Aberrant

by Ruth Silver

  I finished what I could and grabbed my apple. I had managed to eat far more than I thought possible, and yet hadn't satisfied my hunger. Joshua and I stood and stalled, unsure where to find the sleeping quarters.

  "Out the door and to the right." Margo pointed giving us a faint smile. I saw something in her eyes and the way she held herself that showed me she didn’t fear being here and neither should I.

  Stepping out of the cafeteria, we slowly walked together down the hallway, only to see a sign that read 'Dormitory'.

  "I guess this is it," I remarked, heading inside finding rows of bunk beds. I walked along the wall reading the names beside each bed, and I noticed Joshua had the top bunk and I had the bottom. "At least we're roommates," I said, turning around to see Chancellor Collins coming into the dormitory.

  "I believe you've gotten acquainted with a few of our recruits?" he remarked, cane in hand. He leaned on it for support. I was certain he hadn't needed one the previous night. Had something happened after he locked us in the cabin? "Adam, how's the foot?"

  "Healed." Joshua nodded. "Good as new." His eyes shone as he must have been curious about the Chancellor's injury, as well.

  The smile never left the Chancellor's lips as he stepped further into the room with us. "Glad to hear it. Some of us don't heal at the same rate as those who are younger." He tapped his leg with his cane. "You both have recruit wear to put on." He gestured toward our outfits laying on the bunks. "It should fit. If it doesn't, let Maya know."

  "Thanks," I breathed, spotting the gray and blue outfit. I had no idea who Maya was, but figured I'd find out soon enough. I was grateful to have something clean to change into, even if it wasn't the most stylish. In Genesis, I made due wearing the same outfit every day. It was nice to have lived in Haven, even for a short while, to see what it was like to choose what to wear. I didn't ever want to take that for granted – choices.

  "You will be given pajamas to wear at night, and we expect you both to wear these during your weeks as a recruit," he informed us.

  "Can I ask something?" I was tired of not getting any answers.

  "Be quick, dear. I don't have much time." He studied his watch.

  "Why is this town such a secret?" I voiced staring at him, refusing to back down.

  "Interesting question. For someone so young, you're too smart for your own good. If you pass the tests and that's a big if," he reiterated, "you'll have your answers. Until then, you should know that allowing you to join the recruits is an honor."

  It didn't feel like much of an honor, though, I kept my mouth shut. I could see it wouldn't do any good to start a fight. I didn't ask anything else. This was our only option – fight to stay alive or escape and go on the run. I was tired of running. I'd seen the Gravelands, experienced the brutality of the world we lived in. It had to be better here. Chancellor Collins turned on his heel and limped out of the room. I grabbed the clean clothes from the bed, giving them a once-over. "I guess we should get changed." I realized it was the same outfit Jaxon and Margo had been wearing. It must have made it easier for the town to identify all of its recruits, especially if we weren't supposed to leave the building. "Turn around." I gestured toward Joshua.

  He laughed, shaking his head. "Fine, fine. Eventually you'll let me see," he mused, quite proud of himself.

  I rolled my eyes and waited until he faced the other direction. I glanced toward the closed door and quickly disrobed, slipping into the outfit provided to us. "Done yet?" I asked with my back to him.

  "Yeah," Joshua smiled. "Just waiting for you."

  "Oh! I'm done." I laughed, turning around to face him. "So, I guess it's back to the cafeteria until they tell us where else to go?" It seemed the most logical place to be, with the other recruits. I still had a million questions and hoped Jaxon and the others would be willing to share more details with us. I had a feeling, though, that with only five spots and nine recruits, I could expect things to get competitive quickly.

  CHAPTER 17

  We headed back into the cafeteria after meeting with Chancellor Collins in the dormitory. Dressed in the recruit uniform, I gripped Joshua's hand as we scanned the now empty room. We hadn't been gone more than ten minutes. "That's odd. Where did everyone go?"

  Joshua let go of my hand and walked further into the cafeteria. I didn’t know what he expected to find, perhaps some of the recruits hiding behind the line for food? "Think this is some kind of test? See how daring we are to explore the compound?"

