"Slam!"

I woke up, still foggy with sleep. Everything was blurred, not clear, and therefore, perfect. Then, I realized I had fallen asleep in class. Mrs. Pontius was staring at me with her eyes that looked like vomit.

"Ms. Matthews, do you know what tomorrow is?" she squawked.

I nodded drowsily, "The Designation."

"Correct. And what happens during the Designation, Ms. Matthews?"

I sighed, we all knew this. It was drilled in our minds as a warning against rebellion. "every time a student from the age of ten to eight teen commits a transgression, their name goes in to a box. There is one box for each of the each of the eight provinces. A boy and a girl are chosen from each province to go to Queen Sloan's city. There, the eight girls are taken under the Sloan's wings and the eight males are taken under the General's wing…"

I stopped as I felt everyone (all girls) in my class staring at me. The next part was heavy and I got a knot in my throat thinking about it. What the savages in the City make children do. Mrs. Pontius nodded for me to go on.

"..then the girls fight to the death with what they learned and the males to. Which ever province wins in each gender… is considered.. honorable"

Mrs. Pontius shakes her had. "You children have such child like views. Of course that's how you would see it Matthews." She turned to the rest of my female class. "WE would've gotten to this topic any way as the Designation is tomorrow and one of you females and one of the males in Mr. Siddler's class will be eligible for immortality."

I heard many people scoff at how highly she thought of this. This was cruel.

"Each time a student commits a transgression, a teacher puts their name in the ballot box, you were correct Indigo Rose. But, the teacher puts it in there as they think the child deserves better teaching and that it is their fault that they commit these crimes." Her eyes glimmered. "We teachers are so faithful. When a troublemaker gets chosen, they are given a chance to turn their life around and live in the City. They fight for their chance and of what they know are worthy of. IT brings great honor if a winner is from a province."

I internally groaned. This was miserable. How adults of the City see this as an honor is a wonder to me.

My classmate Anisa raised her hand. I was surprised; we've been learning about this stuff since we were 6, why would she know have a question at the age of 16?

Mrs. Pontius called on her.

"I'm.. I'm worried about being chosen.. I've had so many transgressions this year.. and I wanna be p-p-prepare in case I am chosen. What e-exactly-y-y do the females learn if the m-males learn battling?"

Mrs. Pontius facial expression soften for the first time I've ever seen. "That is a wonderful question Anisa. It is a mystery. The only people who know are Queen Sloan, her personal teachers, and he students. And you shouldn't be worried, you get a chance to get out of this place and into the magnificent city. Puff out your chest, Anisa, be proud."

The bell rang.

"Class dismissed."

We walked out of the classroom and I heard many girls crying.

"This.. this might be the last time we see each other."

"I just want to say, I love you."

I walked straight outside and started walking home. I took in the view of my Province; Province 5. It was a wasteland; A place where hatred and despair and anger thrive. The roads were dirty and sandy with garbage everywhere. On either side of the roads were shacks crowded together. They were messed up houses that were broken. Citizens of Province 5 tried to fix their houses with cheap maintenance rations. We were probably the poorest Province. The only time a student from province 5 stayed alive was from the second Teachings. The only thing that was even more rare was something that had never happened; the same province winning in both genders. A sharp noise pulled me out of my thoughts. I heard a rattling outside the door I was currently standing out. A male about my age was pushed out of the doorway, staggering. A man- I assume the father- held a belt in his hand.

"Get out of my house, you piece of dirt. I don't ever want to see your face again. I hope you get chosen AND die during the Teachings."

His gaze found me. He cracked a small smile; "Get out of here ye' girl." He came closer and my feet were glued to the floor. His breath reeked of alcohol. He grabbed my hair. "Ye the Indigo girl ain't you. I can tell by er eyes." He sniffed my hair. "Your hair is purty. Golden and brown-not ellow-gold. And freckles." He came closer to me; his lips hovering close to my ear. Then, he was gone.

I saw the young boy holding his father down. He growled menacingly at his father; "Leave."

His father sludged back to his shack; his leg obviously hurt from his son. The door slammed. And his lights went off; that's when I realized just how late it was; it was too dark. I kneeled next to the boy.

