The Division

Chapter 1 (River)

River

The Ruby Nation is suffocated by its traditions, including The Vote. Every four years, the twelve provinces vote for the generals they want to lead the Army. All males 18 and older are drafted into the Army. Women run the Ruby Nation. We make and maintain the businesses and tend to the children at home. No woman has ever been admitted to the Army, because they say "it's not our place".

But I proved them wrong.

Today I am eligible for The Vote, where I can possibly become general for Province Eight.

I stand there, at attention on the stage, waiting for the sun to disappear and the moon to take its place. That is when the votes are counted and the winner is announced.

I glance at my opponents. The one next to me is the horrible Cole Brown. For years, he has laughed and kicked my family around because my father left us, forcing us to rely on our mother's small income. He taunted us while he lived in the most expensive building, had the finest clothes and ate delicious foods, all while watching us beg for food and water every day.

Past Cole is Vincent Dane, the highest recorded graduate of The Army Training Academy (I say recorded because I scored higher than him but I wasn't ever recorded).

Finally, the last of the orange red had faded from the sky and the darkness revealed itself. The time has come. The previous general, General Ross, strolls up to the wooden podium and clears his throat loudly, signifying the crowd to silence.

"The time has come," his voice booms around the square, "to announce our new general." He fumbles with the paper lying on the podium and I curse at him mentally. He eventually finds the correct paper and says " The new general for Province Eight is... Riveara Asoura."

Clapping erupts in the air. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding as my name was called (Yes my name is Riveara but everyone calls my River). I calmly step forward as General Ross pins the historic General Badge to my red uniform. He steps away as a tomato is thrown at my face. I catch it and burst it in my hand. The clapping ceases.

With an inferno in my eyes, I march up to the podium and say "Approximately six years ago, I was denied from training with the Army. They told me I was too weak and not meant to be here," I look straight at the tomato thrower, who was none other than Mrs. Brown, refusing to back down. "Some of you think women can't fight and definitely can't be voted to an important position like General. Well look at me now." I storm off the stage and out of the Central Square, with my chin up, shoulders back, and a blue fire in my eyes.

·I·

I walk home, the fire slowly withering away from my eyes, but my chin still held high. I open the door, that dangles off its hinges, and I am tackled by my two younger sisters, Cress and Daniela, the twins.

"We just heard the news" Daniela hugs me harder. "We're gonna be rich now." She starts dancing around the room.

Cress gasps, " Maybe I can get a new dress." She glances down at the faded flowery, yellow dress she always wears.

I smile. Becoming a general not only makes me the youngest and first woman ever elected, but it also pays quite a bit of money. When I was little my dad left us with nothing. We lived off of my mother's job as a jeweler, until I joined the Army and even then we barely had enough money to get by (I was payed less that the other soldiers). I am sixteen. I joined the Army Training Academy at ten, but I was denied until a year later along with another girl named Amber Gold. She became my best friend, and after four years of training, even though everyone else does 2-3, we entered during the last year of the Ten Year War, where Amber was killed in combat. Her last words to me as she died in my arms were, "Become General and wipe that stupid smug look off their faces." I finally fulfilled that promise.

Daniela pulls my arm slightly, snapping me back to reality. "River! River! Why you zoning out? I was just telling you what dolls I wanted."

"You don't want to bore her, Daniela." Mom says walking into the room pulling her long autumn hair into a bun. She places a hand on my shoulder (Mom never was the hugging type). "I am so proud of you." I nod and follow her and the twins to the table in the green walled kitchen, where dinner sits steaming hot.

We all eat our chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans hastily after the stressful day. Then I go to bed.

As I am waiting for sleep to grab me in its hold, I think about Amber.

" I did it, Amber." I whisper to the sky and as if that was the magic word I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Thank you for reading the first chapter of our book. We are very excited to get this one going. We post new chapters:

Autumn (Sydney): Monday or Tuesday

Nichole (Mikki): Wednesday or Thursday

River (Elena): Friday or Saturday

Thanks

-Elena (River)