A/N
Hey ppl, I'm TobiasEverdeen! This is my new story that I made... Umm... So I hope you like it! Pls R&R! My First Ever Story... And I didn't spell check or check any grammar... SORRY! Anyways HERE!
OSTRACIZE
CHAPTER 1
Today is the day. The day I will have to endure famine, and thirst for a week. I ordinarily have enough to drink and eat, but for today, and the next week I won't. I sluggishly get up, and swing me feet over the bed, if you could even call it that, the fact that it is harder than stone itself. I look around my room, I will never see it again, ever. My walls are plain white, and I have only one window which is usually covered in fog, though today it isn't. I stare out my window and see the dark cloud covered sky, then I shift my eyes to the yellow grass, and the bumpy, rugged road. It was different before, or so my parents told me. Clear blue skies, smooth paved roads, bright fresh grass, and finally no Ostracize. I shiver, 16 years and I might die within the next week. I don't want to die... I don't.
"Mila." Someone yells my name, and snaps me back to reality.
"Yeah, I'm coming." I shout back flatly.
I hop off my bed and slip on a red t-shirt, some old jeans that fray at the knee, because I know I will have to change at the Exude anyways. I grab a pair of ancient sneakers, and I snatch a coin from my dresser beside my bed. On one side it has a type of animal, what was it my parents told me it was? A bear, that's what it is. On the flip side a woman is on it. The bear and the lady are gold color, and on the outer edge of the circle is silver.
I swing open my creaky, rotten wood door. Taking just one step out of my room, my brother Corbin, charges toward me and hugs me. I realize he has watery eyes, and is crying. I hug him back, I don't know why he's hugging me, he wouldn't do this. I pull back, then immediately guilt rushes through me.
I touch my hands to his chin, and lift his head up so he sees me. "Hey, it's okay, what's wrong?" I say sympathetically.
"You-You're going to die, aren't you?" He manages to gasp out through sobs. This comment shouldn't offend me, but it does. I don't feel sympathetic for him anymore, but rather angry. Corbin drops his head down again and stares at the ground.
"Corbin, look at me," I yell, and I know I shouldn't. "I'm not going to die. You know that, I won't die." I still am shouting at him, though it feels like I am scolding him. I don't know if I said that to reassure him, or myself. I want to believe I won't die, and I will survive Ostracize. Though I have no hope. Corbin stares at me for a second and stops tearing.
"I think I'm going to go get changed," he says turning on his heel towards his room. "See you later." Corbin finally says when he's at his door.
I walk into my room again, and I slump on the bed. I don't think 13 year old Corbin would care at all if I died... Would he? Why would he hug me even? I mean I'm not much of a hugger, neither is he. Well, whatever he thinks I don't care, I need to focus on Ostracize, and how to survive it. I guess first of all I'll need—
"Argh!" I shout out in frustration, though I don't know if I'm shouting it to myself, or Corbin, he stole my coin.
"You little rat. You thief, you stole my coin," I yell, trying to sound intimidating. "Screw you Corbin, I hate you." I am angry now, face red.
"Basta—" I get cut off, by my mom creeping into my room.
"Mila," she says in a soothing voice, clapping my back. "Calm down, and, well don't curse, please. Here." She hands me the coin with the bear.
"Thanks." I reply to her.
"Get ready to go to the Exude." She says, and with that she pats my back, and leaves my room.
I stare at the coin again, my dad told me he got it from somewhere, he didn't specify though.
I get up from my bed again, and walk over to my door. I step outside, into the dark, dank hallway of my house.
Then I move over to the kitchen, and greet both my dad, and mom, they are cooking. Then, he walks in, Corbin. I try to avoid looking at him, don't look, don't look.
I manage it for breakfast, not to look at him. My family, and I walk over towards the Assemble Building. It is a two-story building, with a bit of red here, and there, the color is peeling, turning it into white-ish. There are plenty of windows, or, used to be, they are all shattered, or either there are no windows in the spaces at all.
