit of a walk and you're almost
up."
As we start down a hallway I stop and glance
at myself in the mirror. My dirty blonde hair, inherited from my father, is up
in a tight bun and it makes me look older then what I am. I quickly take it out
and run my fingers through it, allowing the bun made waves to spill down my
back, almost touching my hips. Mark is staring at me again and I blush.
"Sorry, I just really hated that bun and
my mom made me wear it." Mark shrugs and continues to walk down the
hallway as I jog to catch up. I notice his political patch, a scale with
nothing on it wrapped in ivy. I wonder how he felt when he was told he was to
go into political. Was he excited? Was he relieved that he was not put into
security or military? Or was disappointed because he wanted to be something
like a scientist or medical like me? Whatever the case we are not suppose to
think of the "what ifs?" instead we are suppose to think of the best
possible outcome for our situations.
"Did you have your spouse council
yet?" I ask. Mark looks at me sideways, clearly caught of guard that I
even brought it up.
"No" he clears his throat "I
mean I did, but I argued my case and was allowed an extension." I am
flabbergasted, an extension? Maybe I can get one of those!
"That's what I want!"
"No you don't. I had to give them a year
as part of the agreement."
"Well that's ok, I mean what's one
year?"
"Sage, I said no. I will not allow you to
do that." Mark snaps.
I can't help but wonder why he cares so much.
He does not know me at all, who is he to tell me I can't exchange a year? I
shut my mouth and start speed walking so I am ahead of him, but if he notices
he doesn't care because he keeps his same gradual space.
There is only one person set to go in before
me so Mark and I take a seat on a wooden beach outside the main council doors.
The girl that's set to go in before me is breathtaking, with her long golden
hair, blue eyes, and a slim figure that I always dreamt about. She is filing
her nails and does not look the least bit nervous. She glances in my direction
and then her eyes skip to Mark and she smirks.
"Hi Mark." She coos as she tucks her
nail file away.
Mark glances up and I can see that the he does
return her flirtation feelings.
"Hi Thea. How are you today?" He
seems monotone and board.
"Oh good, just waiting to see who I will
marry. I have a name in mind." She says well eyeing him up. I see Marks
cheeks flush and I can tell they both know she is talking about him.
"Well I am sure the council will take
that into consideration, good luck." He returns to his paperwork but as he
reaches for his briefcase his hand brushes against mine and he ever so gently
runs his pinky over my clenched fist. Startled, I look at him but he is
ignoring my glance, however I can tell by Thea's face that she did not miss
this exchange.
"I know who you are, your Sage." She
says in an accusing voice.
God what is with me today? Everyone seems to
hate me, which is odd considering I do not know anyone in this room.
"Do I know you?" I snarkily ask, I
might not know this Barbie knock off but that does not mean I have to take her
crap.
"Athena McKenna. We were in school together,
until the career path you went to medical and I went into, well entertainment
of course."
"Well that's nice, the world needs more
strippers." I snap.
Mark snorts so loud even Athena's representative
looks up. He literally has tears in his eyes and for a moment I see something
really attractive about him, beyond his looks which are obviously attractive,
but I see that he has a kindness in him and for a moment I feel that I snapped
at him earlier.
A thin, tall man opens the main doors and announces
Athena's name. Her representative looks up, he is a stout, over weight man who
seems to have the personality of cardboard.
"If you don't mind, could this young lady
before us? We are having a bit of a communication problem." Athena rolls
her eyes and takes her nail file back out and beings to file while she whistles
some annoying song. The thin man shrugs his shoulders and motions for us to
follow him.
We walk into an oval office, which is where
the main council meets. We are motioned to sit down behind a table and Mark
starts pulling papers out and putting them across the desk. I glance at the council
and study the faces of the people who are about to decide my fate.
The three women are called Prosper, Tuesday
and Demeanor. Prosper is definitely the oldest, her gray hair is pulled into a
low bun and she has on a black dress, with a black cardigan, which makes her
slim frame seem almost like a coat hanger. She has on black glasses that she
whips off and begins to chew on the stem. Her face is most unwelcoming, in fact
it made me feel as if she was staring right through me and I start to fidget.
Tuesday is the youngest, and the complete opposite of Prosper. She is also in
all black but hers is lower cut and her breasts are hiked up to her chin
almost. Her long, blonde hair is in waves and she is strumming her fingers on
the large desk, almost as if she is bored. Demeanor is the middle of the two,
her dress is appropriate but she has on a huge ruby necklace and her jet-black
hair is cropped to her chin. She gives me a smile and cocks her head to one
side as if she is studying me.
The three men, Lotus, Poilux and Zeno are
sitting on the right of the girls. Lotus is the one that all the ladies swoon
over, with his masculine build and golden hair he is definitely the best
looking of the group. I imagine he is married to Tuesday, as the council is
paired off in marriage too. I blush when he catches me staring at him. Poilux
is most likely married to Prosper, he is older but still nice looking, his
square jaw and salt and pepper hair give him a distinguished look. Zeno is the
darkest of them all, almost olive in skin tone, with emerald eyes and black
hair that hangs in his eye on one side, he looks like he is from an exotic
place, but he cant be because we have not allowed outsiders into our country
since the end of the Great War.
Prosper begins:" Sage WinterBourne, you are
presented to the council today so that we may mate you with your perfect match.
We have reviewed all of your paperwork, including referral letters sent into
the committee. Is there anything your representative would like to say on your
behalf?"
Mark clears his throat and stands up,
"Sage Winterbourne is an exceptional woman. She is excelling in her
medical apprenticeship, she is very well read, and she is also attractive.
" I am blushing, I can feel myself burning up as he is talking.
Tuesday chimes in with a dreamy voice
"She is very pretty, we will definitely take that into account". Prosper
shoots her a dirty look and Demeanor chimes in "Of course, beauty is only
skin deep, look at Tuesdays' husband Poilux, who would have thought that those
two would make such a great couple?" I am shocked in honesty, the fact
that Poilux and Tuesday are married blows my mind, and I mean they look like
complete opposites. Demeanor countines "And my husband, Lotus, is
beautiful, but I feel in love with his childlike innocence, after we were assigned
to each other of course." Lotus winks at her and Demeanor blushes.
Zeno who has been silent gazes at me.
"When I was paired, I cried because I did not like my match." Prosper
is glaring at him, I can imagine it will be a quiet night in their home.
"However, we are made to believe the council knows best, so I married her.
I now know why we were chosen and I would not change it for anything in the
world." He reaches across the table and pats Prospers hand, which look she
is almost going to smile but then her face goes into stone again.
"Sage, we have decided that you will
marry Nikoli Grimmit. You will marry in two weeks."
Mark jumps up as if his seat is on fire
"I want to marry her. Please. I was given an extension and I want to marry
Sarge. We are completely compatible and I wish this."
Tuesday gasps and claps her hands as if she
just opened a present. Prosper looks like she sucked a lemon, and Demenor looks
like she is deep thought and chewing her bottom lip.
"The council needs a moment to reconvene
if you could please step outside".