Run

Chapter One

I walk along the sidewalk, letting my hair flow in the breeze as I walk towards the market. I finger my gold coins in my hand, knowing things will have a high price this week due to food shortages. I walk up to a stall with an old woman and different types of fabric and thread. Most of the people here make their own clothes or wear hand me downs from older siblings. One spool of thread can cost up to three gold coins depending on the time of year you get it. I see various shades of blue,red,pinks,and purples and I am happy to see that they are not too expensive this week, so I spare a coin or two for a couple spools of thread. I can smell different types of foods in the air as I walk towards the bakery.

    “Well, hello Hailey, How have you been?” asks the baker behind the counter. The baker is a nice man,. His gray eyes and silver hair distinguish him as a wise, old man.

I have always been the same. My life never changes. I really wish I can run, run away from the horrors, get away from the pain to come.

“I’m alright, I guess.” I reply.

I grab two loaves of bread and a cookie for my sister and quickly pay the baker.

    I walk towards the fruit stand. It has always been run by a kid I know from school. Every once in a while I catch him looking at me, though I don’t know him that well. I never saw him as more than a friend. In fact, I barely know him at all.

    “Are you nervous?” He asks me.

    Of course I am nervous, who wouldn’t be! The Idea of almost certain death isn’t a pleasant thought. When you turn sixteen you have to be examined to see if you are a bagoran. If you are one, you die. Our world has two groups, the bagorans and the amidians. The other is our rival. We have had a bloody feud with them since the wars. You would be killed on site if you came face to face with the other.

    “No.” I reply though that is a lie.

    “well I am, sometimes you appear to have no emotions and some believe it, but I don’t.” He says.

    “What makes you think that? You barely know me.” I reply, almost arrogant

“Underneath that expressionless face is a conscience.” He explains. “ And one day it will show.”

I buy some fruit and start to make my way back to my house or should I say shack. I walk several miles before I make it home. My house is in the suburbs. It barely has four rooms. I walk through the old front door to find my sisters playing checkers. The house always smells of different foods since my mom likes to cook. I feel the floorboards creek under me as I sneak past them and go to my room.

    I place the basket on the old, brown dresser and walk to the window and look out across the water, watching the sun start to set. I assume my family is waiting for me at the kitchen table to eat. I walk to the kitchen and bring the basket with me and put it on the kitchen counter.

“Are you ready?” asks my mom.

I think about this for a minute. Ready? Am I ready? I don’t know.

“Yes, were you nervous on your test?” I ask her.

She thinks about it for a minute.

“no, I was terrified, but don’t worry you will be alright.”
We eat dinner silently, once we are done I go back to my room, and lay down, knowing I will need my energy this week.