We walk up to the doors, and I pull one open. I walk in, and people, lots of people are here. Of course, this event is mandatory that you must come, there must be plenty people here. I look around, and I start to walk over to where the other sixteen year olds are.
"Mila," my dad calls my name, and I feel someone grasp my arm. "We love you, all of us, we love you, remember that." He hugs me, and I hug him back.
"Mom," I meant to say it bravely, but it turns out as a strangled cry. "Mom." I try again, and this time it's worse, my voice breaks, and I feel my eyes stinging with tears. I blink to try to hold them back, and manage barely.
"Mila," my mom sighs. She hugs me, and I feel safe, she is strong. "You're going to be fine, it's only going to be for a week, and then you'll get to see us again, you will be safe. You're going to get your own house after Ostracize, don't worry." I know she's trying to reassure me, and it's somewhat working.
"Mom, wha—what if I die?" I gasp out, trying to blink back tears again.
"You won't die." She kisses me on the forehead, and leaves.
I step into the cluster of sixteen year olds, some are together cracking jokes, maybe to ease the nervousness? Though some others are standing still, shaking, maybe because they're nervous, or even scared, in my case.
We are in the front of the crowd, facing Tarquin, our Leader, and his right hand man, Lazarus.
Tarquin is a middle aged man, with slick black hair. He wears a white dress shirt, and a blazer as black as the night sky over top. His pants a white dress pants though, he reminds me of black and white tiles. Tarquin has dark black eyes, that look threatening, and his mouth is in a straight line curving down at the tips. I don't trust him... Why would I even? Why am I thinking this? He did this, he is killing us.
Lazarus on the other hand is younger, he looks about twenty-years old. He has light brown hair, and has a plain black t-shirt, with an unzipped grey hoodie on top. He wears navy blue jeans, and some black runners with a worn out sole. His eyes are dark green. I would think he's normal, but the fact that he is carrying a gun frightens me. He paces back, and forth in front of Tarquin, alert.
I see other guards, but they're not all as important as Lazarus.
"Welcome to the Exude," Tarquin's voice booms across the building. "We would like to hope the best of luck to our sixteen-year olds, that they may finally turn independent after the Ostracize." I drift my eyes back towards the families, and scan the crowd for one of my parents, or surprisingly Corbin. I can't find them. I shift my eyes back to Tarquin.
I've heard this before so I barely pay any attention. Tarquin is explaining what the Ostracize is for. All sixteen-year olds on this day, June 6th must survive a week in the perilous woods, without any provisions. It's not as easy as that, if it was that easy no one would die. There are beasts out there, creatures that you have to outrun, outlast, outsmart, and kill if it resorts to that.
Apparently Ostracize is to make us independent, to need no one to help us. It is to make you an adult, to be responsible in what you do. I don't believe any of that trash, I think Ostracize is for something else, I don't know what it is yet though. I've heard rumors though, that Ostracize is to keep tabs on the population, because we don't have enough food, and water, and shelter. I don't believe that at all either.
I know something that is true though, one year no one returned. Not anyone at all, not even the instructor that went with them. There was a riot, and they killed our previous leader, Magnus. We elected Tarquin to be our new Leader after, or else it would have been chaos, and we would have all died.
There is something weird about the Ostracize.
I realize I was chewing on my fingernails, they are chewed up all the way to the beds. I look at my hands, and see they are shaking, like the rest of me, I am scared of dying.
Once the Exude is over, all of us, the sixteen-year olds are escorted to the second floor of the Assemble Building. Here we will get our clothes, and a few basic provisions.
"Listen up!" Lazarus snarls. "This isn't a joke, or a stupid game."
I find him more intimidating now than when he was guarding Tarquin. I shiver, but it's not the temperature, I don't know what it is really.
I notice that Tarquin isn't here. Where is he? He should be here introducing our instructor. Something is wrong, this isn't normal.
