show no fear. My stomach tightened, I didn’t remember mentioning my name to her. I never mentioned my name to any of the professors except for my professor Mr. Everwood.
I tried to ignore her awe and walk away but I was roughly trapped in her grip. The look of terror that I had seen wash over her face in class had turned to one of glee as she griped me tightly, smirking. Her cold dark eyes suddenly hardened. She started to slowly shake her head in disbelief as the smirk she wore a second ago melted away, “You really don’t know do you?”
I had no choice but to say something “Uh, I really think I should go.” I tried to walk away, but she still had my arm locked in her vice.
“Better be careful, Undecided. The worst is yet to come. And it’s after you,” she said in a low, strict tone.
I angrily yanked my hand away and she quickly let go of me. I kept walking, daring not to look back. I finally took up the courage and slowly turned back to check if she was following me or not. I could see her from a distance, still standing there, staring back at me.
“Be careful....” A voice erupted in my head.
I blinked. What the?! I turned around to try and locate the source of the whispered words. But it wasn’t like it was near my ear. I felt it, in my head. The voice was in my head
I didn’t know any affiliate or man in the city that knew my name let alone professors who left about every week to go do something crazy like try to runaway. After all, I was still an Undecided. I was technically a ‘nobody’. I tried my best to ignore what she said and kept walking. She must have been one of those crazy drunks. Most people in this part of the city were out of touch with reality.
I returned home and tried to forget that tomorrow was the Sector Commemoration. My stomach flipped just thinking about it. My mother and Isaac were already eating dinner, and my mother was even more quiet than usual, not her regular bubbly self; it must be Isaac. I told them I didn’t feel like eating; it made me more nervous about tomorrow. My mother looked at me frowning.
“Why not? I made your favorite-vegetable stew. Isaac, tell your sister how delicious the stew is.” My mother looked at Isaac, smiling warmly at him. Isaac nodded at her and gave her a weak smile. She smiled at him appreciatively. “I’m telling you, Iris. You’re missing out on a delicious meal.” She stood up to heat the pot of stew on the stove. Isaac looked at me and shook his head slowly, warning me that it didn’t taste good at all. Typical.
“Uh, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to eat, mom.”
“You’re sure?”
“Trust me. I’m a hundred percent sure.” I told her reassuringly.
“Okay, but if you get hungry, I’m sure there will still be more left over in the fridge. Unless Isaac eats it all!” She looked at him frowning. Isaac gave her a good, fake smile. We didn’t like to upset our mother. She had this passion for cooking and, obviously, she really couldn’t cook no matter how passionate she was
I climbed upstairs to my room at the end of the hallway, right next to my brother’s room. I examined my wrist where the woman grabbed me. It’s a little bruised, but not a serious injury.
At night, I was pacing around my room thinking whether I should tell my mother about Professor Wright or not. The thought made me nervous since my mother never told me anything and that always led to arguments, but what she might tell me what I was mostly worried about. I fidget with my hands trying to sort things out in my head,
“Come on! She’ll answer this time...” I muttered to myself. I decided to go downstairs and tell my mother about what had happened today with my professor. Without any second thoughts I hurried towards the stairs feeling nervous about what she might tell me if she did.
I walked downstairs, thinking about how I should tell her, my stomach hopping down the stairs with me. As I reached the end of the stairs, I saw Isaac sitting on the couch, looking at one of his text books. My mother sat across from him on another couch, reading her book. She looked at me and smiled faintly.
“Hello, Sweetheart. Are you okay?” She looked at me as she formed a cynical smile with her rosy lips. I suddenly noticed how cold I was despite the hot weather.
I walked over and sat on the couch next to her. “Mom? I have to tell you something.” She put her book down and looked at me. “Tell me anything.”
I swallowed hard, “Today, someone acted strange around me. Like they were afraid of me. I don’t know the person, but the person seemed to know me. I was hoping that you would at least know what’s going on?”
My mother’s face slowly darkened and she looked away. She changed the subject,
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?”
“Do you?”
She hesitated, “You must be imagining things. Besides, it’s a tough day for both of you tomorrow,” she said in a straight forward manner. She took her book off the table and began reading it again.
My mother never answered me regarding anything. I was used to it by now and went along with it. Resisting the urge to huff in frustration, I walked back upstairs to my room. I changed into my pajamas and lay down on my bed thinking about nothing else but the Unknown.
I felt even more scared than nervous about the Unknown. What if I die in this maze? What if I get put in a sector I never wanted to be in? Such thoughts swirled in my mind, but before I fell asleep, I started thinking that this is it, I will become one of them-if I’m destined or even come out of there alive- I, Iris Abernorth, will become one of the Myths.
The Guardians of Purlieu.
Chapter 2
I heard a muffled voice near my bed. I tried to open my eyes but they were almost glued shut.
“IRIS!”
I woke up with a start; my brother’s sudden shout startled me. I opened my eyes quickly; my rapid movement caused me to fall off my narrow bed and onto the floor, landing at my brother’s feet. I gave him a bitter look while rubbing my head from the impact. “Would it kill you to give me a more appropriate wakeup call?” I exclaimed angrily.
“The train will stop at the station soon; you’d better hurry up!” he told me urgently.
I stared at him. For a second, I’d almost forgotten about the Sector Commemoration. It was today. He flashed me an exasperated look, then said, “What’re you waiting for, Iris, an invitation? Come on!”
He quickly left the room before I could say anything else. I slowly picked myself up.
Today was the day.
I changed into my shirt and pants and put on my running shoes. I needed them. I took a look around my room. I knew I was not allowed to bring anything with me to the Sector Commemoration. I walked towards the door and stopped. I took another look back at my room and it was messy and untidy. That was probably going to be the last time I would see this place. I breathed in heavily and walked down the hallway towards the stairs.
I slowly walked downstairs and saw my mother in the living room, still reading her book about horses. She was in the same position as last night as if she had never even moved. She noticed me from the corner of her eye and frowned. She remembered the question I had asked her yesterday because she still wore the same worried expression as when I had asked it.
“Breakfast is on the table. You and your brother better hurry up. We’ll be lucky if we get there on time.” She punctuated her sentence with a cough, and phlegm shot out of her mouth. She looked paler than the pages in her book. Her eyes were also slightly puffed. I was puzzled by her state. She looked up and smiled when she saw my shoes, “I see that you’re wearing the running shoes I got you for your sixteenth birthday.” I gave her half a smile in return. A new rule had been issued by the leaders that it was obligatory to buy running shoes on your sixteenth birthday, a very stupid rule in my opinion.
I walked into