It’s finally here! Chapter 1!! I’m so happy to post this after 3 days of my inactivity (I’ll still be inactive, but I want to post this story before I’m completely inactive) love y’all so much! Enjoy!! (Prologue is on @dreamcreme) *Please read the prologue before reading the book* If you’re not okay with v!0l3nc3, then don’t read this! Chapter 1: I can’t believe it. I’m just standing here, waiting for my punishment to be announced. What… what could this president do? Is he cruel enough to k!ll me? Is he nice enough to let it slide? I’m scared. But then… just as I’m waiting… he finally comes out. “Ahem! Welcome. Welcome boys and girls for this fine assembly. An assembly to punish those who want to punish us. Can we have our little troublemaker up here?” he announces. I know he means me. I hesitate a bit, but then I go up. “Please, please, introduce yourself. Let people know who you are before they never see you again…” he says. “Haha just kidding, just kidding.” I’m not sure he was just kidding, but I let it slide, hoping he will let my mistake slide. “Hi. I’m Mattie. Mattie Locks.” I say. “And what was your very, very bad deed?” the president asks, even though he already knows. A bad deed? I wouldn’t take it that far. Maybe it was just a ‘mistake’. “I.. I.. I burnt down the president’s house.. leaving him homeless.” I say, pretty proud. “And why?” the president asks, already knowing the answer. “Because the president changed the law.” I say, but then I go on. “He banned us from buying food. We have to make it, apparently. We have to farm. What cruel law is that? So, if anyone should be punished, it should be him, not me. I’m quiet, but not when I need my voice, like now. We need food, and you’re basically k!ll!ng us. What’s your problem?” I say, but the president never responds. “I said… what’s your problem!?” I say louder. “N.. Nothing. Go back down, go on.” he says, so I go back down. From the stage to where I was. “I’ve decided that if I should punish this lady right here, then I might as well punish everyone. For not speaking up. For not stopping her. You can call me cruel.” the president immediately looks at me. “You can insult me. You can yell at me. But that won’t change anything.” the president says. “If you guys want to see real hunger, we’ll show you that.” he says. They start to pass out papers that have a number on it. “If your number is called, then you’ll be punished. We’re allowing 3 people.” he says. “Numbers 12, 4, and 11.” I’m not there. I watch my twin sister walk up, with the number 4. The mayor’s son (Aaron), with the number 12. And a random boy, with the number 11. I think his name is Wyatt. Then I think about my sister, Clara. “Wait! Wait!” I yell. I run as fast as I can, but the president stops me, and two guards block my path. “Clara, you can’t go! Clara!!” I never hear a response. I start to tear up. “Can I go instead of her? Please?” I ask. “If your sister gets some sort of punishment.” the president says. “What? What punishment?” I ask. A guard throws a rock at her head and she falls to the ground. “CLARA!” I yell. Before I could run to her, the guards take me and drag me away to a place where I’ll be punished. I hear someone say, “There’s no pulse.” I realize I’m already punished, with the d3 of my sister. I immediately yell, “MURD3R3R!” Clara was always there for me. She wasn’t just a sister, she was my backbone. She put me before herself. We were in Mama’s stomach together. We were born together, so I thought we were gonna do everything together. I thought we would d!3 together. Together. And from that moment, I knew my life was gonna be t0rtur3.
