The Selection

by Jason J. Nugent

  "Are you all right?" he asked after she sat down in the living room. "Can I get you something to drink?"

  "No, I'm fine," she said. Her leg bounced gently and her gaze seemed distant.

  "You don't look fine," he said. She fixed a serious gaze on him.

  "Ok, I'm worried. I...I know now, Eron. And I'm scared. Scared I'll never see you after tomorrow. Scared that maybe I won't be able to--" She placed her head in her hands and sobbed.

  Eron sat beside her and comforted her. "It's ok. You'll see me again. I'll be fine. It's just some stupid ritual, right? I'll be all right." Her sobs grew louder.

  "No, you won't. I know, Eron. I know!"

  Eron's mom walked in the room. "Everything ok in here, kids? I thought I heard--" she said and stopped when she saw Mina sitting with her head in her hands. "Did she say she knew?"

  "Yeah? So what?" he said.

  "Out, now! Mina, I really like you and hope to one day be family, but right now, you have to go!" Eron's mom said.

  "But mom, you can't do that! Can't you see she's upset?"

  "I know, son, but she has to go before she says too much. Sorry, but Mina, you have to go. Eron, you'll see her tomorrow." Eron's mom held the door open, waiting for Mina to leave.

  "Mom, this is crazy! You can't do this!"

  "No, no, it's fine, Eron. She's right. I can't stay. I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow. Please, Eron," Mina said, touching his face, "be careful. For me." Her words hung in the air as she left.

  Eron slammed his fists on his legs. "Mom! Why did you do that? You know how I feel about her!"

  "Trust me, son. You'll thank me later. Soon, you'll have all the answers you wanted. And I'll be alone."

  "I don't care about that! I care about Mina, and you ran her off! What will I do now?" He kicked a chair and yelled when it didn't budge. He'd feel that one for a while.

  "She'll be there for you. I'll make sure of it, son. Trust me; you don't need to worry about her. Rest. You have a big day tomorrow. It's the last time you'll be my boy. After the Selection, you'll be a man. Then you'll be with Mina, or maybe someone else. Either way, things are about to change for you and me. We may or may not see each other again."

  "Someone else? Not see each other? What the...you know what, mom? Forget it. I can't wait to get this over with." Eron stomped through the house to his room, slamming the door.

  As he sat on the edge of his bed, contemplating the unknown, he heard the familiar sound of Timo's screaming from somewhere in the distance.

  "Not now, Timo, I have my own problems." The screams silenced.

  CHAPTER 12

  The next morning, day broke like any other. The deep red sun rose in the west, its dark rouge rays brightening the dull red soil and vibrant fields of red and orange. Eron hardly slept at all. His mind was on high alert. The day had finally come.

  Eron's mother awoke before he emerged from his bedroom and brewed a pot of cafke, and the sweet aroma permeated the house. Eron didn't care much for cafke, but this morning, he chose to partake.

  "Here you go, son," his mom said. He sat at the kitchen table with the warm mug in his hands, staring at the steam.

  "Listen, Eron, no matter what happens, you do what you must to get through the Selection. Do you hear me? Do anything you have to. Mina will be waiting for you. She's a great girl and you deserve someone like her. Make it through for her, if for nothing else."

  Eron didn't move. He couldn't speak. His mind felt numb, as though covered in a heavy mist.

  Eron's mom put her hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not easy, but I believe in you. I have to." She closed her eyes and squeezed his shoulder tight.

  The unmistakable triple blast of the alarm reverberated throughout the colony. It paused, then blared the call again. It continued to sound for two minutes before falling silent.

  It was time.

  Eron's face turned white. A cold sensation started in his toes and rapidly worked its way up his legs and through his chest before intensifying in his head. The mug shook in his hands.

  "Son, you have to go. The call has sounded." He pushed the cafke away and stood. In silence, he approached his mom and hugged her in a loving embrace. Comfort and warmth washed over him. There was nothing left to be said. It was his time. The Selection waited.

