Choosing

Chapter Five

“Good luck.” Steven promised me when he backed up. I had make-up on again and the clothing was sweats and a t-shirt and when they led me to the portal into the Choosing I saw Eli at the next portal.

“Go straight to the closest shelter of protection.” Eli ordered, “And then don’t move until I get to you unless you’re in danger.” I nodded understanding and then walked through the portal looking at the other twenty-six people. The gunshot signaled the beginning of the Choosing and I looked around determined to follow Eli’s order but there wasn’t any way to get to protection except straight through the crowd. Eli ran over to me and picked me up seeing the same thing and ran me through the group. He dropped me at a cave and then took off again.

“I should hunt.” I whispered to myself and so I started to make me a bow and some spears. I was working on a second bow when Eli got back.

“What are you doing?” He asked walking in circles around me.

“Making some weapons so that we can eat.” I promised and he looked over relief showing in his eyes. “What?” I asked.

“You’re thinking ahead.” I realized that he hadn’t been sure how hard it would be to keep me alive until now but he sat down beside me finally and I handed the completed bow to Eli. “I thought we both might need one.” I explained and he nodded.

“I’ll finish your bow.” He promised taking it from me. I watched him work and soon there was a perfect bow in my hands. I looked over at his that was raggedy and then up at him. “I used to be a carpenter.” He explained, “And this bow is perfect.” He promised holding his up.

“Then you can take this one.” I handed it to him.

“No.” He shook his head.

“You need the protection.” I whispered.

“No. I will mostly be using the weapons that nature granted me.” He explained and I nodded.

“I wonder how many people are left.” I whispered and he shrugged. There would be no knowing when the last person was there and so you just kept protecting yourself and killing others until the portal came and collected the winner. I saw somebody in the trees and immediately threw a spear. I heard their scream signaling that I had killed them and then looked beside me to find Eli getting a bag out of his pocket.

“I promised you that I would bag the blood of every dead body we came across.” He reminded me and I nodded forcing the tears to stay inside. I had never even thought of killing somebody and to find out that it was that easy… I wasn’t okay with that. “You are getting closer to becoming a vampire.” Eli whispered coming up to me. “The closer you get the less humans that you don’t know will mean.” I nodded and just leaned into his arms but he pulled away. “Come on we’ll have to find a place close to water to set up camp. The blood will need to stay cold.” I followed him but when we found water there was steam coming off of it.

“You aren’t going to be able to bag blood.” I whispered, “They want to force you to hunt.”

“No.” He shook his head, “They know that with as old as I am I have a possibility of not needing blood until after the Choosing. It’s you that they want to force to hunt.” He looked angry and I turned worried, “Once you change I will have to find someplace safe for you stay during the day. One of us won’t have a ring.” I nodded understanding that the government was determined that one of us die.

“Then let’s just get out of this before I change.” I suggested picking up another stick and trying to make an arrow. When I finished one that probably wouldn’t even fly I looked beside me to find that Eli had made twenty. “I guess this ends my tries at making us weapons.” I sighed and he smiled.

“You can be in charge of gathering.” He promised and I nodded but pulled the arrow out of his hand quickly shooting it at a bird. It hit perfectly and I looked at him impressed. “I wouldn’t give you something that could put you in danger.” He shrugged and I sighed. He lifted my face and kissed my lips softly for a second. “We’ll get through this.” He promised and I knew that he had seen my thoughts clear on my face. I nodded and just picked up the bow he’d made and all of the arrows.

“Where are we going?” He asked me.

“I’m getting out of this thing.” I told him and he looked worried. “Elizabeth needs me at home and the only way that that’s going to happen is if I play this stupid game.” He nodded giving into me and he followed me not making a sound and then we found a camp with the competitors from Austen and Bendville the two soldier states and knew we’d found the biggest threat. I looked across the camp and saw Eli shaking his head begging me not to take on them right now. The person talking, though, spotted me and pointed.

“It’s the Mate.” The man said and they all started over for me. I started shooting them with the arrows and after I’d gotten one I was shot in the leg but Eli had them all dead before I could even fall.

“Feed.” I whispered to him finding a stick but he shook his head and knocked me out. “Eli?” I moaned when I came through but I saw that he was moving a bullet in his hands and knew why he’d knocked me out.

“I’m sorry.” He promised me and I looked down at my legs to find the one that had been shot bandaged.

“You got the bullet out.” I shrugged, “It didn’t hurt.”

“Because you were knocked out.” He shrugged and I just moved so that I was laying in his lap.

“I’m sorry.” I finally whispered when I realized he was still mad. “Next time I’ll listen to you and not go after better fighters than…” I broke off when the Presidents voice came over the intercom.

“For the first time since the first Choosing…” He announced, “The Chosen ones from Austen and Bendville are dead on the first day.” He stopped talking and it was eerily silent.

“Get on my back.” Eli ordered. “They’re going to try and end this quick. Once the soldier states are dead there’s really no entertainment for them.” I climbed onto his back reminding myself that I had just promised that I would listen to him from now on. He was running as the fire started and I started shaking terrified and hid my face in his shirt. Suddenly it was freezing and I looked up to find us underground. “The fire will just go above us now.” He explained. “Are you okay?” He asked after checking me for fire. I didn’t answer I was still too scared and he wrapped his arms around me. He didn’t say anything until morning, “How did you get your scars?” He asked and I looked down to find that part of my jeans had burned off.

“The fire.” I whispered and he tensed. “I never told anybody that before.” I continued, “Not even Austin knows that I was in it.”

“How did you get out?”

“Daddy saved me.” I whispered, “His last words to me were to find Elizabeth and protect her. He told me that he had to go back in and find Mom but then he’d be back.” I looked down as the tears overflowed, “If I had been where I was supposed to be then Elizabeth wouldn’t be an orphan.” I whispered and his arms tightened, “I had skipped school to help Daddy with the farm… the fire started and took over everything before anybody even had a chance to scream… Daddy picked me up and took off running and put the fire out that had gotten on me before running back in…” He stayed quiet and just held me close letting me cry. I woke up in his arms and looked around to see that he was carrying me through the burned woods.

“Where are we going?” I whispered and he looked down.

“The president called for a meeting with every Chosen.” He explained and I just put my head back in his arms. “I need you up, Bree.” He whispered. “The only time they do this is when the fighting has calmed down. Apparently last night I took the soldiers out too easily.” I tensed understanding that we had one more fight and this would all be over. “I’m taking you only close enough that if the president does show his face I can come back and get you. If it’s a trap though… I want you to stay out of it. You are injured and you’ll only end up getting us both hurt.” I nodded slowly but grabbed a stick. I knew that a stick would be enough to keep him unconscious for a while and so stabbed him to the left of his heart in case the myth was true and you could kill a vampire by stabbing them in the heart and then I kissed his head feeling tears fall as I took my bow and the few arrows left and went stumbling into the trap.

I took out everybody in sight as I walked in and then I saw one of the Chosen from Austen in the circle. “Vampire.” I whispered but I took a deep breath and shot the wooden arrow right into his heart testing out the myth. “I’m sorry.” I whispered to him as his screams started. I ran back to where I’d left Eli but he wasn’t there and so I was crying as the portal took me and I landed in a hospital.