I rolled out of bed and picked up the blue dress my mother had layed out for me the night prior. It was layered with a tight corset at the top. It really was quite beautiful, and it would be more so if I wasn't wearing it to please the likes of some demonic entity. Each year my town was to choose one person from a bucket of names. The bucket contained the name of every single person that lived in the small town. No one ever left, no one ever came unless they were born there, and nothing ever changed. If you left the walls of the town you were dead for sure, unless you were a gaurd bringing the sacrifice of the year. Who ever was picked from the bucket had two hours to write out a final will and testimate and say goodbye to their loved ones. After the two hours they were brought out, acompanied by two gaurds, to the forest that surrounded the town. once brought there, no one ever heard from them again. No one who acted as a gaurd ever spoke of it. They never described the creature that took the person, they never told anyone what happened, they never even talked about the forest itself. Once it was done, it was done. A family mourned, and the rest of the town worksed to keep up their chores. That's just how it was. I was never worried. My family, the Jacksons, had a lucky streak. No one from my family had been sent out in the woods in over ten years. I wasn't going to be picked. My cousin Rolly was chosen when I was seven, abd since then none of my family members had perished.
"Amanda!" My mother called from the living room. It was almost time for the chosing. I smoothed out the dress that I wore, and ran a brush through my hair a few times before leaving it in a straight heap. It was blue at the time. I quite liked it that way. I tossed my brush in a drawer and made my way to the living room. My hair and dress matched, making me smile slightly. "What exactly are you smiling about? Today is the day one of our own is sacrificed to save the rest of us. That's nothing to smile about. It's wrong." Mother reprimanded. I looked at her wide eyed.
"My, my dress. It um, matches my hair." I replied sheepishly. She gave a curt nod before my father came out of the bedroom wearing a suit and tie. He looked handsome, but tired and worn down. We all left our house and walked the short distance to town square where many people were already gathered. We waited there in the square for a while before Mr. Smith stepped onto the small staged and held up a big blue bucket. His short pudgy fingers reached into the bucket without a word. Everyone knew what he was doing, and what would come of it. He pulled out a slip of paper, and the town went silent. I felt no jitters or worries. It's not me, it's not me, it's not me I chanted in my head.
"Amanda Jackson" He called grimly. I felt my heart stop. Everyone turned to look at me, and my mother let out a sob. This wasn't happening. It wasn't me. There had to be some mistake, didn't there? I raised my eyes from the ground to look at my mother.
"It's okay, mom. I'll be fine" I said with an attempt at a smile. In reality, I was preparing myself to die. I was reminded of a poem "This is how the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper" It said. I wouldn't go out with a whimper. No. I'd go out strong and pround. I wouldn't gove the monster his way.