  Eron left her and joined the line of boys headed to the far southern edge of the colony. Parents, neighbors, and relatives cheered them on. Some of the boys raised their fists like warriors and waved to the crowds. Others looked scared. Like Eron felt.

  Mina stood at the corner of her street, her mom next to her. They cheered the boys on, and when they saw Eron, Mina yelled. "Eron, you can do this! I'll be waiting!" Eron raised a hand to acknowledge her words. She lowered her face and covered her eyes with her hands. Her mother wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close.

  Nervous energy made the hairs on his arms stand on end. He didn't feel any calmer knowing all the boys were on the same journey.

  Within minutes, he joined the group of boys surrounding a podium. He looked around and guessed there to be about fifty. In the center stood members of the Committee. As was the custom, there were three male and two female adults. Eron remembered this from Timo's turn at the Selection. As he stepped closer, he could hear their voices more clearly.

  "This is your time, boys. When you are done, you will be men. But I caution you," said the man in the center of the Committee. The others deferred to him, and Eron assumed he was the chairman. "The Selection will whittle down your ranks. You must do whatever you can to survive. Survival at all costs, that's the key." In silence, he looked around.

  "Guards, clear the area, please," one of the women of the Committee said. The crowd hushed. Armed men in dull grey uniforms ran behind the group of boys and forcibly pushed back everyone else. Mothers, girls, boys that were too young; all were moved back out of hearing range. Eron hadn't seen so many adult men in all his life. He wondered if his father was one of the guards. He hoped he wasn't.

  When the area was clear, the chairman continued.

  "The Selection was instituted to cure the problem of male overpopulation on our planet. In essence, it was created to drop your numbers. Look around you. Have you not noticed the large number of boys in your school? The Selection reduces the numbers. Many of you can expect to die. I hope you brought something to protect yourself. Many of you will never make it to the end."

  There was an audible gasp. Eron's heart raced. So, this was it? This is what happened to my brother? He must've misheard the chairman.

  "Some of you look at me like this is news to you. I hold your parents and teachers responsible for that, you should all be prepared. To those of you that make it through, Anastasian law forbids you to ever speak of what happened. You're all alive because your fathers survived the Selection and were paired with your mothers. This is not to be taken lightly. You are our future, however, there are too many of you. Our planet cannot sustain this."

  The boys murmured to each other as an uneasiness crept through the crowd. Eron looked around, half expecting to see Bello grinning at him.

  "Your job is to survive. The objective is Victory Point on Mount Jarrow," he said, pointing to the familiar mountain far to the south. It was forbidden territory, and now it was clear why.

  "Once there, you'll be assisted in the pairing process. You have thirty days to make it. Show up a day late, and no one will be there. You will not be allowed to join the victors in the promised land. You will be forbidden to return here. You will be outcast as unfit. Forgotten. I urge you to proceed with haste."

  Again, a low buzz grew among the boys as they processed what they heard.

  "And finally, Selected, I caution you to be wary of beasts and animals and other hidden dangers on the grounds. You have plenty to concern yourself with in your fellow rivals, but dangers out there are real. Gentlemen," the chairman said to the armed guards, "please direct our Selected to the grounds."
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br />   The armed soldiers moved into action, herding them towards the edge of the forested grounds. They approached the edge of the rouge forest. Paths were trampled into the brush from years of use. The guards forced them to spread out, yet they were still close enough to hear each other breathing.

  "From here, you will make your way to the other side of the forest," the chairman said from behind them. "Let me reiterate. Your objective is to survive. At all costs. There is no other rule. You survive, and you get to live a long, natural life. Your fathers all made it through. Now, it's your time. Those who once were your friends should now be considered your competitors. This is real, boys. One mistake could mean your life."

  The boys grumbled. Eron trembled. What exactly does he mean? Danger was in the air and Eron wanted out.

  "And if you think you can run away and return home, you can forget it. Run, and the guards will shoot you immediately. They will shoot to kill. We've not had a defector in a while, and I don't anticipate one now. But just in case you've thought about it, I'd advise against it."

