Outer

1. The Sorting

"...Year 2103, Month 12, Day 364, Hour 23, Minute 56 ..."

I rock back and forth as I listen to the radio buzz on. Normally the Sorting makes me anxious, but the buzzing is so calming.

"...if you've reached seventeen this past year then it's time you learn who you'll be in society..."

I hum the song playing in the distant background. They always use it for the annual sorting. Every year right before January.

"...all trained children will have their announcement in their lunch hall. All town children will have their announcement at their town square..."

I chuckle to myself as I turn down the volume. Trained? That's what they call us because orphan is too disgusting for townspeople.

I suppose either name is appropriate, we are trained like animals.

We often have the upper hand when chosen. Although they'll never say it, we are already picked for things. It's the reason why we succeed more. They chose a few things they think we'd do good in and whichever we do best in or are needed most in, that's our 'future'.

"Every seventeen-year-old please come down to the lunch hall," the loudspeaker booms once the clock resets. It's the 365th day of the year.

I turn off the radio and drop my feet off the end of my bed. The rough and cold wood under my feet sends a moment of wanting coursing through my body, a desire for something I can't have.

I snap out of it quickly, because the other girls are already getting dressed. I'm already ready, I can never sleep during this time of the year.

"How are you all feeling?" Sadie asks once she finishes tying her shoes. Most of the other girls just grumble in response, but a few respond.

"What about you Lynx?" Sadie asks once all the other girls finish saying how excited or terrified they are. Sadie is the only girl here that I might call a friend, we've known each other the longest. She's the only one who seems to care about me, the girl with no name.

Yes, I have a name, but I got here at the age of four without one. It took a whole year for me to be given a name, but even now, I don't have a surname.

"I'm feeling hungry," I say, tying my hair up with a ribbon. She gives me a worried look which I return with a small grin. I smile at the other girls and stand in front of my bed. It doesn't take long for the mistress to come. We all straighten our posture when the door swings open. She looks around at all of us, a sad look on her face. She was never particularly cold to us, she understands us. She wanted to be a mother but this is the closest she got to that dream.

"Come children," she whispers, turning around. We all follow her down the stairs in a single file line. I hate these lines, they're too perfect.

"What do you think you're going to get?" The girl in front of me asks the girl in front of her in a hushed tone.

"A screen player," she whispers, looking over her shoulder. She has so much pride, but I'll admit, she's talented in acting. But that's about it, she can't do anything but entertain a crowd.

"I'll probably just be a housewife," the girl in front of me says before slightly looking over her shoulder. She smiles at me and asks, "What about you, Lynx?"

I don't think I've ever spoken to her in my life, I haven't talked to half the girls my age. The only reason they know my name is because of how often the teachers speak of me, good and bad.

I could've gone my whole life in the shadows, only being whispered about because of how I was brought here, but the teachers always wanted to point me out.