The Choosing

Prologue

"Mommy" I turned to her, feeling my face get hot and tears starting to cloud my vision. "I don't want to get chosen. What if I don't like it?" My voice quivered. I feel the tears release and slide down my cheeks. They were unstoppable now.

"Oh, honey..." her gaze softened as she squatted down to me. "Don't worry. You'll get the perfect role. They always know best." She straightened my tie with a soft smile and smoothed out the wrinkles on my uniform's shirt. I wasn't convinced, and I could tell behind that smile she was worried, too. She was being brave for me. I had to be brave too. I sniffled and squared my shoulders, sucking in my lips so they wouldn't tremble.

She handed me my bag and we loaded into the car. The ride to school was silent and thick with anxiety. When I got to my class, it was a jungle of nervous parents and other children. Some parents were hugging their kids tight, others were sitting silently with them. There were a couple parents that seemed excited, and I heard them saying things like "You'll follow in your daddy's footsteps, and inherit my company," or "don't fret Anne Marie, everyone from our family have been chosen for great things!" I heard some parents anxiously telling their children that they'll love them no matter what, and I thought that was strange.

The classroom was small, only suited for 30 kindergarteners. With the addition of 40 parents, the room felt hot and stuffy. It was still quieter than normal.

We sat down at my usual desk and mommy pulled up a chair from around the sides of the room. The usually fun grass, lions, and tigers made from construction paper that lined the walls suddenly felt menacing. I wondered if tiger mommies worry about their tiger babies on Choosing Day. Do tiger babies get chosen?

"Everyone, please settle. It's almost time." The teacher stepped in front of the room, and her commanding voice brought everyone's attention to the front of the class. She was small and otherwise unremarkable, but at that time, students and parents alike were focused on her. I saw mommy stare at the clock for a while. I couldn't read it, but I assumed it was saying something important.

"As you know" she continued, "today is a very important day for students all over the world. Soon, you will all find out what your children are destined for." She spoke to the adults, but I noticed she looked around at all the children. I think she even made eye contact with me. Her eyes were cold. I shivered. "I'll turn on the broadcast and after it's finished you can go home. It'll take about an hour, so make yourselves comfortable." I don't think anyone made themselves comfortable.

She stepped back and pointed a remote at the TV. When the broadcast started, silence fell and the lights turned off. At first it was just talking about the history of our world and what the Choosing means. I thought it was boring, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

The TV spoke in a loud male voice. "Congratulations, and welcome to the Choosing. On this day, every kindergarten-aged child will be assigned a role in our great society. In the year 2102, on the brink of World War 4 and societal collapse, the great leaders of our world came together to mend their differences and decide what is right for every citizen regardless of region. They created the Collective Government. That night, every language and territory line was abolished and our ancestors met each other on common ground for the first time. They govern the world in its entirety. Each year, they send anonymous representatives to each region to observe the children there and choose their roles. This is how we ensure that there will never be another war, hungry mouth, or lack of purpose." I didn't understand most of the words the TV said, so I was mainly looking at the pictures on screen. Some were of sad people in odd clothing carrying a wounded person, or clutching a gun, or watching an explosion. Other pictures had people holding hands and smiling. The contrast was odd. I turned to ask my mom about the strange outfits and hard hats, but she was watching the screen intently. Maybe she doesn't know either. I looked at the other parents. The patriotic ones were tearing up and touching their hearts. The others were just waiting for the Choosing. I could tell that they were waiting from the way they kept looking at the clock then at their kids. They seemed scared. "...And now, we will commence the Choosing. The names of your classmates will be listed alphabetically. We will announce their role and the notes we used to decide it." Everyone stiffened up and I looked at the screen.

"Flynn Altruist, you will work in the guidance sector. You are patient and compassionate. You are naturally gifted at resolving disputes." Flynn was nice, I liked him. I looked at him and he looked at his dad. His dad had a grin on his face, and rubbed Flynn's shoulder hard and excitedly.

"I told you buddy, it's perfect. You'll work in the government just like me. You'll be perfect, buddy!" Flynn's dad spoke through a grin. I saw some parents turn around to shush him, but he didn't care. I recognised him to be one of the parents that were excited before. Flynn smiled at his dad, and seemed proud. I was happy for them.

I waited a long time for my results. As the time passed and roles were announced, some parents grinned at their kids and hugged them, while some looked like they were going to cry. The reactions were much more interesting to me than the broadcast. One mother stood up and cried out "this isn't fair!" I was confused by this reaction, didn't the TV just tell us that the results were always perfect? The teacher walked over, took her by the arm, and escorted the crying mother to the back corner of the room. I was close so I could hear the hushed whispers. "It's not fair, she was going to break the cycle. She was going to get out!" The teacher sternly told her that the roles could not be changed. "She's so bright... has so much promise..." The mother quietly cried. I looked at her daughter, Sasha, and she was just as confused. I think her role was.. A cleaner. Yes, it was a housekeeper for a rich family in the area. I wondered what was wrong with that. That sounds like a nice job. Sasha's mother sat down again, sniffling and wrapping her arms around her daughter. It was silent again.

Finally, I heard my name. "Athena Rogue," the announcer said in a booming voice. My heart dropped and all my worry from this morning sunk in again. Mommy gripped my hand hard and I sucked in a gasp in pain. I wished Daddy could be here, but I knew he had to work. "You were born from a special family. Your father, Governor Rogue, has worked hard to ensure peace in your region. We watched you closely and you did not disappoint. You're brave, independent, and do what's right. Your role is to inherit your father's title as Governor when you turn 21." I watched Mommy's face curl into a relieved smile and a tear fell all the way down to her chin. She turned to me and hugged me tight, rubbing my back in small circles like she does when she's proud.

"I knew you could do it, baby," she whispered into my ear. "I knew you could do it." I sighed in relief and hugged her back. I didn't know what I did, but she was happy, so I was too.

                                                                                      ~*~

Hello everyone! Welcome to the prologue of my novel. This is set during the time Athena was a child, discovering her role. The rest of the story she will be an adult. 

I stopped writing for a few years and just came back to it, so any suggestions are welcome! Keep in mind this is before editing. I don't have the full plot figured out yet, so let me know what you would like to see in the coming chapters. If anyone has any cool character ideas let me know too. Thank you for reading!