"Hey! You," Lazarus points at me, he stares at me narrowing his eyes. "Wake up. Stop daydreaming, little girl." He snaps, and I find this offensive.
I mean, I look young to be sixteen, but I'm no little girl. I want to say something to Lazarus, make him feel bad. I think it through, but before I decide to say anything, HE walks in.
A tall man, or boy I should say, who appears a bit older than I am walks in. He wears a black hoodie, with the hood over top his head. I don't know what shirt he wears underneath. Some brown cargo shorts are what he wears for the lower part of his body. A grey pair of sneakers cover his feet. His eyes are light brown, they melt right through me... His hair is black, or dark brown? I don't know that. He looks... Handsome. Wait, why am staring at him? He won't notice me as anything other than his small, little girl student. To add to that he carries a knife about the length of my forearm, and it frightens me.
"So? Are you going to apologize?" Lazarus continues, and he brings me back into the real world. He glares at me, and some of the other sixteen-year olds copy him.
He completely disgusts me. I finally muster up the courage to say something back to him.
"I am no little girl," I snap back at him, and everyone stares at me, even the boy with the knife who just came in. Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I probably look as red as a tomato.
"I-I mean..." I stutter, and I think I shouldn't do this. I have to though.
"Yeah. You heard me, I don't need YOUR help," I make sure I look him in the eyes when I say, 'Your'. "I'm going to survive Ostracize, and you won't be helping me do that."
I shouldn't have done that, I think to myself. Lazarus crosses the room now, and heads towards me.
He grabs me by the collar of my shirt, and lifts me up with one hand, he is strong. I clench my teeth, and close my eyes. My breaths become faster, and I wait to anticipate what will happen to me.
"You don't need my help surviving do you?" I feel his breath against my face, it's warm, and I feel too close to him.
I try to squirm my way out of his grasp, but he is too strong.
Then I hear some one saying something.
"Come on Lazarus, leave her alone." I open my eyes, and notice that the boy with the scary knife said that.
Lazarus finally loosens his grip, and lets me crash to the ground. I wince as I hit the floor, and a jolt is sent up my spine. Then I try to crawl to my knees, and a girl with blond, curly hair offers me her hand, and I take it, and pull myself up.
"My name's Cyra, yours?" Cyra whispers, barely audible.
"Me... Umm... Oh... Mila." I finally answer her.
"Shut up Lorcan," Lazarus scolds him. So that's his name, the boy with the knife's name is Lorcan. Then Lazarus is yelling obscenities at him, some of the words I don't even know. Some of the sixteen-year olds are grinning, and laughing, but some are wide-eyed, and scared. That's probably how I look.
Lorcan looks defiant though, and his expression is blank, he is not scared neither amused by this nonsense.
"No, Lazarus stop this," Lorcan says, stopping Lazarus right in his tracks.
"We need to hurry, we're short on time." He explains to Lazarus as if he doesn't know anything.
Lazarus shoots daggers at him out of the conner of his eyes. He mutters something about him dying under his breath.
"As you may know already, this will be your instructor, his name is Lorcan, though you can call him anything you want," Lazarus cruelly grins at the last part, and Lorcan shifts uncomfortably.
"Anyways, here," he picks up a cardboard box that contains a load of black bags. I don't know what is with us, and the color black.
Lazarus hands, or should I say throws us all a black bag.
"Don't open them yet," he yells, and his voice echoes across the room in all directions. "You're going to need them for Ostracize, but just take out your new clothes you will be wearing for a week, or the clothes you will die in rather." The hair on the back of my neck stands, I could die in these clothes. But I won't die, will I?
"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Lazarus shouts.
"Get changed!" He yells now.
This is uncomfortable, I mean I don't want to undress in front of everyone here.
"Mila, what are you going to do about it? Just not change?" Cyra questions.
"No..." I retort, and my cheeks heat up.
