Marked For Death
As we stood in a line to be assessed, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of test they would give us. A combat assessment, like sparing with a dummy, was the first to come to mind. Looking back, I shouldn’t have been so hopeful. There I stood in the sparring circle teary eyes as I locked eyes with my opponent, “Audrey, my darling daughter.” my mother said.
A couple hours before
The knife veered towards the so-called captain, as I hoped he’d drop dead. The freedom we’d get would be well worth my sin, well worth the guilt... but just as it reached the post that he stood on... he caught it. The glare from the tall, human-like villain caught mine as it turned to a wicked grin. A chuckle rang through the crowd as grey returned to my side. “Looks like we have a fighter. Shows your intelligence if you thought that would work on me, miss.” A scowl unlike any appeared on this ‘Kiyo’ guy as he almost growled out, “For every hour that passes without everyone here entering my ship, I shall kill one of you. As insurance.” He pointed at a random man in the crowd. One of the soldiers behind him held up a weapon that looked like a gun, but at the same time also looked like a sword. Within an instant that gun had gone off.
I couldn’t register what had just happened, obviously he was creating fear. Fear creates obedience.
Soon many people started lining up to be boarded as tears and screams were all the senses took in. I grew angrier by the second, the fact that we were less than trash to this guy, less than nothingness. The fact that he could discard anyone of us like this was a game to him. Grey broke my thoughts, “We have to find a way to get close to him, if we do, we could ambush him.” “You try getting close to a captain of a literal spaceship surrounded by soldiers with sword guns.” I said back. “There's no way we can get that close-” “Not unless we gain his trust.” he said looking at me and raising an eyebrow. “Think about it if we show we can be of use he’ll let his guard down. When that happens WHAM.” Grey slammed his fist into his other palm. “Looking at him now, we’re not enough to beat him.” he continued “You think? He caught a knife mid-air without so much as a flinch. He’s not some ruffian that wants to be in control of the city. He sees us as disposable, so if he needs to... he will dispose of us.” I look back at Kiyo, a blank expression rested on his face. It’s as if he felt nothing at all, no mercy, no guilt. I felt though, I felt rage, plain hatred just staring at him. I turned back to Grey, “So we show him we are too useful to throw away. I’m not done fighting Grey, and if I have any say in it neither are you.”
Our conversation ended there as we walked single file into the ships docking sector. Grey and I had heads down, faces blank. We both knew what it would take to get out of here. We were good at understanding each other that way. We have been since we were kids. Back then it was so easy.
“Mom, I don’t want to go” I remember telling my mother. “Honey, you must. Who knows maybe you’ll make some friends.” My first day of first grade, I hated school. My mother forced me to go and gave me a nice snack to go with my lunch to make up for it. Walking to school that day, I met Grey Sitting on the ground next to a group of kids hovering over him. “How embarrassing” I said as I got closer. “To actually bully someone in this day and age? Daddy must be hitting you pretty hard back home, yeah?” The biggest of them seemed to flinch, “Like this kid even deserves to be noticed. Just scram little first grader, us fourth graders got way more on you.” I laughed a little “Wow! Someone's deflecting hard, huh? Maybe you should try therapy, or crying your eyes out to someone who gives a shit.” my smile dropped. I may have been small but rarely anything scared me back then. How I miss that. I dropped my bag and started towards the boys, who were more worried that I wasn’t scared than anything. I went to the nurse with a broken tooth, but they went to the hospital for broken bones. Who do you think won? Ever since then Greys been by my side, I didn’t even know he was marked until he told me. His was hidden. Being on his back near his right shoulder, it was definitely easy to do so. So, we toughed it out, together, just like we will do now.
All lined up, my people were in order by age. One of the soldiers stepped up once Kiyo and another soldier walked into a room. “We will need to determine your skill level. You will all be tested in a manner of emotion, combat, and deduction skills. You will go in through that door.” He pointed to the door Kiyo had just walked into “You will go in the order that you are in now and exit through one of the doors inside of that room.” With that he signaled for the first person to go in, and the trial began.
WARNING
This next passage may be difficult for some readers. There are depictions of mental health problems and violence. If you would like to skip this part go past the “Continuation” text and read for the event ending.
Once it got to my turn, I was summoned into the room. a small squared off room with a fighting circle in the middle with the soldier standing on the other end of it and Kiyo leaning against a wall with two doors on either side of him. Kiyo spoke brief but direct, “You will fight this soldier anything goes.” I had to get him to surrender, or I guess kill him? Should be easy I could handle three of them when they scanned my mark. Just as I stepped into the circle drawn on the floor, the soldier hunched over. A flash of light followed by groaning from him, startled me. He seemed in pain, but I couldn't see much. Was his hair getting longer? His body also looks smaller. The light dimmed down and the man slowly stood up and I could’ve fainted had the shock not saved me. “Hello, my darling daughter.” My mother said. I don’t know how she was here; I watched her die. I watched her die.
Laying there coughing blood, my mother tried to speak. “I’ll be fine, fireball.” her nickname for me. “I’m not stupid” I said trying to hide the pain. “Taking the medication would help, you know.” I scolded. She never wanted to take the medicine. She said it was a waste of money If the heavens already decided that she, and unmarked adult, would pass on. She was always there for me, encouraged me, fought for me. When it came down to it, I couldn’t do that for her. This curse took her, and these soldiers thought they could disgrace her memory.
The impersonator charged towards me as I was still in shock at the sight of my mother. How did they know what she looked like? It angered me even more.
