Status: Playing with this one a bit.
Tempus
Chapter Three
~*~
We were all in the same seats as we were the night before. On the stage there was a long circular desk with people just typing on computers, not looking up from their flat screens. Oliver looked back at me and smiled.
“What’s that about?” Sally asked.
“Nothing,” I told her.
She eyed me. “That was not a normal smile, that was an affectionate smile and affection implies how he feels,” she said.
I rolled my eyes at her, “Rolling your eyes implies that you are ignoring what I’m saying because you know I’m right.” Sally said. Just as a Tempus representative came onto the stage. He was thin and his face was narrow. I’m sure if I saw him as a child I’d be petrified by the elongated features that reminded me of spiders.
“Good morning,” he said. “Today many of you will be experiencing a life changing event. You will be placed in your newest community and trained for the profession chosen for you. For some of you, this means leaving your home. For others, you can sit comfortably,” he paused to chuckle. No one else laughed. “Let’s get started, shall we.”
Names appeared on the screen, moving too fast for me too notice until one name popped up in large.
“Sally Ash….” He read and the job was going to pop up after. “Medical!”
She glowed next to me as she got up and walked toward the side of the room where the new medical teams would stand.
~*~
They called more names, kids mostly laborers, a girl in my class became a hunter, everyone body held their breath waiting for their names.
“Oliver Pierce…” My stomach clenched. “Hunter!”
My mother immediately grabbed my hand. Her face was blank but she held tightly onto my hand. I knew I was next. Oliver stood under the hunters flag, he looked straight ahead, jaw clenched.
“Meredith Porter…” I squeezed my mothers hand harder. “Hunter!”
My eyes widened, My mother held onto my hands. I couldn’t move.
We were all in the same seats as we were the night before. On the stage there was a long circular desk with people just typing on computers, not looking up from their flat screens. Oliver looked back at me and smiled.
“What’s that about?” Sally asked.
“Nothing,” I told her.
She eyed me. “That was not a normal smile, that was an affectionate smile and affection implies how he feels,” she said.
I rolled my eyes at her, “Rolling your eyes implies that you are ignoring what I’m saying because you know I’m right.” Sally said. Just as a Tempus representative came onto the stage. He was thin and his face was narrow. I’m sure if I saw him as a child I’d be petrified by the elongated features that reminded me of spiders.
“Good morning,” he said. “Today many of you will be experiencing a life changing event. You will be placed in your newest community and trained for the profession chosen for you. For some of you, this means leaving your home. For others, you can sit comfortably,” he paused to chuckle. No one else laughed. “Let’s get started, shall we.”
Names appeared on the screen, moving too fast for me too notice until one name popped up in large.
“Sally Ash….” He read and the job was going to pop up after. “Medical!”
She glowed next to me as she got up and walked toward the side of the room where the new medical teams would stand.
~*~
They called more names, kids mostly laborers, a girl in my class became a hunter, everyone body held their breath waiting for their names.
“Oliver Pierce…” My stomach clenched. “Hunter!”
My mother immediately grabbed my hand. Her face was blank but she held tightly onto my hand. I knew I was next. Oliver stood under the hunters flag, he looked straight ahead, jaw clenched.
“Meredith Porter…” I squeezed my mothers hand harder. “Hunter!”
My eyes widened, My mother held onto my hands. I couldn’t move.