"Are… are you okay?" I whispered.

He didn't answer.

"Do you have anywhere else to go?"

No answer.

"Can I help you?"

Nothing.

I helped the boy up, but he was towering over me. I wrapped his arm around me and helped him to my house. We made it to the front of my shack.

"No one can see you; you know its illegal."

He didn't answer.

"We will have to go through the back door to my room. Only my mother and baby sister will be home. And right know is their nap."

Nada.

"Okay, let's go."

We walked around to the back door of my shack and I walked him to my bedroom. I let him down on my bed.

"Did he hurt you?"

A response- he nodded.

"Where?"

He pointed to his back.

"Is it okay if- if I take your shirt off?"

He nodded.

I took off his shirt and winced at his back. He had three bloodied slashes on his back.

"I'm going to get medicine, be quiet okay?"

He nodded.

I ran to my medicine cabinet and took out rubbing alcohol incase of infection and bandages.

I tip-toed to my room.

"This is going to hurt."

I poured the alcohol in his wounds and he winced.

"Shhh. Its over now."

I wrapped his back with bandages.

I sat down next to him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

I looked up. "No problem." I looked at the time.

"My father drinks heavily. I made the wrong time to have a transgression."

I nodded know, unsure of what to say.

He smiled, and it took my breath away. "It's okay, you don't have to speak. I'm sure you have encountered an alcoholic before in this town? Our people die young."

I shivered.

"My mother is. She takes so much, she even drinks the rubbing alcohol. I have hidden everyhthing. Nathalie- I mean Mother- is someone else since Father died."

"SO you are Indigo, then."

I blushed, "what do you mean?"

"You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Your Father is an honorary figure."

"Yes I know Father died in the Teachings."

The boy laughed, cruely this time. "Not that type of honorary, dear Indigo. I mean true honor. He was a man of great bravery during the Teachings. He stayed true to himself."

"I was so young."

I laid down in bed, I was exhausted and tomorrow was the Designation. I closed my eyes while he spoke.

"I was too. But, I remember watching him on the television."

He played absent-mindedly with my hair. I realized I never actually saw what he looked like.

"Then, I saw his eyes, your eyes too. They had hope in them and they were such a wonderful color. And I promised myself, I would meet his daughter and give her my heart in exchange for what he did for the Provinces."

I was too tired to completely understand what he said.

When I had awoken the boy was gone and today was the Designation. Wow, the Designation. Today I could be chosen to have to kill an innocent life. It was just- mind blowing. I heard crying and squeezed my eyes shut before getting up again.

I picked up Savannah from where she slept in the shack. I rocked her, but I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Nathalie there. She looked sober; today was the only day she was ever completely sober.

"I'll take care of Savannah for now Indigo."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Get changed and look presentable. Today is the Designation, they'll be discovering the television to the houses soon."

I ran to my room and put on my indigo sunflower dress which brought out my eyes. I brushed my golden brown locks- the man was right- they were just gold, not yellow. It fell in waves to my midback. I put on my brown flip-flops.

I ran back to the main part of the shack and was surprised to see my mom talking to the television delivery guy. She was laughing joyfully and I heard my heart crunch.

Nathalie was barely ever happy anymore- I missed the mother side of her so much. I had to grow up awhile ago; when Father died. Nathalie and Father had me when they were sixteen. Savannah was only my half sister. But I look like Father, and I know it hurts Nathalie every time she sees me. Nathalie brought the television into the middle of the shack.

She looked at me teary-eyed while holding Savannah. "Indigo, just know that I love you, so very much. I know it might not feel like it at times, but I completely adore you."

"I love you too, Mother." And I do.

She turned on the television and I held my breath. A woman dressed up very nicely came on the television.

"Hello, Province 5. Let's get right into, shall we. The male representing Province 5 will be Seth Cordaro."

A picture of a male who looked like something the History teachers would call Native American. He had tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and spiked black hair. He had a smirk on his face.

The lady on the television fanned herself, "Boy, isn't he a cutie. Anyway, the girl from Province 5 will be- oh my. A legacy. Indigo Rose Matthews."

My stomach dropped. I looked at Nathalie who looked terrified. Oh my god, I'm gonna have to kill someone.