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

and look at his foot. Luckily it was not a root in his foot for then I would have to take it out by myself and I would have probably done it wrong and then someone would have to amputate it. So I just put his arm on my shoulder and dragged him out of the bushes. We go over to Samantha and as soon as she see’s his foot she starts to scream. I go over to calm her setting the boy down carefully and picking up my flashlight.

“Samantha. It’s ok. This boy is hurt and he needs our help. There are more people trapped and we need to get them out. I need you to be strong and care for him while I go help more people just like you and him, trapped in those huge bushes with no way to get out. Can you do that.” I say as if I’m speaking to a child. She nods her head and I run off, hoping they will be ok.

After about an hour I’ve found 5 more people, each injured in a mental or physical way. I seemed to be the only one not affected by this test. Our province was right next to the border and there was always a chance some of the Others would stumble in. We always had to be prepared for disaster so I was just trying to pretend that this was just a drill back in Olatha. Assesing our situation I see that Samantha has stopped crying and is bravely attending to a girl who has a deep gash and another boy, Ralf who I found knocked out on the ground is helping Nathan wipe off the blood from his foot. The three others are stumbling around trying to clean themselves up. That is eight in total but the old man had said there would be five groups and with fifty of us that should leave 10 in each group. There must be two more out there. I turn to Samantha and tell her she is in charge as I run toward the library in search of the two other students.

I search for about thirty minutes, finding nothing and am about to head back when out from behind me someone trips me. I fall flat on my face but quickly whip myself back up to find Lilliana staring back at me with a crazy look in her eyes, breathing hard. She kicks at me and I stumble back.

“Lilliana.” I shout. “What are you doing?”

She just smiles and lunges out at me, taking me down. We struggle on the ground and I try to hold her back but she keeps going for my hair. Pulling out a chunk of it she laughs and I catch her in the moment, flinging her up. Her smile fades and the crazy look in her eye vanishes as she slumps to the ground.

I bend down to catch my breath. Why did she attack me like that. It was like she had become another person. Not wanting to be there when she wakes up I leave her and go back to where I left the others. When I get back to our little camp I bend down to help Samantha bandage a girl named Lisa’s broken arm and while I tell her about Lilliana. She nods

“She must have caught dandy fever.” Samantha says in a hushed voice. “After the war some chemical seeped into a plant called dandelions. They started to change. Anything that touches it turns into a monster. They grow all over my province. Once my friend got infected. For days she just screamed. The city officials took her away for a while but she came back. She was fine then. Everything was okay after that. You friend must have barely touched one for it to wear off that quickly.” I nod and give Samantha instructions to help our group get to the library and I head off to go find Lilliana again.

She was right where I left her so I scoop her up and half carry half drag her to the House of White. When I get up to the front door I knock but no one answered so I walk around the porch, trying to find some sort of keypad or other contraption. I finally find a little red button on the bottom of a lounge chair so I hold by breath and push it. The door clicks and I push it open. Waiting to greet me is two zombie assistants. One tells me to follow her while the other carries Lilliana inside. I sigh and follow the zombie through the halls filled with book shelves until we get to a dining room.

“Stay.” She barks and leaves. I do as I’m told and sit down. Wondering the room I run my hands along the walls of book shelves. The Testing, The Hunger Games, The Princess Academy,  The Book of a Thousand Days, Walk Two Moons, If I Stay, Prisoner B-1346, Rouge, Gifted, Ella Enchanted. I read name after name each book sounding more enchanting than the one before. I pick one up called World of Water by Maddie Mason. I flip to the first page. When the doors burst open and Lilliana walks is. She runs up and hugs me.

“Thank You. You saved my life. If you had not snapped me out of that daze I would have gone on like that until I ran out.” I hug her back.

“Aww. It was nothing.” I blush. We talk as others from our band of misfits trickle in and soon all nine of us plus a boy named Spencer are gathered. My stomach growls at me as I think about lunch. A group of servants come in, supporting trays filled with steamy stew and crackers. The trays are distributed and I gobble my portion down in about thirty seconds. As soon as the blank faced servants left a screen at the other side of the room comes to life. The man I ate dinner with the night before pops up.

