I Am Elite (A Colors novel Book 1)
Page 19
“Uhm, perhaps some tea?”
“Sure, we have been experimenting a little, mind if I ask what your mood is?”
That’s a strange question, “Uhm, very stressed?”
Is there a right answer to this question?
“Ah perfect, I will get you a cup of ginger and mint tea.”
She does not check if that’s what I wanted, and turns, only to come back with my tea a few minutes later.
As she places the tea in front of me, hope fills her eyes.
“This should help, enjoy.”
Strangely, it does. The tea has a calming sensation, allowing me to flip through my notes without freaking out. We went over them a million times last night, we should be alright.
By the time my tea is finished it is almost time. After thanking the lady, and paying, I make my way to the front of the office, waiting for Annabel. We agreed to meet here, but as time ticks by the worry rises. It is almost time. Why is she not here yet? Where is she? They will not wait for me, and even if they do, they will not take me seriously then. I have to go in. Even if that means I have to do this on my own.
After a long minute I move, straight into the lion's den.
I stand in front of the members of the board. They are expecting me to start with a description of the palace, or how to best kill a king. My intention is neither and I clear my throat before beginning.
In my mind I curse Annabel for not being here. I tried stalling the meeting, made sure everyone had something to drink, but she was still not there. I look down at my heels and they give me strength.
I can do all things.
So I start my pitch. I focus on my posture, and make sure I use my Elite voice while speaking.
“Today I will not be telling you about the palace, not before I can offer you a different plan.”
Looks of surprise fill the room. Then surprise makes way for intrigue. Nobody here is very excited about the first plan, they are all hoping for a way out of it. Nobody here actually wants to kill anyone.
“We are about to capture a whole family because we are threatened by the rebels. We need the rebels to see we are on their side. We need them to see we have different ways of accomplishing the same goals. We want human rights. But I wonder if we truly do want the same things. They want our king dead, but like you have said before, that might not change anything. Every king we kill, another will rise. So instead I offer you a way we can either postpone, or cancel the first plan all together.”
I sigh, flip my card, only to put them down. I know this by heart and I need to win these people over. I raise my voice a little, make myself stand even taller and continue.
“This whole mess started with a king filling the minds of the Elite with lies about the humans. He used propaganda, lies. Our current king is only continuing these lies. But what if we were to show the world they are just that, lies? What if we can show them that we can achieve greatness, just the same. What if we can show the world our worth? What if we can make that our official statement and introduction to the world?”
I look around the room, I have their full attention.
“I mean, our whole lives we have heard how we are less, how we do not matter. But we do, don’t you agree? Every single soul in this world is of importance, we all play a part in the bigger picture. I am sure a lot of the Elite can be convinced of this, but the King makes them afraid. The Elite do not dare to stand up to other Elite, so they just follow what they have been told. I have seen shopping streets deserted, what if we can remind the Elite that it was humans running them? They need these stores just as much as the humans need their jobs.”
The room is quiet, everyone is mulling over my words and I give them a minute to think. I take that time to take some deep breaths.
“And how do you plan on showing the world our importance?” a man says looking up at me.
“Well, I have found a lot of amazing stories of humans doing remarkable things, things the world would only expect the Elite to do. What if we were to make our own videos, and by some way, project them on every screen in the country?”
“Perhaps, Perhaps,” Steve says, a hand rubbing his head while he thinks, “It could at least buy us some time. But we would need one heck of a human to really make the rebels stop coming after us.”
I look down, he is right. Nobody on my list comes close to the ‘heck of a human’ he is speaking of. They are all spectacular stories, but they will not make the world stop spinning.
We need one person so amazing that the whole world will stop moving for a second. Just long enough for us to send our message to everyone and for hearts to change.
The room comes to life with intense talking and hand gesturing. They are getting off topic. I need them to follow me in this.
Or else…
They have to be on board, I need them to have faith in me. But there is nothing left to give. They are right, there is no human out there that can do what we need done. Fatigue hits me. My legs shake and I sink into a chair. This is not going as planned. What more can I say? I am losing their attention. My fingertips find my temples, my mind searches for answers.
The board members all yell at each other. Hands move fast and the movements make me dizzy. My focus moves to the door across from me. Then, almost by magic, the door opens slowly. From behind the door Annabel’s head pops in. Only her upper face shows as she looks into the room, finding me.
Anger rises in my body, now she comes? Right when I have given up? There is nothing left for her to do here. I have nothing left to do here.
I stand. The tension is too great. I have failed, I feel it in every fiber of my being. I might as well accept the facts and get ready for what will come next.
Annabel opens the door further.
“Excuse me, so sorry to bother, but I think I have someone who can help us,” she says as she steps back.
My heart reaches my throat as he enters. My mind races, my hands become wet with sweat and I feel like my knees might give up on me. I am drowning at the sight of him. Pain, hurt and confusion run me over.
He is wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. His hair is a mess and he breaths heavily. He still smells of the forest. His sunglasses and messy hair prove he has just hiked through the woods like I have done on my first day. Yet he looks as handsome as ever. The whole room glares at him, nobody moves until Steve stands. His eyes are filled with anger as he looks at the man.
“And why the hell does he think he can help?” He shouts at Annabel, not taking his eyes off the man standing next to her.
The man lifts his sunglasses and looks right at me with light blue eyes.
“Because, I am human.” Will says.
Acknowledgments
Snap. That was it. I wrote a book.
I could not have done it without the love, support and feedback I received in this process. So a big shout out to my Husband, who told me I could do anything.
To Debbi and Corrie, my biggest fans, with a good eye for detail that came in very handy with editing. I am forever grateful for your love and help. Not many will know just how much time and effort you both have put into my dreams. Without you I probably would have stopped early on.
Thank you to my first readers, Daniëlle, Leanne, Jenny, Jessica, and Trista. Your feedback was both needed and welcome.
Thank you to all my friends and family who had NO idea I was writing a novel. I kept it a secret until the very end. I wanted it to be a surprise. Thank you for supporting me, even without knowing what I was doing. I am grateful for you. All of you.
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About the Author
Kimberly Westra, better known as Kim, lives in the Netherlands with her husband and their crazy cat Maui. She studied child development in Amsterdam. Later she found her passion in office management and HRM.
She grew up with her nose in a book, even though she struggled with reading. Her dyslexia did not stop her from trying to write poems and short stories.
Once she re
ached adulthood she no longer had time to read and lost sight of the joy of losing herself in a good book. Only to find it again a few years later while recovering from a burn-out.
She hopes this book will inspire the reader to never give up hope. She wants to share her passion for life and wants to help others push on through their tough times.
Like her dedication states, this one is for all of you who feel like you are not enough.
You are enough.
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