The Trials by Grace Smith (i can read book club .TXT) 📕

The sun streaming through the windows, as my stomach rumbles at the smell of baking bread. I sit up halfway and see a brown package down on my desk. Springing out of bed I hit my head on the ceiling, forming a bump. I slip on a new dress and brush the matted tangles out of my hair. Then I go into the kitchen and grab a slice of homemade bread, as I am about walk out the door, forgetting my package when a knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. My older sister Lily rushes out of her room, half of her hair up in a bun and half of it falling out. My mind elsewhere, I don’t hear her ask a question. She looks at me expecting.

“What?” I say, confused.

“Do I look alright.” she barked.

“Oh, oh yes. You look fine.”

She turns toward the door kicking me out of sight.

“May I help you?” she says, her voice dripping with honey.

“Yes ma'am. Is Ann Moori around?” A male voice creeps through the door. I peek through a crack in the door and see a tall, thin stranger with sandy blond hair.

Now it’s her turn to look confused. She turns to me and gives me a look so deadly it could paralyze a lion.

“Yes sir, she’s right here.” Lily says, stepping back and letting me take her place in front on the man. He has bright blue eyes and a red pocket handkerchief in his drab gray suit. With no time to introduce myself he continues to talk.

“Ann Moori, did you receive  a package earlier today?”

“Y-y-yes sir. How did you know?”

“Never mind that, now I need you to come with me. Bring the package along.” he said turning around on his heels.

“I’m going to have to say no, sir. I’m not going with you without a reasonable explanation.”

“Well then,” he said taken aback, I don’t think he was expecting me to say no. “That’s fine. I expect to be seeing you soon then” and without another word he walked off.Shutting the door I lean my back against it and slide down in a crouched position. After a couple seconds I decide to check out the package before school. It is the last day, after all. It won’t hurt to be a little late. I pick up the package I had left on the desk earlier and start to rip off the tape. After a quick examination I conclude my stubby fingernails aren’t long enough so I scoure the house for a pair of scissors. With no success I look both ways and bite the tape off. Carefully I open the flaps look inside. A shiny black laptop waits inside with a delicate note on top of it. Next to it lies a tiny box. I pick up the letter and admire it. So much paper in one place. We almost never get letters, much less thick one like this. With delicate hands, I open the letter and pull out the note inside.

Dear Annie W. Moori,

           Congratulations. Every year Occtula City reviews each student in our boundries test scores and picks out 50 of the most brilliant, and invite them to Occtula City for the T.R.I.A.L.S. a recognition ceremony for the best and brightest. You have been selected as one of our finalists. You will be traveling to Occtula! Please take your school provided computer and plug in the chip you will find in the black box. Once you see the green light flash remove the chip and place it back in the box. You will arrive at exactly 5:30 tonight at the city hall with the box in hand. You will also find a silver bracelet in the black box. Please put this on your right wrist. It is your tracker. Failing to wear it at all times will result in suspension. Failing to show up will result in suspension. Good luck.

It just ended there. No signature. No goodbye. No more information. I try to log back onto my computer but the chip seemed to have drained the life out of it. In a daze. I walk to my parents room and knock on my mother’s door.

“You should be on your way to school already. Well never mind. What did that man want anyways.” came the chatter from my mother behind the door.

“Mom you should see this.” I say.

Muttering she walks over to me, distracted with her tablet, but she stops, dead quiet when she sees my blank expression. I hand her the letter, still not processing what I just read.

She scans the page and then envelops me in a hug, snapping me out of my stupor.

“Oh!!! I’m so proud of you sweetheart. Now come, let’s get you ready”

As the hours stretch on my mother fusses with my clothes and hair until it is time for me to go. By the time the clock strikes 4:30 I have tried on at least ten different outfits. Finally she finds something she likes and we are ready to leave. Just then my little brother rushes in, crying. We had forgotten to pick him up from daycare and he had to walk home all by himself.  She cradles him in her arms signalling me good luck as I head out the door silently. I knew it was to painful for her to have to see me leave. Halfway down the path the door swings open and my brother runs out to me.

“Ann, I lost a toof!” He said pointing to a bloody stump in his hand, He was six and could talk normally but he knew I loved when he said toof.

“Where are you going Ann?”

