Reagan sat petrified in his seat near the blasting TV. He didn't hear a word the people were saying, nor did he want to. His life had just been ruined, by his own mother. There was a fifty-fifty chance that he would be picked. Besides, his mother was right: he knew how to survive. At least his father had enough sense to teach him that before disappearing.
He sighed and flipped to another channel. It seemed that every channel he flipped to either had news on the government's game or news about a war going on in the foreign world. He flipped again and the words "Survive or Die" came up in big letters. His stomach made a small lurch of fear and then went queasy.
The words quickly went away and a news reporter came on with a cheery voice. "This year's Survive or Die will consist of a hundred people. Two will be from our very own state..." Her words died off as the TV was slowly drained of its power. Reagan sat up quickly to find his mother there with the remote.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, a tear making its way down her cheek. "I couldn't bear it."
Reagan stood from his sitting position and took his mother's hands in his. "It will be okay," he whispered. He was much taller than she was, and had to look down to see her teary eyes. "I won't be picked."
***
Claire fumbled home in a daze. What had started out as a playful joke had ended in a miserable night. Her name was the only name from her whole neighborhood, which meant that she would be in the first part of finals. Her heart pounded as she anticipated telling her mother of the horrifying news.
An idea struck her then, and she smiled. She wouldn't tell her mother about it because it would only bring heartache when she wasn't going to be picked anyway. She would get into the finals, and then there would be a hundred picked from a million. Besides, what were the chances that she would be picked anyway? She would be safe. Claire smiled and, with renewed strength, walked the rest of the way to her home. Her mind was made up: She would not tell her family.
The door burst open as Claire got closer, and her younger sister rushed out. "Clawre," she shouted in her usual two year old voice. Claire smiled and swooped the small girl into her arms.
"Randie," Claire purred. Her fear from the night's events swept away. Randie gripped onto her hair and smothered her cheek with slobbery kisses. Claire laughed and brought the two of them inside. The dining room table was set for dinner and her father stood glaring at her from the head of the table.
"Where were you, Claire?" he asked patiently. With much difficulty, Claire set Randie in her high chair and walked calmly to her seat as if nothing was wrong.
"I was hanging out with my friends," Claire responded, sitting next to her mother. "I'm sorry I was late."
"You're father wanted you home by seven, Claire," her mother scrutinized. "Were you with Peter again?" Claire blushed a deep red.
"No," she replied quickly. "I was at the library with the girls."
"Be home on time," her father replied, ignoring her last statement. She breathed a sigh of relief and began to eat. If her father had inquired more on what they had done, she would have snapped under the weight and told all about her night. But she was glad that, for now, her family was safe from the very truth she was trying so hard to keep a secret.
YOU ARE READING
Cheating Death
ActionClaire, a blonde haired, green eyed girl from California, was not expecting to be picked for the government's "Survive or Die" game. However, on one particular night, a stranger took her choice from her by putting her name into their neighborhood's...
