Listed: Book One of The Listed Trilogy

Chapter Three

Eve

Tomorrow is the day of the Listing, and I've never been more excited or depressed in my life. I'm excited because of my chance to be Listed, even though I know that the odds are slim. No eleven-year-old has ever been Listed before, I hope to change that, but I just can't get my hopes up. But I'm depressed because Harper won't be there. So if I were to be Listed, Harper couldn't congratulate me. She couldn't watch me go, I couldn't say my goodbye to her. I know that if I do get Listed, I might have a chance of seeing Harper, but if I were, then I probably wouldn't. I sigh, and eat my piece of bread quietly.

I get to work, sweeping the floors, cleaning the plate, same routine as yesterday. When I get to the barn, Marco is already there, chopping firewood. 

"Mornin' Buddy." he says, the same as yesterday. I just nod, and fill the bottle with milk. "You okay?" he asks, coming inside to stand next to me.

I feel the urge to nod again, but then I just say, "Yeah, I'm fine." I look into his eyes, but he doesn't look convinced. He nods, and walks back to the wood. I listen to the whack of the axe making contact with the wood as I fasten the nipple onto the bottle. I walk over to a small pen where five hungry baby pigs await me. I open the pen door, and slip inside the muddy, straw-covered pen.

I place the bottle on the side of the pen, and take one of the piglets into my arms. I cradle him, and hold the bottle to his mouth. He sucks gratefully, obviously enjoying my hold. I can be gentle, and I am most of the time. It's just the people in Opes that provoke me. It's like a hungry monster inside of me, one that sleeps like a tired kitten when I'm home. But the second I see those rich people doing something to the people of Paupertas that isn't right, it's beady yellow eyes open, it flexes its claws, and pounces, attacking the wealthy. That's why I watch the town in the day when it wakes up, when there's little trouble, rather than watching it during the day, where I would be giving the Monster a feast, I would be seen as a ruffian, a thug, a wrestler trapped in the body of an innocent looking eleven-year-old girl. 

"So, tonight's the Eve." Marco calls out. I wake up from my thoughts, and put the piglet down.

"I'm sure everyone will celebrate." I say, picking up the next piglet. The Eve is the night before the Listing, and everyone celebrates, even the people in Paupertas. We usually get tons of food from Opes delivered to us by officers, and everyone eats a great feast with their family with their food. That means I'll be eating by myself. At least you'll get more food, but the thought doesn't make me feel any better.

"Can't imagine how they celebrate in Opes." Marco says. I nod, even though I know he can't see me. 

"There must be thousands of delicacies sent in from everywhere in Imperium." I say. Imperium is the name of our country, and every state has their special sort of food. Our state is anything apple-related. Apple pies, candy apples, and anything else you can think of. State 6 is cod, and other fish. State 50 is something called pineapples, whatever those are, but I hope I'll get to try it someday. I wish I could try all of the food, but we only get a measly percentage of what the people in Opes receive. I shudder, and attempt to get my mind off of food.

"I can't think of food at the moment, trying to save almost everything I can for the family." Marco says, almost regretfully.

I nod, and finish feeding the last of the baby animals.

Marco has a large family, his mother, father, five sisters and three brothers. Eleven people in a family calls for a lot of food, which doesn't come very easily in Paupertas. Since Marco is the oldest child, he's taken the responsibility of making sure everyone else is fed. That's why he's always so thin, and one reason why I worry about him. I fear that he'll starve himself for the sake of his other family members, even though I know he's not the only one making sacrifices. Marco's parents don't eat much either, and they work all day and through the night, only taking an hour break every day. When they do get a break, they sleep, so Marco's sister Abby is in charge while Marco works for food. When the extra food does come, I usually have to sort it. I give Marco some of my food so that he can eat a little more. I'm only one person; I don't need as much as Marco's family. Marco starts to shake me on the shoulder, snapping me back to reality.