I tied my hair back into a think brown ponytail. Today was the day of the pick. Govener Wilson is going to pick eight of us to live with him, we each get eliminated one by one until only one of us is left. I never understood the point of it all, especially since the governor has seven children.

I stepped out of the bathroom and into the blazing sun with the rest of section 7. All of the 16-18 year old residents stood in a straight line in front of the stage, and so did I. My heart hammered in my chest. If I survived this, what would happen to me? To my siblings? To the orphanage? I shook my head as the governors assistant shifted through names.

“One Child. One Chance.” I whispered.

The governors assistant pulled out a name, and without looking handed it to the governors wife. She delicately opened the letter. I always liked her, she had a quiet sense of power about her. She gasped and looked in my direction. I had met her in the town a couple of days ago and she bought me a honey cake. So why did she look so scared?

She walked up to the podium and held the mic in her shaking hand. “The child that will join my husband and I in the capital is” she paused and nodded to someone in the crowd and a cry arouse, my skin crawled. “Rosa Lane.”

It was me. My mouth fell open and I immediately looked for my sibilings, I had to say goodbye. But before I could even say anything two guards led me to a car, not a bucket one, but a sash car. One only the Ones or Twos owned. A man in a boy in a white suit sat in front of me.

“Hello.” I said as we started moving.

He lifted up his head and I gasped seeing the scar across his eye.

“What happened to you?” I asked scooting slightly closer.

“They did.” He was a rebel. I scooted back.

“They wouldn’t do such a thing. I met the governors wife and even spoke to her, they couldn’t have.” Fear flooded me as realization crept in, this wasn’t a friendly invite, it was a way of restoring order, a way of getting rid of what was unfit for society.

“Well kid, they did. And they’d do it to you without heasitaion.” I could see his brown eyes now, he looked like he’d been crying.

“What’s your name?” I asked scooting back over.

“Ryln.” He said coldly.

“I’m Rosa. You can call me Ro.” I smiled and he trued to smile back, but the scar prevented him from reaching his full grin.

“Friendly tip, no one’s your friend here, not even me. I could turn on you any second. Find something worth fighting for and you’ll survive.”

I nodded, he sounded and looked like a two. Polished and ready for anything. I closed my eyes and thought of Ryan and Grace. How mom died and I had to take care of them, how Madam Lucile took us in. How Grace loves flowers and Ryan wants to be a musician. That’s what I would fight for, and win for. I would win for them.