  Eron looked to his left at a boy he recognized but barely knew. Ben? Kedron? Chas? He couldn't remember. The boy went to a different school and Eron had only seen him a few times. The boy's face was pale and his eyes were huge. He was shaking worse than Eron.

  Eron considered saying something to calm him, but decided against it. The boy wasn't his concern. Surviving in the forest was.

  "At the sound of the alarm, you begin your journey to manhood. There's no turning back. Your boyhood is over. When you emerge in the bright sunlight on the other side, you will be a man in more ways than you could've ever expected. Heed my warnings. May the great goddess Anastasia guide you and protect you."

  There was a long stillness and even the forest seemed to listen to the chairman. The quiet stretched into a powerful silence. Perspiration ran down Eron's back. Every hair on his body felt electrified.

  Then the alarm sounded and chaos ensued.

  CHAPTER 13

  The frightened boy next to Eron stood motionless when the alarm sounded. He looked to either side and turned to run out of the forest. Gunshots filled the air. Bullets sliced through the foliage near Eron. The boy shrieked as they found their soft target. Blood splattered from the impact. His clothes were torn to shreds as the bullets ripped through him. He fell to the ground, lifeless, his blood pooling around him.

  Eron paused, then ran into the forest as fast as he could. Tree branches pulled at him. Heavy, overgrown brush beside the well-worn dirt path reached for his feet. He heard screaming all around him. Timo. It all sounded like Timo. He pushed through the memories. There was no choice.

  The forest grew darker as Eron ran deeper into it. Treetops blocked most of the sun's warm rays from penetrating, and the temperature cooled the farther in he ran. Still, he couldn't stop. There were screams all around and he didn't want to find out the cause. If he could make it out of the forest, he'd be done with this nightmare. He focused on Victory Point.

  Eron ran on the path for quite some time. The screaming had let up and the feeling of impending doom had subsided. He stopped near a swiftly flowing stream and thought of being in the valley weeks before. He needed a weapon; something to protect himself with. A knife? The memory shook him. He forgot his knife. Frantically searching, he found a fallen tree branch that was large and straight enough to use for protection.

  Howls and shrieks sounded again in the distance. Eron waited, listening.

  "What's going on?" he said aloud. Watching the moving water, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The sun's rays poked intermittently through the orange and red leaves, creating beautiful streams of light. The beauty of the forest was quite a contrast from the uneasiness Eron felt. The sounds around him terrified him. After watching the guards shoot the boy, instinct was to run into the forest. Distant screams frightened him, though no gunshots sounded.

  Eron waited, hoping to outlast the tortured screams. It didn't work. They echoed around him from every direction. He couldn't take the tension any longer. He grabbed his staff and followed the path before him, scanning the forest for other boys.

  For the next couple hours as the sun rose higher overhead, Eron marched forward. A craate walking across the path in front of him startled him. Fortunately, it didn't turn to look or acknowledge he was there. Eron crouched with his staff pointed in its direction, ready to spring. He waited a long time before moving again. Seeing one craate was bad enough, but a whole pack was deadly. And they never travelled alone.

  Hunger gnawed at Eron. His stomach rumbled. He realized they hadn't been given any rations. There were fruits and nuts in the forest he could eat. If he caught a squirm, he could roast it and eat it. "Fire," he said, realizing he didn't have anything to create a fire with him, either. Did he leave his fire starter with his knife? It was as though the boys were setup for failure from the start. How were they supposed to live thirty days in the wilderness without survival essentials? Death seemed inevitable.

  Was that what the Committee wanted? Eron had a hard time accepting it. The colony needed as many able-bodied workers as possible to survive and thrive. Why would they intentionally kill off any of their members?

  Hunger again called to him. Eron left the path in search of something to eat. There had to be a haynut tree somewhere nearby. He searched the ground for the thumb-sized nuts with elongated caps. They were easy enough to open and were edible, yet dull-tasting, but the tiny amount of protein would keep him going for now. He thought of how proud Mrs. Stephenson would be if she saw him using his lessons.

