The Cleanse

1

"Light," I whispered under my breath as I walked into the screening room. Today was the day that 600 people were chosen for The Cleanse, 100 assigned to each high ruler.

The enchanted candles all flickered to life, filling the room with golden light. Sitting down on the couch, I said the words to turn on the screen.

My nine year old sister, Lillian, sat down next to me just as the large transparent screen filled with light. My parents sat down on my other side.

My mother had my reddish brown hair and bright green eyes while my father and sister shared brown hair and dark green eyes. My eyes though, unlike any of theirs, had golden flecks of what looked like stardust in them.

"The High Rulers have all been assigned one hundred people each for The Cleanse. Here are the names." A beautiful lady with long brown hair on the screen started reading off a list.

(aelin.archeron on Instagram gave me this name.) "High Ruler Kai's assigned people are," a pause from the beautiful girl, and then a nervous swallow. "Me, Megan Darkthorn, Noah Hand, " she read the rest of the names for Kai. My whole family sighed with relief when it was none of us.

"It always puzzles me why they read off the names. Why not keep them a secret so it's easier for the people to be assassinated?" Asked Lillian.

"People enjoy watching other people get scared and hunted down, and I think the High Rulers like the chase," I said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer. "That girl must me so humiliated to read off her own name." Chuckling lightly, I ran my fingers through Lillian's hair.

Lillian nodded as a different pretty girl started talking. "Well that sucked. Feel bad for that girl. Let's get into the next list." She held up a long piece of paper.

(morgan_fagan gave me this one from insta) "High Ruler Lyric was assigned..." she continued reading off the list.

We sat in silence as the other High Rulers were assigned their people. High Ruler Aron. High Ruler Neron. High Ruler Zeke. Finally the last one came.

(aelin.archeorn and nightxdreemers gave me this) "And finally High Ruler Ash. Emily Fae, Olivia Stag, Evelyn Storm..."

Time froze then and there. My body became numb with fear as I heard my name. How? I had chosen to be a doctor so this wouldn't happen. Doctors were always needed.

"Eve. Eve." Lillian was shaking my hand in her tight grip. "It's not true, is it?" Her voice shook. I looked down into her dark green eyes and nodded lightly, closing my eyes.  

Soon I was engulfed in a large hug from my family, my mom whispering "No" over and over again. We were all crying, soaking each other's clothes with our tears.

"And there's everyone. Stay tuned to watch the six High Rulers take off to start their hunt, here on Magical News." A new news report filled the screen.

Finally we stoped crying and my mother pulled me into my room. "You need to pack, and run. Find someplace to hide." She pulled off my light blue dress and slipped a more movable one over my head. Shoving a bag into my hands, she packed it full with alike dresses, pants, and shirts.

We walked to her room. After rummaging through a chest, she held up a red cloak. "This will help block the magic. It won't block it entirely, but it will help." I took it and wrapped it around my shoulders, buttoning it in the front.

My mother pulled the red hood over my head. Then she pulled a large sword in a sheath out of a chest. She strapped it across my back. Adjusting it, she gave me another hug. "Follow the Sharp Tooth Mountain peek. Once you reach it, travel over and keep going. Don't stop until you're far, far away."

She and I walked out of my room. "Stay safe," Lillian whispered, hugging me again and digging her head into my cloak. "This is yours now." She held up her hand with a ring in it, head still buried in my chest.

I took it and examined the small piece of jewelry. It was the ring a boy at her school had given her, and she loved it.  Nothing fancy, just a thin ring of metal with a blue pearl attached, but it was beautiful.

Slipping it on my left pinky, I thanked her, hugged her harder, and then pulled away to hug my father.

He held out a necklace, on the end a small red stone. "This will shine when someone important to you is near. Keep it close to you at all times. I smiled and took it, clipping it around my neck under my cloak. We hugged and then I went out the back door of my house, whispered the magic words to prepare my brown mare, Alis (Alice), and galloped off toward the Starp Tooth peek.

I wasn't sure if I would see my house again, my sister and parents. All I knew was that I needed to escape, and fast.