  "I doubt it." There was no way they’d willingly let us leave the premise. Not with the way things had been going for us. "It's more likely the Chancellor wants us locked up in this place." As if on cue, an announcement was made across the intercom.

  "Would all recruits please meet in the gymnasium."

  "Collins." Joshua nodded, recognizing the voice. "I guess we should head there."

  "I don't really see any other choice." I knew our training was about to begin and for the first time I didn’t feel nervous. After all we'd been through together, this I could handle.

  We walked down the hallway in the opposite direction of the dormitory. A plaque on the wall read, Gymnasium, with an arrow pointing to the left. Joshua and I followed the sign until we reached a set of double doors. At least the building was well-labeled with directions. If it hadn't been for its size alone we'd have been lost for hours.

  I hesitated for only a moment before I pulled open the heavy doors, making my way in first ahead of Joshua. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jaxon and Margo already sitting on the floor along with several other recruits. I counted seven on the floor, knowing we had arrived last.

  A woman in her late twenties stood over us in a similar uniform as we sat down with the others. I grabbed a seat on the ground beside Jaxon, and Joshua sat down to my right. At least we knew someone. I hoped it would make things easier.

  "Now that everyone is here, I'm Maya," The olive-skinned brunette introduced herself to the group. She had strange cat-like eyes and a surprisingly rare thousand-watt smile. "You are all here so we can determine the very best and brightest that the rebel alliance has to offer. I know many of you have a lot of questions, and some of you may even be questioning the legitimacy of us allowing two additional recruits this year to join us." I felt all seven sets of eyes turn towards us. After a brief moment, the attention returned back to Maya, and I let out a heavy breath. "Let me start off by reminding you only five will be accepted. Should five of you fail, then we will accept four. We have no issue accepting none of you, should you all fail to meet the minimum requirements. Over the next two weeks, you will be training rigorously to prove your commitment and your reliability to our community. Should you fail any test, it will be over for you. Should you be removed from training for failure to cooperate, it will be over for you."

  She hadn't used the words 'sent home'. All the recruits knew it was a one-way ticket. Pass or die. I didn't like the odds that five would pass. I raised my hand.

  "Yes, Jacqueline." The instructor knew my name and I was surprised by her demeanor. She seemed pleasant enough considering the situation. "What if all nine of us pass?"

  "We will take the best five. There is only room for five," she reminded us. "Score high and you needn’t worry. Besides, in all our years, it's rare that all seven pass. They're difficult and challenging for a reason. We don't want anyone holding our community or the rebel alliance back. Your contribution to society will be rewarded if you pass the tests."

  Jaxon turned around whispering to us, "It's a very lucrative job."

  I wondered what that meant. At home, everyone was deemed equal and provided the same necessitates. When we stayed in Haven, I had recognized some differences like the ability to choose where and what to eat. I hadn't fully understood how the community worked, but I knew Haven had luxuries I never would have seen in Genesis. Now, I was more curious what this town offered that Haven hadn't. I'd seen the cabin we'd stayed in and assumed most of the town had similar housing. It reminde
d me of home, having only what you needed and nothing more. Maybe I'd been mistaken. But one night didn’t give me enough time to judge a town. Maya continued to speak, and I realized I'd zoned out. I tried to catch up, refocus my attention back on her. There were no second chances.

  "You'll begin your training together as one group. You will be scored together with your partner from home and as an individual. We do this to instill teamwork along with competition," Maya explained. "It is important to us that both you and your partner excel. That's not to say we won't take only one of you if it comes down to the fifth and final space when we choose who will stay with our community."

  Again I swallowed, hating the way Maya used the words 'stay with the community' as if banishment was an option. I'd happily be banished. I wondered what happened to those who didn't pass and survived the tests. I let out an anxious breath. There was no point in thinking like that. I couldn't allow myself to consider failure as an option. Joshua and I, or rather Adam and Jacqueline, would pass the tests. No matter what it took.

