The trials of the six

Scarlett

He is my rival, I need to beat him in everything Or I will fail.

Our town is cursed by the royal family. Every five years four people are nominated to compete in a series of events to make them stronger and faster. It's called the game of four. Two girls and two boys are nominated. The royal family oversees it and makes it seem like you're doing a favor to your kingdom. They see it as a game.

Anyway, then they will have to fight each other to the death. But there's a twist, the cruel part of the deal because it wants to be cruel enough already. The tasks are extremely dangerous and if you die before the fight at the very end they will either kill your family or banish them from the kingdom. 

They have done this for a couple hundred years because our little town had done something horrid towards the royal family, the odd thing is that no one can remember what it was that was done.

The votes are being tallied today, everyone voted yesterday. It's mandatory that you vote or you could get banished.

I have been training for this since I was 5 years old, I am now 15.

I have a feeling that two of the four people that are going to be voted are me and Will. We both can handle the trials that will come during the game of four.

"Scarlett, we are almost ready, are you sure you want us to leave? Even if you win we may never see you again." I avoid the pain in my mama's voice. "What do you think I won't win?" I say with a sly grin. I can't handle when someone I love is in pain. It makes me uncomfortable and sad, so I avoid having to feel those emotions.

"You know that's not what I meant, you're my daughter. I'm supposed to take care of you. I know you want me and your sisters to be safe but what if it backfires?"

At this point we both are on the verge of tears. "Mom." I said in a firm voice. "I have worked on this plan for years because I knew this day would come. We will most likely never see each other again, but it's ok. You have to be strong for Zoie and Layla." A single tear rolls down my mama's cheek. "I will be, we will create a new life with new names somewhere else." She gets up to leave my room. "Your still my daughter Scarlett, I will love you no matter what." The door closes behind me while I look out the window. I am doing this to keep my family safe. To keep mama and Zoie and Layla safe.

The plan is to get them out of town tonight before the votes are announced tomorrow at noon.

I will get them to the fence and over it, then the three of them will run to the next town and stay there for one day and then keep moving to avoid patrols. They will leave me here and I will fight in the game of four.

"Scarlett, are you ok?" Zoie and Layla speak at the same time. They had both snuck into my room while I was thinking. "Yes! Of course I'm ok." I say with a fake cheerfulness. Zoie placed a bracelet on my bed. "I know that we won't see you again, and me and Layla don't want you to forget us. So we made you this bracelet." Zoie's voice was breaking.

"Scarlett, we love you so much! We don't want you to go! Don't leave us!" Layla was getting louder and louder. Tears were streaming down their faces. I was overcome with sadness, for the first time in years I started to cry. "Layla, Zoie. I don't want to leave you guys. I love you and I will never leave you, not truly!" I put on the bracelet and sniffled. "I am never going to forget you guys, your my sisters! I watched you grow up, I helped raise you." Tears were streaming down all of our faces.

"Mark my words I will find you guys one day, make sure you wait for me. Ok?"

"Ok." They both sniffled out. "Now you guys need to finish packing your stuff." I said. I wiped the tears off Zoie's face, then Layla's. I went back to staring out the window. It was almost dark, there was no moon out tonight so it would make their escape much easier.

About two hours later we were at the fence. "You guys have everything?" I asked them in a whisper so we wouldn't get caught.

"Yes I think so." Mama said before starting to climb the tree to hop over the fence. Zoie and Layla both hugged me. "I love you guys, remember what I told you before ok? I will be ok."

Zoie started to climb the tree and then hopped over the fence, then Layla did the same. "I love you guys." I whispered to them as the space between us grew and grew until I couldn't see them anymore.

I slowly walked home, but it didn't feel like home anymore. The silence of the small house was eerie and I hated it. There was no one I loved there and it made the house feel empty and lonely. I fell asleep on the couch, because upstairs was silent. I laid there for a few hours not being able to sleep. Then the world went black.

The next morning I woke up to the sun in my face. I got up, had some bread and got ready. I put on a suit that is good to fight in. It's tight on me, so I put a sweater over it to hide it. I do my long ginger hair into a high ponytail and put fighter gloves on. I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize myself. I looked confident and cool, but also like I could kill you at any second. I got out the little makeup we had, only some blush and mascara. I put on the only ring I've even owned, it was from my grandma. The reason I kept it was because it flooded out into a blade. It was a good secret weapon.

I got my shoes on and went to the door.

I was ready to play the game of four.