Chosen
Red. An intense, powerful color, demanding immediate attention, yet foreboding and ominous, suggesting danger--proceed with caution. Exactly the opposite of what I intended to do, but not alone.
Overhead, the golden orb burned bright and warmed the stairs. I nervously tapped my bare toes against the concrete and picked at a piece of mortar that had oozed between the bricks. I sent the call for help ten minutes ago, right after the courier delivered the envelope.
"Hurry up," whispered across my lips delicate as the brush of dragonfly wings, while save me resounded like thunder inside my rattled mind. My eyes dropped to the bold letters on the label.
April 10, 2072. Interview Request for Candidate 5846—Selection A for Candidate 2255.
The heartbeat in my ears thrummed louder. I'd never received a red envelope—a request for an interview—one for my possible assigned genetic link: mate. If I listened closely, I heard the surreal sound of my normal life skidding to a halt and felt the tentacles of The Program reach for me, leaving the edges of my dreams to fray until they disappeared.
Overhead, the golden orb burned bright and warmed the stairs. I nervously tapped my bare toes against the concrete and picked at a piece of mortar that had oozed between the bricks. I sent the call for help ten minutes ago, right after the courier delivered the envelope.
"Hurry up," whispered across my lips delicate as the brush of dragonfly wings, while save me resounded like thunder inside my rattled mind. My eyes dropped to the bold letters on the label.
April 10, 2072. Interview Request for Candidate 5846—Selection A for Candidate 2255.
The heartbeat in my ears thrummed louder. I'd never received a red envelope—a request for an interview—one for my possible assigned genetic link: mate. If I listened closely, I heard the surreal sound of my normal life skidding to a halt and felt the tentacles of The Program reach for me, leaving the edges of my dreams to fray until they disappeared.
The Program
Organized about ten years before my birth, the government matchmaking service culled girls and boys with exceptional genetic markers for candidates, aligning them into pre-arranged life relationships. Rick claimed it was set up to create some superior society—"genetic wonders" that supposedly would be smarter, healthier, and stronger than our international counterparts. I couldn't shake the feeling there might be something more…something darker.
I touched the tiny lump behind my right ear where a microchip had been implanted at birth to track my development for some government mega database. Everyone born after the year 2040 had them, but unlike the bands that would eventually be removed, the chip remained attached to your skull for life--property of the U.S. government.
I touched the tiny lump behind my right ear where a microchip had been implanted at birth to track my development for some government mega database. Everyone born after the year 2040 had them, but unlike the bands that would eventually be removed, the chip remained attached to your skull for life--property of the U.S. government.
Fate's Kiss
"I
really want to kiss you," he whispered so lightly I wondered if I'd heard
a thought instead.
"Then why don't you?" Did I say it out loud or were our minds communicating? Our noses grazed and an eternity seemed to pass.
"You scare me," he uttered in a weightless breath over my waiting mouth.
Inside my chest my heart stilled; my lungs quieted and sealed just enough air to keep me from fainting. Jordan's fingertips tapped my skin delicately as they moved, almost bashful, along my jaw and wrapped the back of my neck. His lips barely brushed mine, but the spark in the kiss was undeniable—a witness to my soul that a crucial shift in my life just happened.
"Then why don't you?" Did I say it out loud or were our minds communicating? Our noses grazed and an eternity seemed to pass.
"You scare me," he uttered in a weightless breath over my waiting mouth.
Inside my chest my heart stilled; my lungs quieted and sealed just enough air to keep me from fainting. Jordan's fingertips tapped my skin delicately as they moved, almost bashful, along my jaw and wrapped the back of my neck. His lips barely brushed mine, but the spark in the kiss was undeniable—a witness to my soul that a crucial shift in my life just happened.
Graduation
Clearing my throat a bit too loudly, I smoothed the crinkled paper. Two, maybe three paragraphs I recited reflecting on our high school experience, before a sudden gust of wind ripped through the stadium. Without thinking, I reached up to secure my flimsy graduation cap, letting go of my speech. The wind cradled the crumpled paper over my head and I watched in horror as my "words of wisdom" disappeared over the wall!
The stadium suddenly swayed, spots formed in front of my eyes, and my lips tingled. My mind became a blank page, unable to recall the words scrawled mindlessly on the paper floating away. I rambled something about making choices for our future, but ran out of thoughts halfway through a sentence, realizing I was the last person to counsel anyone about making correct choices.
Rick, poised below me with a camera, uttered the word "relax." I turned to Jordan, leaning against the railing not ten feet away. His handsome face rippled behind sudden tears. I was dying inside and coming apart on the outside.
Principal Anderson tugged the hem of my robe. "Are you all right, dear?"
I never answered, just dropped to the makeshift floor and knocked the microphone off the podium. A deafening screech echoed somewhere distant in my mind.
The stadium suddenly swayed, spots formed in front of my eyes, and my lips tingled. My mind became a blank page, unable to recall the words scrawled mindlessly on the paper floating away. I rambled something about making choices for our future, but ran out of thoughts halfway through a sentence, realizing I was the last person to counsel anyone about making correct choices.
Rick, poised below me with a camera, uttered the word "relax." I turned to Jordan, leaning against the railing not ten feet away. His handsome face rippled behind sudden tears. I was dying inside and coming apart on the outside.
Principal Anderson tugged the hem of my robe. "Are you all right, dear?"
I never answered, just dropped to the makeshift floor and knocked the microphone off the podium. A deafening screech echoed somewhere distant in my mind.
Three's a Crowd
Jordan's expression hardened, his eyes so cold I shivered when he stared through me. He started for the front door.
"So you're walking out on me?" I waited, hoping he'd take me in his arms and ravage my mouth with kisses full of need; tell me he'd never do such a thing.
He didn’t.
Standing in the doorway dumbfounded, I watched Jordan hop off the porch, his long legs carrying him down the walk. He dropped into the Porsche without so much as a glance my direction. With an ear-piercing screech, he disappeared, leaving fine wisps of blue smoke reeking of melted rubber floating on the air.
I collapsed onto the cement stairs, my gut folding tight. Unbidden tears rained onto my feet. I wished I could turn back the clock—had shoved Jesse out of my room that morning—no further…never opened the damn red envelope.
"So you're walking out on me?" I waited, hoping he'd take me in his arms and ravage my mouth with kisses full of need; tell me he'd never do such a thing.
He didn’t.
Standing in the doorway dumbfounded, I watched Jordan hop off the porch, his long legs carrying him down the walk. He dropped into the Porsche without so much as a glance my direction. With an ear-piercing screech, he disappeared, leaving fine wisps of blue smoke reeking of melted rubber floating on the air.
I collapsed onto the cement stairs, my gut folding tight. Unbidden tears rained onto my feet. I wished I could turn back the clock—had shoved Jesse out of my room that morning—no further…never opened the damn red envelope.