  "Stand up," Maya instructed, gesturing for everyone to rise and be on their feet. "Everyone pair off with your partner. I know we have nine recruits so one will be without a partner. Elsa," she gestured to the girl without a partner. "Your score will be doubled for the partner scores. This may very well be an advantage for you if you do well. Or it could easily destroy you if you're not up to the challenge." Elsa nodded in understanding. "Good," Maya quipped, eyeing each of us standing beside our partners. "Our first lesson is bravery. You will each be assigned the task of archery."

  I glanced at Joshua, wondering how difficult this would be for him. I never so much as touched a bow and arrow, let alone seen one up close. I'd read about such devices and imagined in some of the government towns that hunted, the citizens probably used tools like bows and arrows all the time. I couldn't help but feel nervous as we followed Maya outside where a shooting range was set up. I hadn't noticed it earlier that morning when we'd arrived, but I also noted that we hadn't walked around to the north side of the building. It was possible it had been there all along.

  Maya continued to talk, "I will show you the proper stance and position for shooting. You will have all day to practice and perfect your skill. I suggest you take note of the weather, the wind, take into account all these aspects to understand how your bow will guide your arrow." She scanned each group. "You are required at all times to be respectful to the other groups and each other. When the whistle blows, shooting is absolutely forbidden. If you are caught shooting an arrow after the whistle is blown, it will mean immediate failure. Only after you hear the whistle may you go retrieve your arrows. This is training. We do not want any accidents or injuries," she firmly reminded all of us. "Again you will have all day to practice and perfect your talent. Jaxon and Margo, you both take position one." She showed them the first booth with one bow and several arrows set up. It was clear they were to take turns sharing the equipment. "Booth two is for Elsa." I wondered how this would be fair, her having twice the amount of time to practice than the rest of us. "Booth three is Cate and Mason. Booth four is Jacqueline and Adam. Booth five is Aidan and Hazel."

  I hadn't met the two couples we would be sandwiched between. Joshua and I headed to booth four. Cate leaned closer toward Mason, her long chestnut hair falling in waves as she whispered something in his ear. He snickered in response, and the dusting of freckles on his cheeks only further reddened matching his copper hair. Mason's eyes narrowed as he glared at me. Cate smirked all-knowingly, shifting on her feet as she took the bow first. If she was trying to intimidate us, it was working. Cate spoke up proudly, "Can we start, Maya?" It was obvious she was trained in archery and wanted to show off her skills. Already, I despised her.

  "In a moment," Maya answered, walking past each booth, making sure we had all the necessary equipment. "If the bow doesn't feel right for you, we have other bows on the stand behind you," she explained. "Depending on your height, weight and strength you may find a different bow more suited to your body type." I didn't ask if this was part of the test, to see if we were capable of using their standard equipment, but it crossed my mind.

  "Do you want to go first?" I offered to Joshua as I glanced across the field toward the targets attached to five separate bales of hay.

  "Ladies first," he offered. I knew he was nervous because I was, too. Seeing Cate pull an arrow from the quiver, she aimed it with precision and waited for Maya's announcement to begin.

  "Okay. Might as well." Maybe confidence was all we needed. Maya blew the whistle letting everyone know to start. I took the bow and found it awkward to hold, but I didn't complain. I grimaced with its weight and size as I pulled an arrow from the quiver and did my best to aim for the bulls-eye a few hundred yards away. Cate stood to the left of me and let the arrow go. She hit the dead center of her target. I muttered a brief curse, trying to copy her stance and movements before I released the arrow, flying it far past the intended target. I wasn't even remotely close, and I'd thought I'd aimed it well. So much for having natural talent.

  Joshua smiled reassuringly and patted me gently on the back. "It's okay. You'll get it." He handed me another arrow. "You should keep practicing until she calls the whistle, then we'll switch." I worried that even with his plan we’d struggle for hours. I felt Maya's presence behind us as she walked the length of the each booth, studying us. If I wasn't such a terrible shot to begin with, I'd have blamed my inability on nerves.