“Oh I’m just going away for a few days but I’ll be back real soon. I’ll miss you.” “Bye Ann miss you too.” He says as he hugs me and starts to run home but he stops and turns around, almost sensing we wouldn’t be seeing each other for a long time. He runs up panting, with a look in his eye that would make a grown man cry and squeezes something into my hand, turning around and leaving without a word.

The jet black box in my sweaty hands, I take tiny baby steps down the road, careful not to dirty my dress. In thirty minutes I can see the town square up ahead and I run, not caring how dirty I get. I race up the road towards the community center, dust clinging to my dress and attacking my eyes. I slip on a rock and tumble down into a ditch. The box tumbles out of my grip and rolls to a stop settling the dust it had kicked up. I pull myself back up and scoop up the dust covered lump of plastic, continuing on my way. This time I walk, careful not to damage the box more than it already is.

Reaching the building I press the intercom and lean in to the speaker.

“Hi Marla. It’s Ann.”

“Who did you say you were?” A sweet, elderly voice drifted up.

“Ann, Marla. It’s me Ann.”

“Pam! I don’t know any Pam.”

“Marla, It is Annie Morri, did you forget your hearing aids at home today Marla?”

“Oh! Ann honey. Come on in.”

I smile and step through the door.  

I go straight to my dad’s office. He’s not here so I step in and shut the door. Hacking his computer, I go to his schedule and find that he has nothing planned for the next hour. He should be in his office. The door opens, and I jump, shutting down the computer before he notices.

“Hi dad.” I stumble, trying to think of a reasonable explanation for me being on his computer.

“Hi hon. What are you doing here.”

“Oh, just some errands for mom.”

“Okay then. I have meeting now so I’ll be back later. Tell mom that I will be late for dinner.”

He shuts the door and I take a breath. I should have told him about Octula but I couldn’t bear to tell him I would be going away for who knows how long. And I could tell something was up. For about a month now he had been staying late and making up meetings. His schedule says he didn’t have anything until noon.

I enter the lobby just as one of my classmates arrive. My heart flutters with joy. It’s Leo. I run up and hug him, he hugs me back and then kisses me on the lips. After months of meeting together after school and kissing behind magazines we finally told our parents we were dating. His did not care but mine were furious. We had to stop but I promised him no matter what, that after the last day of school, when we were officially adults, we could be together as long as we wanted.

“I knew you would make it.” He says, smiling. “You are too smart not too.”

We talk for a while and then we just wait in silence until the next person arrives. The door swings open and my heart stops. Lilliana Jones, the most popular girl in school struts in and walks over to us. Her daddy is the mayor so she got everything she wanted. Even makeup which is practically as extinct as dinosaurs. Flashing a cherry red smile she comes and sits right between us, putting her arm around Leo. She knows we are dating but she has her mind to break us up. I can’t believe she got in. Lilliana's not dumb, but she’s not real smart either. I grit my teeth for the agonizing minutes until the others arrive while Lilliana flirts with Leo.

Checking the clock I see it’s 5:24 the others should be here by now. As I walk over feeling like the third wheel the door opens and in comes Alexander and Gracie. They were twins but look and act nothing like each other. Alexander is shy and quiet but Gracie is outgoing and crazy. I don’t know them well but I do know they’re the smartest in our class. No wonder they made it into the T.R.I.A.L.S.

Gazing at the clock Leo, who had shaken Lilliana off comes behind me and rubs my shoulder. I laugh and push him away. He drapes his arm around me right as the second hand hits six. The doors burst open and two government officials, dressed head to toe in black walk in, their exact movement alike. Right, left, right, left, turn, right, left. “Welcome. You have been chosen to attend the T.R.I.A.L.S. a recognition ceremony for the best and brightest. Will you please place your computer chips in this box.”  

The other capital zombie steps forward and hold out a steel box. We put the laptops inside and are then invited into a room. It had an expensive looking desk and five chairs that look less appealing than a cactus.

“Sit.” One of the zombies commands. When I don’t places a firm hand on my shoulder and pushes me down.

“Okay then, I guess I’ll sit.” Out of a door at the other side of the room comes Mayor Keaner. Sitting down at the other side of the desk, she turns toward us and with a warm smile says “Welcome. I’m so glad you are here. I know you may have some questions but all will be answered in time. You all have been chosen to attend the T.R.I.A.L.S. a recognition ceremony for the best and brightest.”

That sentence was taken from the letter sent and it is exactly what the brain dead zombies had said. I look at Leo to see if he caught it but he just smiles and squeezes my