The 'select' process

Chapter 2

I awake to the blaring noise of a horn sounding at 4 o'clock, the same way I do every morning. For a split second, I contemplate staying in bed for a bit longer but then I remember what happened the last time I did that - my tag (the tag that everyone in the world except for the leaders has to wear) started flashing and making a high pitched noise that just didn't stop and in the end my grandma had to call the enforcers (what used to be called police) to stop it. They took my food rations for two days as a warning, and it's safe to say I'll never be doing that again.

I slide out of my rickety, wooden framed, bed and let out a small shriek as my bare feet touch the freezing cold floor. I forget what I'm doing completely and go into a daydream about what waking up in the morning must be like in other sectors, warmer sectors. I've only ever been to one other sector (sector 20) when my auntie was executed because she became paralysed after an accident at work. The authority aren't completely heartless, I suppose. Suddenly, I'm awoken from my daydream by the bleeping of my tag. I press the red button on the front and it stops, you have to do that so the enforcers know you're out of bed. They know if you're just pressing the button and going back to sleep because the bed and the tag are linked.

I sluggishly step into my work clothes - a set of old, crumpled and ripped blue overalls just as my brother bounds into my room with the same wide, bright smile he always seems to be wearing. That's one thing I've always admired about Xavier, his ability to be happy, or at least appear to be happy, no matter what's going on. He walked over to me with a spring in his step and his arm outstretched, holding my 2 water canisters for me. My job is to collect water from the purifying plant 3 miles away, on the coast, and take it back to my town where it is distributed between us. Up until last week, that was Xavier's job too, but when he turned 18 they told him he had to have a full time job so now he drives the lorries that carry the water from the coastline to the purifying units all throughout the sector.

As I walk down the stairs I can smell my breakfast. Porridge as always. I drag my feet all the way up to the solid, metal table and slump down into a chair. "hello darling, chirpy as always" says grandma, laughing her sweet laugh. I groan as she passes me a bowl of porridge and sits opposite me, Xavier joins us and we gulp down the bland porridge as if we haven't been fed for a week. After breakfast I run to our water tank and grab the bottle with my name on it to fill it up. That's when I remember that I haven't connected my filtration tube to the tank yet. I unzip my overalls to my waste and gently tug the tube that comes out of my bladder through my tummy, I then screw it into one of the pumps which sucks all the liquid out to be filtered. that's the most annoying thing about the water rations, you have to do it 3 times a day, every single day - unless you drink less than you're 6 bottle a day allowance.

I rush out the door to find my mischievous boyfriend, Cal, stood waiting for me. "pass us your canisters then Gee Gee" he says.

"Stop fucking calling me that!" I say as I punch him straight in the arm, it obviously didn't have the desired effect as all he does is smirk and pull me out the small, derelict porch by the waist. We've been together for a year now, but I still can't help but smile whenever I see him. Cal is 16 and unlike me he has a tall, strong frame with blue eyes like mine and hair black as the night sky.

We walk for about an hour until we reach water plant, where he hands me back my canisters and winks goodbye as we separate into two lines - one for boys and one for girls. Gender is separated like this in most of the institutions because you're not meant to have relationships until you've passed the second selection, incase we have children that don't have parents in the elite group.

I find my friend Sharna in the line and push my way past some of the younger girls to get to her. When I reach her, I realise she has a grave expression on her face. Before I even think my mouth opens and I say "they're today. Aren't they?" She nods. My stomach drops, I feel a lump in my throat and my eyes start to burn. "oh well, you'll be fine. You're smart. And...you're resourceful too. That's what they're looking for. And besides, We've done it once so surely we can do it again." She musters a week smile which I know is for my benefit and says "I s'pose so. You'll be fine too." I smirk and say, "yeah, but we knew that already" we both laugh nervously and follow the line of girls into to cool building that smells like chemicals and has white tiles and pipes everywhere.