The Choosing

Chapter Twenty Four

She looked around the room as if searching for us all. When she made eye contact with me I gave her a small smile.

"It seems that they are all present. If you all could raise your hand so that we could recognize you that would be lovely."

Slowly, hands rose in the air. I didn't recognize most of the people the hands belonged to, but I did spot my old neighbors. I never would have guessed Mr. and Mrs. Jansen would be like me. They were a nice older couple that never could have children. The Town was not pleased with Mr.Jansen on this front. He was often ridiculed for this which made no sense to me. It's not like he chose to be sterile. Although, being different wasn't something that was celebrated in The Town, much less pity.

They saw me, but I don't think they recognized me. It seems like that is always how it went for me. I knew them, but they didn't know me. I always pondered whether it was because I had a good memory or because everybody else had bad memories. I guessed that would forever be an unanswered question of mine.

"Would one of you mind explain the situation in The Town please?"

I saw Cade press his blue button. I wasn't about to speak yet. I wanted to see how things work before I decided to speak. It wasn't that I was scared of public speaking, I just liked to do things right.

Cade's button lit up and his name flashed on a board above Luna's head. I guess Cade was going to give his account of what happened. Hopefully, he didn't say anything about what I did. Who knew how that information would be received here. Something told me it wouldn't be received well.

"Please don't say anything stupid," I mumbled to myself.

"This is how we are going to do this," Luna spoke, "Cade will tell us what happened and everybody from The Town will push their button to agree or disagree."

Everybody mumbled some form of okay.

He cleared his throat before speaking, "So basically in The Town, every kid is put through tests when they reach fifteen. These tests determine whether you can be in some secret society or not."

Everybody hit agree. Luna wrote this down and nodded at cade to continue.

"Except this society turned out to be evil and started to massacre everybody except the people they wanted."

Everybody from The Town hit the agree button one again.

"And what kind of people did they want?" Luna asked.

Cade drew in a deep breath, "The Town wanted people that they could make into mindless soldiers."

Luna's eyebrows scrunched, "Is that true?"

Everybody from The Town hit the agree button.

She gasped but immediately gained back her composure, "So, why are you guys more compatible to be soldiers than the others?"

"Well, it's because when we are young a part of our brains gets removed. It's the part that controls violence and aggression, but for people like us it just didn't work."

Everybody not from The Town broke out into discussion. It seemed what The Town did was not common practice as they all discussed the new information in shock.

"Quiet down everybody," the man next to Luna demanded, "Please press your buttons if you wish to speak.

Soon a name and a face lit up on the board. It was a woman I had never met. She seemed to be in her late thirties and assumed she was from Pax.

"I just have one question. I don't care who answers it but they must be from The Town." She scans us and quickly speaks again. "Why should we trust you guys if you are prone to aggression?"