The soldier pushed me over had me pinned to the ground, using my mother's voice to try and confuse me. “Just give up... fireball” I snapped. My legs, that were pinned between, my opponent twisted, and I went straight for the crown jewels. Even if he was impersonating a woman, that had to hurt. Releasing me, he staggers to his feet where I charge at him.
I felt like a bull seeing red. My mother was a proud woman. This man didn’t get to step into her skin like that. He tried to punch me with his right fist; I pushed it to his left and went for his gut. Now gasping for air, he tried to wrestle me to the ground. I elbow him in the back two or three times. Once he released me, I let a few left and right hooks connect the façade of a face he showed. He stumbled back to the ground leaning on his palms. The anger in me was still very much there. I lifted my foot and put the heel of it on his forehead as it slowly morphed into its original form. “Permission to kill?” I asked Kiyo glancing over at him with a blank glare. I’m not sure if he believed I would do it, but whether he gave me permission or not, this guy's life ended today. Kiyo was silent, looking from me to the man who was stunned his captain would even consider it. Then he spoke, “Granted.” he said flatly, the soldier's eyes widened as he turned towards me who was already glaring at his shaking body. My hands wrapped around his neck as I felt a fire in me. Wait, no, my hands were actually on fire. They burned my opponent until they fell, no longer moving. I turned towards Kiyo who had a surprised look mixed with confusion written on his face.
CONTINUATION
“What now? I won, right?” I said flatly, trying not to let my emotions run wild at what I just experienced. Where did that come from? The fire appeared out of nowhere. One second, I was going to strangle that guy, the next he was a ball of ash. The so-called gift never had a history of granting powers. I guess now that’s not the case.
Pulling me from my thoughts, Kiyo said “Now you choose a door. One will lead you to the room with the other winners, and one leads you to an extraction chamber. I don’t think I need to explain what that is to you Miss...?” “Audrey” I answered, unamused that this man would try and have a normal conversation with me. “Miss Audrey, you surprised me. I don’t like surprises.” “I don’t like you.” “Oh, you wound me.” Kiyo said clenching his heart in fake agony, He makes my blood boil. “I choose the door on the right.” Kiyo watches as I walk up to the door, but just as I get close, he puts his arm out in front of me. “Not that one.” he says glancing down at me. “So, there's not a choice.” I said rolling my eyes. Greys thoughts about gaining his trust came back to me, but I'll be damned if I cater to this asshole. “I couldn’t throw away a perfectly good pawn” he said narrowing his eyes. He was definitely watching closely. “You could try” I said. “Well, seeing as you took one of my top lieutenants off the board, I must find a viable replacement. Who else but the person who bested him. Don’t make me repeat myself.” he commanded. I thought for a second and with a very sarcastic tone and dramatic bow I said, “Oh captain, my captain.” I walked through the other door without looking back and just like that I was a part of an intergalactic army.
Closing the door behind me I glance at Kiyo still leaning against a wall. I thought I saw a smile, but it didn’t seem like the blank smile that I’d seen before. I definitely saw wrong. Angry, selfish Kiyo couldn’t even be nice to the people he wanted to join his army.
The room had about 15 people in it. A lot more had gone in the sparring room before me. I guess even if they did win their battle, they still had to choose the right door. Already, the number of those left was decreasing by the second. I felt a hand land on my shoulder and a sigh of relief escape when I saw Grey standing before me. “Glad to see you made it, Dee.” Hugging my friend, I told him everything that happened to me in that room. Leaving out the fire part and when Kiyo stopped me from choosing the wrong door. “For me, he transformed into my father.” Grey said. “Glad to see you got to kill that guy, and asking for permission probably gave him the feeling of superiority.” I sat in silence as I thought about it. I didn’t need to tell him Kiyo wouldn’t let me choose wrong. If anything, he would probably say it was to gain my trust.
It was probably an hour and a half to two hours. I’d say there were about 50 of us left. After it was all over, we were separated by gender and led into a common area with training stations and rest areas. At the end was a doorway that looked like a hallway that went both ways. The grey metal interior reminded me of a prison. Which I guess that’s what it is for us.
Kiyo walked out with his black hair a mess, I guess the slick back look is only for intimidating helpless victims. He was in less formal combat attire and his tall stature just made him look even more annoying. “As of today, these will be your main quarters. This area will be the training area.” He gestures his arms outwards towards the room we’re in then points to the doorway. “To the left is the female bunks and to the right is the male bunks. I don’t care enough who you bunk with just do as your told and don’t cause issues.” One of the soldier's steps forward as Kiyo finds a seat. “There will be a vote among you for you to choose who your lieutenant will be for the remainder of your time here.” Whispers started to go around. “After the votes there will also be a trial for the top four to battle it out.” With that the soldiers backed away and followed Kiyo out of the room. Everyone began to talk all at once, but all I wanted to do was lay down and forget. If only for a few hours. I stood at the doorway telling myself to move forward, but my body wanted to collapse. Just as I was about to give in to the exhaustion, I was picked up by someone. Grey spoke softly, “You know you don’t hide things as well as you think you do.” I didn’t care to respond, I only looked at my hands and gave in to the fact that my body didn’t have to work. Just then Kiyo walked back into the room. Still in Grey's arms I made eye contact with my capture. A flash of something came over his eyes, but I didn’t care enough to think twice about it. “you humans, so fragile.” as if you think I care enough for your jabs to hurt. “I came back to inform you that training begins tomorrow, since we assessed each of your abilities earlier. That’s all” with that he was gone. I was carried back to one of the double bunked rooms and I quickly drifted off, away from reality.
End of episode
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