“Welcome all of you. I hope you enjoyed your first day here. After great evaluation my committee has decided on the list of you that will sadly have to leave us today. Some of you aren’t ready for this opportunity. If your name is called please report to the front of the building where you will be escorted to a hovercraft.” He holds up a piece of paper, the words facing him so we could not read it. “Ahem. Mr. Steven Williams, Stefanie Roberts, Lisa Grace,” Lisa crumples to the ground and sobs. Lilliana bends down to comfort her but I fix my eyes on the screen praying he does not say Leo’s name. “Leo, oh I can’t read that, Leo Sansanobby,” I sigh with relief. Susan Wilson, Mary Stith, Delbert Harding, Bob Anderson, Mack Becksby, and Shelby Reynolds. If your name was called please go to the front of the building and wait there. You have five minutes and if you are not there in time an escort will be sent to get you.” The screen shuts off as Lisa shakily stands up and walks out. I wave goodbye and she gives a hint of a smile. After five minutes the screen comes back on but this time a woman sits in the man’s place. She looks to be about 20 and had her hair pulled back in a bun.

“Hello. And congratulations on making it past the first test. In a few moments you will be given your rooms and I advise you to get a good night's sleep. I will call your name and then list your room number. You will have an hour to find your room and get settled. Group One: Jude Adams 246, Kenny Anderson 468, Ashlynn Brooks 135, Mia Dillon 810, Simon Ecbert 358, Silver Pennington 579, Leonard Delporto 681, Zeda Davenson 101, Katlyn Barr 232, Ann Moori 666…” I jump up. Lilliana hugs me and whispers.

“Break a leg sister.” I walk out smiling to myself. I look up and I’m not in the library anymore. A stone wall and either side of me and behind me. I walk along the corridor to where it branches off into at least 10 different halls, a sign in the front reads:

Don’t touch the walls. You have one hour. Remember the numbers.

Turning around to exit back out the door I look and find just a wall. I sit down dizzy. Remember the numbers. What does that mean? A speaker overhead turns on and the lady says.

“I’ll repeat the list one more time. Group One: Jude Adams 246, Kenny Anderson 468, Ashlyn Brooks 135, Mia Dillon 810, Simon Ecbert 358, Silver Pennington 579, Leonard Delporto 681, Zeda Davenson 101, Katlyn Barr 232, Ann Moori 666. Group One: Jude Adams 246, Kenny Anderson 468, Ashlyn Brooks 135, Mia Dillon 810, Simon Ecbert 358, Silver Pennington 579, Leonard Delporto 681, Zeda Davenson 101, Katlyn Barr 232, Ann Moori 666. Group One: Jude Adams 246, Kenny Anderson 468, Ashlyn Brooks 135, Mia Dillon 810, Simon Ecbert 358, Silver Pennington 579, Leonard Delporto 681, Zeda Davenson 101, Katlyn Barr 232, Ann Moori 666. Group One: Jude Adams 246, Kenny Anderson 468, Ashlyn Brooks 135, Mia Dillon 810, Simon Ecbert 358, Silver Pennington 579, Leonard Delporto 681, Zeda Davenson 101, Katlyn Barr 232, Ann Moori 666.” Over and over again she repeated the list, Louder and louder each time. I covered my ears and started to scream. I couldn’t think with the racket. I stand up and almost bump into the walls. I catch myself before I touch them though. She started to repeat the list again but I stopped hearing the names just the numbers. “246, 468, 135, 810, 358, 579, 681, 101, 232, 666, 246, 468, 135, 810, 358, 579, 681, 101, 232, 666, 246, 468, 135, 810, 358, 579, 681, 101, 232, 666” I scratch the numbers onto the ground, 246468135810358579681101232666. I go through the second path, then the fourth, then the sixth, and on and on until I’ve reached the door with the numbers 666 scratched into the wood. I turn the knob and step inside. Everything is pink, bright pink. Pink bed, pink desk, pink dresser, pink closet. The only thing not pink was a silver band laying on the desk. I walk over and snap it on. The second I do a trap door in the ceiling opens up and a black TV lowers down. It turns on and the lady from before comes on.

“Hello Ann. Wonderful job on the maze by the way. You were the only one in your group to complete it on time. The rest in group one have been eliminated.” I gasp. She laughs. “Don’t worry they are safe. But you show great potential. You are welcome to explore the library. Dinner will be served in 3 hours at 5 and your door will lock for the night then. If you are locked out of your room you will be eliminated. Have a nice day.”  The screen shuts off. What kind of an ending is that? You will be eliminated. Have a nice day!

I am debating  whether or not to risk it and go out when there is a sharp knock at the door. I open it and am enveloped in a hug.

“Leo.” I shout pushing him off. “You scared me. Don’t do that!”

“I’m sorry” he says with a look on his face that means he really didn’t. “Can I come in?”

“Nooooooooo.” I say. “The color is making me sick. Let’s go somewhere else to talk.

“Ok.” he said as he slunk out the door.

“Wait, how did you get in here?” I asked astounded. “Did you get the clue with the intercom and the numbers?”

“What are you talking about Annie?”

“The maze you idiot! How did you get through the maze?”