Solemn Hour

My chest heaved as I ran, breathing in heavy amounts of dust and ash. I could feel the dryness in my throat and the urge to cough the pollution out of my lungs made my eyes water, but I didn't have time to stop and recover myself. Blood lightly trailed my arm from where an IV once was inserted.

The hospital gown gave me the freedom to move quickly and easily through the torn buildings and piles of rubble, but my bare feet slowed me. The ruins were becoming more and more desecrated the farther I pushed on, I knew I was getting close.

My head still dizzy from the amount anesthetic they managed to give me made the field that marked my freedom sway and spin

I can't stop now, I thought, I can't give in now, after how far Id managed to come. I breathed in hard, shrugging off my body's plead to rest, and sprinted faster into the Outside.

Earlier that day

"Are you ready?" Karen said eagerly, brushing her long satin like hair down her back.

I bit my lip and took my time to think of an answer. When my silence went on too long for Karen, she turned around to look at me, "You're not still thinking those things are you? You know that this is an important day for us. You have no reason to be afraid or unsure. The Elders know our place, and wouldn't put us in danger, so what is there to fear?"

"But how can they possibly know who we should love? The occupation we should or should not have? How can they know the life we want to live?" My voice came out louder and more aggressive than I truly intended. I gave her an apologetic look to which she returned with an understanding smile.

"Lilah, they've been guiding us our whole life, teaching us, watching over us, I think they know us better than we know ourselves, don't you?" She leaned over to touch my knee.

Karen had been born the same month as me, and so lived in the same quarters as me, along with the other girls born in October. She slept in the bed across from mine, and had always been the cheerful sort. Always so sure The Elders knew all, and that we had no need to wonder nor question them.

"It's all apart of a plan Lilah, when we leave our families we begin to prepare for our place in the Sanctuary. And then one day when we are finally 20, The Elders will reveal to us what our destiny is. Just like our parents before us, and their parents and so on." This was something she always felt to remind me when I'd asked too many questions and spoke out what I really thought.

I don't remember my parents hardy at all, vague memories of my mother sitting in her chair humming and my father reading a book. They always seemed so happy. I do remember quite clearly one memory of when I broke a lamp at age 4, my mother simply smiled and swept the mess. Although their consistent cheerfulness and smile forever plastered on their faces was the norm for me growing up, something inside me expected a change in emotion when I broke the lamp. Something more hostile. Anger? Anger wasn't an emotion I'd ever had too much experience with, other than my own bouts of frustration.

I was always reassured that at the time of my Reckoning all confusion and frustrations would be cleared away by the answer I didn't even know I desired.

"Lilah?" Karen snapped me back out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I know you are right." She smiled, happy to believe I wasn't thinking radically anymore.

She moved over to my cot and began to twist my hair into a bun. "I was afraid you were thinking bout running like Mary did last years March Reckoning." My body shivered at the thought of Mary. A year older than us and a March born, Mary had run off into the Outside. The over exaggerated story said she pulled a knife out on the man leading them to the Hall of Destiny, where the reckoning would commence, and threatened to kill him where he stood. Although I didn't believe this, I believed she merely found a way to slither away from everyone without alerting their chaperon. Mary was a gentle soul, she could never wield a knife. From the very few encounter I had had with her in the square she seemed sweet, almost child like and very eager to please. But then again I thought she believed so surely in the Elders wishes that she had no doubts in their will.

"It is time." I heard Margret, head of our quarters call out. All of age ladies will follow me." Karen grinned brightly at me and grabbed my hand, letting my hair fall freely down my shoulders. We followed Margret out into the square, where the group of male October born stood. The man nodded, and began to walk forward to the gated and guarded building, Margret following suit. Upon closer inspection I realized there was a huge mob of people. All of different ages, sex, and color but all had the same leering smile upon their faces. The white marble building towered above us, and my stomach dropped. I felt my palms begin to sweat, and my heart race. I can't do this.

The gates creaked as they swung open, giving us access to the large courtyard. Five figures stood at the doors of the Hall, three men and two women, each dressed in suits, well groomed and a smile on their face. The Elders. The man on the farther left was bald, a double chin peeking from his round face. He was tall, but still his weight was apparent. The woman beside him had red hair, her eyes crinkled with crows feet as she smiled. Beside the tall bald man, she seemed rather short, but couldn't have been under 5'5. She stood closely to the second woman, slightly shorter than she with graying hair and a grandmotherly appearance. The next man stood tall, not nearly as tall as the first, but had a confidence in his stance. His beard was trimmed and his white hair was thick His eyes glistened slightly in the sunlight, his smile not quite as leering as the rest. the next man was shorter, but unlike the rest, he did not smile. He merely stood slightly behind them, arms crossed, peering over his spectacles, at the group in font of him. As we approached them,the man with the beard stepped forward and opened his arms.

"Welcome October born." He clasped his hands together, "You are now of age, and ready to take your place in our society." He scanned the small group, and smiled brighter, "Follow us inside and together we will bring the begin your new journey."