"Well then?" She asks.
"I don't want to strip in front of everyone here either, do you think I want to?" I know I will have to change sooner or later, so I decide to do it now.
I heavily sigh, as I slip my red shirt off, and put the other black shirt that we're supposed to put on, as fast as I can. I want no one to see me. I don't know why black is people's favorite color here, it's too... Dark, and gloomy, and sad. I pull down my old jeans, and try to find the OTHER black jeans we are obligated to wear. I grasp them, and fit my bare legs into them.
Out of the corner of my eye I see that Lorcan is staring at me, I look at him, upset. He quickly twists his body, and faces the door.
Heat flushes into my cheeks, and I head towards him after I'm changed, bag slung over my shoulder. He knows I'm angry at him, and he knows I'm behind him now, he doesn't turn though. Then I shiver again, I forgot that he is my instructor, and that he has a deadly knife in his hand. But before I can turn, and leave he speaks.
"What?" He asks like he did nothing.
I let out a frustrated sigh.
"Why were you looking at me?" I ask.
"Go get ready to leave now, Lazarus is coming." He tries to change the subject, and I realize he is just an idiot.
"Excuse me?" Lazarus interrupts.
"Why are you talking to HER, Lorcan?"
He asks Lorcan, and I catch a tone of anger in his voice.
"You're not supposed to talk to these..." He stumbles, and tries to think of a word. Lazarus finally continues.
"...Bastards."
It hurts, I mean to be called that. He is sadistic, and cruel.
"No," I interrupt. "I came to talk to him, it's just-I mean sorry, I'll just leave now..." I say this to him. For some reason I said this. Was it because I want to be honest? Or was it because I owed Lorcan? Was it because I don't want to see Lazarus angry anymore?
"I told you." Lorcan mutters under his breath, he meant that to me.
"What's your name?" Lazarus asks.
I don't feel like I should tell him, but I'm already in enough trouble with him as it is.
"Mila." I say weakly.
"Well Mila, we're going to keep an eye on you," he smiles. "You can leave now."
I walk away from them, and return to where I was before.
"Hey. Mila, what was that all about?"
Cyra asks.
I don't feel like telling her. Instead I decide to say: "You sure ask a lot of questions, don't you?"
"Well, I'm sorry." She replies with an edge of attitude in her voice.
"Hey, Toby." Cyra calls out across the room.
I hear a heavy sigh from somewhere, then a voice.
"What do you want now Cyra?" Toby yells from somewhere.
"Come over here." Cyra replies.
"Where exactly is, 'over here'?"
"Umm... Mila do you mind lifting me up?" This question sounds weird.
"Uh, sure, whatever." I reply.
I interlock my fingers, and she lifts one foot, and puts it on top of my hand. Then she pushes herself up with my head. Cyra waves wildly towards my right, and a few seconds later a boy a bit taller than me appears from the crowd. She jumps down, and pats my shoulder.
"Toby, this is Mila. Mila this is Toby." She introduces me to him.
"Actually," he retorts. "My nickname is Toby, but my actual name is Tobiah."
"Oh, well, what do you want me to call you?" I ask.
"Any name is fine."
"Okay."
"Shut it," Lazarus finally says, I guess he was waiting for everyone to get ready. "You will finally leave, and go to Ostracize. Everyone follow Lorcan."
He wanted us to be gone, stating the obvious.
Lorcan waves us over, to follow him. We exit the building, and I notice that it's raining. I like the smell of wet pavement though, there's something about it.
We keep on walking, and someone shoves me into a puddle. I hear laughter behind me.
"Nice one Tiberius." Someone says.
"Thanks, Jacob." I'm guessing that was Tiberius.
"It's Jake." That must have been Jacob, or Jake.
I try to get up, but another person pushes me again knocking me into the shallow murky water.
"Pfsh. Sadie." A girl's voice says that though.