  Maya came up behind me. "May I?" she asked, showing me how to aim and place my fingers properly on the bow. "Wait for it," she instructed, as the wind died down and helped me release. Although I didn't hit the bulls-eye, I did hit the outer ring of the target. "See, good job," she acknowledged. "Now, you try it on your own," Maya insisted, stepping back with Joshua to watch.

  I stood in the same stance and repeated the same motions. I focused and held the arrow back, waiting, taking in a breath and trying to stay calm and steady as I released the arrow letting it fly towards the target. I hit the edge of the white paper. At least it hadn't hit far beyond the field behind like the first shot I made.

  "That's better. Just keep practicing," Maya nodded. "You're getting it," she encouraged me. I did my best to ignore the stares and snickers from my opponents.

  I heard the whistle blow, and though I still had a few arrows left I put the bow down, waiting to make sure everyone had stopped before stepping out to retrieve my arrows from the target, including the first one I'd shot far out into the field.

  I headed toward the booth, noticing everyone else watching me as they had all finished retrieving their arrows. I merely smiled, trying not to show defeat. I knew Cate was good. I wondered if Mason could keep up with her.

  As Joshua began shooting, he struggled in the same way I had. I didn't know how to help. I still didn't feel as though I'd done very well, but at least he hit the hay bale holding the target when he'd missed. He still had the right distance, just a little too high or too low. I watched Mason hit the target, though not always the bulls-eye, each time. I studied our other competitors one after the other, seeing them all successfully aiming and nailing the target. Most had hit the inner rings. I felt stupid, pathetic up against the recruits. We were in trouble. If bravery meant fighting with a bow, we would fail. I hoped tomorrow didn't mean fighting other recruits. We had no chance of survival if that were the case.

  Maya came over again, this time helping Joshua aim and release the arrow. She helped him two more times, watching before she walked away. Joshua hit the target the next four times in a row, including a bulls-eye. I was elated. "Nice one!" My eyes widened and I clapped for Joshua, hoping I didn’t embarrass him too much. Cate turned, hearing my commotion and gave me the stink eye.

  Maya blew the whistle for everyone to stop shooting. Joshua was the first to run out to retrieve his arrows when one whizzed by his head. He dropped to the ground in horror as Maya blew the whistle a second time, louder. "Aidan, you're out!" she shouted an
d pointed for him to head back inside the building. Hazel gasped in shock, her face red and green eyes wide. I didn’t know if it was from Aidan being dismissed or now having to face the tests without a partner. She looked terrified. I felt sick, though it was a mixture of Aidan's imminent death and Joshua nearly having an arrow shot through his head.

  Slowly Joshua pushed himself off the ground and stood, eyeing the booths cautiously to make sure no one else was attacking him. Cate snickered and grinned, giving a nod of approval toward Aidan as he walked out. I wondered what would happen to him next.

  The others walked out slower, retrieving their arrows as they glanced at Joshua. No one said a word. Joshua's ashen face slowly regained color as he brought back his arrows, his eyes staring deep into mine.

  "You okay?" I asked keeping my voice low.

  He answered, "I'll be glad when this is done."

  I couldn't have agreed more.

  CHAPTER 18

  Our first day of training was over. Lying in bed, staring up at the top bunk I wondered at how easily Joshua fell asleep. I was exhausted, but my mind kept racing. I couldn't stop thinking about how another recruit had almost killed him. Even if it hadn’t been intentional it still haunted me. I shifted on the mattress, trying my best not to think about it. The more my thoughts kept running, the harder it was to relax.

  "You awake?" I heard Joshua's soft whisper and smiled. He swung himself over the edge, hanging down from the bed with his head facing me.

  "I am," I whispered, my smile growing. "Can't sleep."

  Joshua laughed softly. "Neither can I with all the rolling around you've been doing."

  I hadn't realized it had shaken the bunk beds. "Sorry." I blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed. The bed squeaked for an instant, and Joshua carefully maneuvered himself down from the top, practically swinging into the mattress beside me.