  It didn't take long before Eron found enough haynuts to satiate the gnawing in his stomach. He filled his pockets with extras and turned back towards the path.

  Except he couldn't find it. He was positive it was to the east of where he found the haynuts, but the trees and ground cover looked different to him than he remembered as he searched for the path. After walking for what seemed like too long, he went south, then north, but couldn't find his way back to the path. He was lost.

  Eron's body shook when he realized his dilemma. Day one, and he'd already lost his way. No way to make a fire, no way to find the right course, no food easy to get. For a moment, curling up in a ball and waiting for the sweet sleep of death sounded appealing. "Get a hold of yourself," he said. "It's not even been a day! You can do this."

  Night loomed. Getting a shelter set up or at least taking advantage of natural cover seemed like the logical next step. Eron scouted around and found a fallen tree that had landed across a log. It created a frame he could add a few larger branches and leaves to, and was the perfect place to rest for the night, hidden from the other boys.

  Within half an hour, Eron had the shelter finished. High above him, the blazing red sun dipped towards the horizon, casting odd shadows in the forest. Eron hardly traveled into the valley at night. He'd heard too many scary stories of predators ready to attack. He'd have to be alert for anything wanting to harm him.

  He settled under the shelter and covered himself as best he could. As twilight approached, the temperature dropped quickly. He shivered under the cover of sticks and leaves. He felt confined, yet exposed, as though any minute something would crash through and attack him.

  Closing his eyes, the frightening sounds became louder. Sticks snapped. Leaves crunched. Something bounded across the forest floor. Laaths shrieking. Craates baying. His nerves were on edge. He tried to think of happier things, but his mind wouldn't allow it. Timo's screams echoed in his head. Then, the vision of the boy gunned down by the guards early in the day came to him. The rush of sound in the forest as the boys were let loose overpowered his thoughts. Where are the rest? Where are the other boys?

  "Stop it! All of it!" he said, pounding his fists to the ground.

  Behind him, a branch snapped. Footsteps drew near. His eyes grew large. Slowly, he reached for his staff and prepared for a fight.

  CHAPTER 14

  "I thought I
'd find you, coward."

  Eron knew that voice. At once, he was both terrified and relieved.

  Bello crashed through Eron's shelter, snapping sticks and scattering leaves everywhere. He tripped over a branch in the creeping darkness and fell on Eron, knocking the wind out of him.

  "Stupid coward," Bello said. He pushed himself up and hovered over Eron, ready to exact his vengeance.

  "Bello," Eron said in a low, wheezing voice, "please don't." He raised his arms in a weak attempt to thwart Bello's attack.

  Outside the shelter, branches snapped and footsteps crunched around them. In the faint light, Eron could see the whites of Bello's eyes. The boy looked down at him. "You're on your own. I'd stick around to enjoy this, but I don't want any part of it. I don’t feel like getting into it with those three. Not now. Good luck, coward!" Bello punched him in the stomach and raced out of the half-destroyed shelter.

  "Hey, I'm over here!" Bello shouted. He glanced at Eron and grinned. "That's for you," he said and ran off. Eron could hear his clumsy feet smashing through leaves and brush, snapping branches as he went.

  The other footsteps got louder as they headed towards him. If Bello was telling the truth, Eron was in trouble. He dug around in the remains of the shelter. In the back corner where Bello had crashed through, he thought he could hide under the sticks and leaves. It looked like only ground cover. In the darkness, he took the chance it would work.

  Scrambling to get under the brush before the footsteps were on him, his heart raced wildly. Every sound in the forest was amplified in his ears. Faint in the distance, he heard Timo screaming. "No," he said softly and Timo stopped.

  The sound of crunching leaves surrounded him.

  "Where'd he go?" he heard a boy say.

  "I thought the voice came from over here," another boy said.

  They searched the area near Eron, poking the brush around him.

  "I don't see anything," a third boy said. Eron didn't recognize the voices. Even if he did, he knew he wouldn't reveal himself.