Karma Police

Training. Reading. Eating. Learning. Reading. Quiz. Dinner. Reading. Running.

Repeat.

One month passes by, and I am tested again. I fight Mrotek, and this time, our fight lasts for at least fifteen minutes. I lose, but I am much closer. Running is no problem. Siska and I run a few miles before going to bed. We have conversations about Big Brother and the children. And even about Owen. Owen's worst fear is rats and death, so the pictures on the screen of mangled bodies did the trick. Owen was notorious for harming his peers, breaking their arms and almost killing them for fun. None of them would say who hurt them.

Finally, Siska found Owen punching Hayes in the stomach repeatedly. Hayes did nothing. I suppose that if Hayes is beaten up, the others remain unharmed. A leader.

Owen had too much aggression, and could no longer be kept here. I couldn't believe all of this was not seen as suspicious. Carden treated all of the wounds, but said nothing to Beckett.

Beckett sits on my bed when I arrive from my workout with Siska. He asks about my day, and if I am enjoying myself. Also, I don't understand why, but Beckett is very affectionate towards the children. He teaches them things, plays sports with them; they have the most fun with him. Chislett and Carden say he's getting too attatched to them. Mrotek usually joins in on the fun. Siska and I say nothing.

Running. By this time, it's the middle of the second month. I will be tested again. Siska and I are running side by side, now slowing down to a fast-paced walk. He takes a swig from his water bottle. "Good luck tomorrow. I'm sure this time you'll defeat Mrotek."

One more hour, and we finish. We exchange goodbyes, going to our rooms. Beckett is sitting on my bed, and he tilts his head upwards. "Hello, Rory," he says, his voice cheery. Beckett's smiling. "How are you this fine evening?"

"I'm all right. How are you?" I ask, stretching my legs. I feel more comfortable around Beckett, though I do fear him.

"I'm wonderful. Oh, and I have another present for you." Another box wrapped in gray paper. He hands it to me, kisses my cheek, and goes out the door. This man makes no sense to me. I set the box on the desk and go to take a shower. I change into my sleepwear, and I carefully unwrap the present. Another gold box.

This time, it's a card. It reads: "Happy Birthday, Rory!". I smile, tracing the gold lettering with my finger. I touch the blue patterns, awed by the color scheme. I open the card and read its contents:

Dear Rory,
You are officially 23 years of age. If you walk down to the dining room, the rest of us will be there waiting for you.
Love, William.

I leave the card on my bed and make my way down to the dining room. The lights flicker on, and the men are already there. "Surprise!" they shout, tossing colored paper everywhere, letting go of colored balloons.

I raise my eyebrows, and Siska motions to a cake. "Blow out the candles and make a wish," he instructs.

I wish the world were back to how it used to be. I blow out the candles, and the men applaud. Beckett helps me remove the candles, and we eat cake.

We say goodnight, and Beckett walks me to my room. He smiles, holding out a small bag. "I thought you could use these." Beckett kisses my cheek. "Goodnight, Rory. Sleep well," he whispers before leaving.

Before going to bed, I check to see what Beckett's gift was: They were leather gloves.

Dress in shorts and a shirt. I make my way down to the sparring room, but Mrotek isn't the only one there. Chislett, Siska, and Carden stand off to the side, watching us. Mrotek steps off the mats and stands next to his friends. The only one missing is Beckett. He enters last, stretching his arms.

I am confused. Why are all of them here today? Usually when I attempt to fight Mrotek, none of them are here. It's just Mrotek and me. And for some reason, he's leaning against the wall, running his fingers through his hair.

Beckett steps onto the mat without his shoes. He slips his shirt off, revealing his lean but muscular body. His skin is very pale, and his abs are a nice touch. He puts up his arms. "Today, you will be fighting me instead of Mrotek."

I stand there, shocked. I was not expecting this.