I try again one more time to get up, but someone knocks me down yet again with their foot, and puts it on my back.
"Hey. Stop that, leave her alone." That I know, was Toby.
The foot leaves my back, but I can still feel it on my back. This time I manage to get up without problem.
I can finally see them for the first time.
"Tiberius, Jacob, Sadie, Annora?" Toby seems confused. "Why are you acting like this?"
"We figured since we only have a few days left to live, we should make the most of it." Replies Jake in a bubbly tone.
I know it's Jake because of his voice. He has dirty blond hair that sticks out in every direction, and crystal clear blue eyes.
"Yeah." Says Tiberius.
Tiberius has black hair that goes down to the bottom of his neck. His eyes are black too.
"Well that's not a very good way to make the most of it, you don't have to take it out on others." Toby's eyes look sad.
"Who cares if we take it out on others? Who cares if we get into trouble?" Annora sounds carefree.
She has blond hair, very light. Her eyes are grey-ish, green.
The other girl must be Sadie. He hair is light brown, and her eyes are sea green.
All four of them walk away from Toby, and I.
I look at the puddle I fell in, and I see my reflection. My hair is brown, and frizzy. My eyes are brown too, and my face is splotchy. My black clothes are all wet, I feel really cold, standing here in the rain alone. I want to cry, but I know I can't, and I'll force myself to not cry.
"Come on Toby," I hear Cyra's voice behind me, and she starts walking towards me. "You too Mila."
We run to catch up to the rest of the sixteen-year olds.
There's a tall fence here, with barbed wire on the top. Behind the fence lies a vast forest with ginormous trees, and brush. Lorcan stands in front of the gate that allows us to enter the forest that many of us will die in.
"First of all, you my want to have some friends to depend on if you want to live. Second, you will want to find some water, and food once you get in. Last, there are a few things in you bag you have with you, and you will need them." With that Lorcan opens the gate, but no one goes in, so he goes in first.
We all follow him in. The air is humid, but fresh, and whenever you take a step, the ground feels hollow under your feet. I like it.
"Umm... Cyra, Toby? Maybe we should stick together for this?" I know I want to live, and I know they do too.
"I think that sounds good." Toby says.
"Yeah." Replies Cyra.
I notice a boy who's back is against a tree, he is alone. I walk up to him, and he backs up from me.
I finally can see him better for the first time. His hair is blond, and wavy. His eyes are dark blue, and almost look black. He, of course wears the same thing as me.
"Hi. What's your name?" I ask, I'm trying to sound kind, but I struggle with that.
"Micah." He says
"You could join us you know? Do you want to? I mean, we could all have better chances of surviving Ostracize." I
offer Micah.
"Really? You aren't joking right?" He asks raising an eyebrow.
"No, come on." I tell Micah.
Everyone still hasn't left yet, we are still afraid of splitting up. We walk over to Lorcan, though I don't know why I am walking over to him. Before I reach him, I hear a blood-curdling scream. Then more screaming, and growling?
Suddenly I see Sadie on the forest floor, screaming in pain, clutching at her leg. She doesn't stop screaming. I look more closely, and see blood, lots of it. Her hands are deep, dark red from all the blood draining out of her. Then a wolflike creature springs out of nowhere, and starts ripping her apart. I can't bare to watch so I turn around, away from her.
I hear, and see people screaming, and laying on the floor. I see guts, and blood stains on the floor, it makes me sick. Cyra, Toby, and Micah are still here, eyes wide, scared to death. I see shadows everywhere, swiftly jumping, and tearing people apart, growling.
Then one lunges at me, and I'm frozen, I'm going to die here, on the first day. I
won't even make it past today. I'm going to die.
A/N
So... There it is! If I get at least 3 reviews I will post chapter 2! Thx! I Hope you like it! (I think that this story sucks by the way...) Can anyone change my opinion? (Well... I'll probably always be this way anyways.)
~TobiasEverdeen