Caged

Part 1- The Past and The Preparation

Arabelle was immensely grateful for Wendy, who had told her about the process of being judged many times.

Wendy shook violently as she was led down a dark path. Two bulky men pushed her forward by her shoulders. Every time she attempted to steal a peek behind her at one of the other girls, they forcefully pushed her head forward, growling low warnings at her to keep her eyes straight.

After what felt like eternity of walking down the same hallway, they finally turned off into a nearly blinding white room. Another group of girls had already arrived, and were seated on the scattered pieces of furniture.

Outside, the rain belted down on the window. One of the girls stood nervously, hoping to close the curtains to try and block some of the noise. Before she could even take two steps forward, she was grabbed by the back of her blouse and yanked back down into her spot by a handler.

"The Judgement will begin in three minutes," a man's voice said calmly over the speaker, as though the rumors that many of them would be killed had simply been false and no one was in any actual danger.

The seconds ticked by at an agonizing pace. As each one passed, young Wendy found herself getting more and more agitated. She continuously smoothed the skirt of her turquoise dress. For the only day a girl was allowed to wear anything besides her standard uniforms was her Judgement day and her wedding day.

If she even lived long enough to be married.

Finally, two men in smooth, expensive looking suits waltzed into the room.

"There are some good choices today, aren't there Will?" One asked the other.

"Yes," he said back. "Better than last years, if I do say so myself."

Two by two, they led girls out of the white room, showing them to a separate room where the president of the Inner Division gave them final judgement.

Wendy was in the last pair to leave the room. As they walked towards the office of the man that would decide if she kept her life, she closed her eyes and prayed silently.

"Open your eyes," the one in the blue suit whispered to her.

"That's right," the one in black continued. "The president will think you're disrespectful."

She took a deep breath and forced herself to open her eyes. There were only a few scattered lights in the hallway, and it was hard for her to make out anything in the darkness.

"We're here," the man in navy said softly, his voice much darker and deeper than when he had whispered his helpful warning to her.

He extended his arm out past Wendy's ear and gave the door three quick knocks.

Tap tap tap

As if by some paranormal force, the door gracefully opened, and then shut behind them once they had entered.

Before them sat the president, the man whose great grandfather began the tradition of the Judgement after the last nuclear war.

He had turned away from them, so that all they could see was the large, plush, rectangular backing of his office chair.

Wendy was worried that he had forgotten about the final pair of girls, and that he would simply sentence them both to death out of boredom.