Chapter Four

So. Many. Questions.

It felt like I was sitting for hours scribbling answers. I had to stand up multiple times just to get feeling back in my legs and to crack my back.

Are you allergic to latex?

No

Next.

List your sleeping habits.

Average sleeping?

I sighed, some of these didn't even make sense. It made me feel incredibly dumb. I had studied at a westian private school for years I should be able to handle a stupid test.

Except it wasn't a stupid test, this was determining my life.

Eventually I reached the last question,

What is your knowledge of the south?

That made me pause.

The south was desolate, an old history lesson from school long ago. They disobeyed our selector and became obsolete. Our Rozzers had crushed them. The greatest example of our powerful nation.

I wrote out a quick summary, ready to get this over with.

I stacked my papers back into place and walked towards the small metal slot. I could hear the camera move to follow me, there really had been someone there watching me.

I nervously slid the test in and leaned against the wall closing my eyes. I was aware of every move I made because someone else was as well. My nerves felt like hot wires.

My eyes jumped open as the door opened, the gray suit man stood there.

"It's time Elizabeth."

My insides turned to liquid. My steps became wobbly as I walked out gripping gray suit man's arm.

The long empty hallway in front of me seemed to tilt and turn. Was I having a panic attack?   

If my anxiety was showing gray suit man didn't say anything, instead he marched me forward toward the end of the hallway to a double sided door. The rebirth room.

When we reached it I paused to take a breath, but he wasn't planning on waiting for me because he threw one door open and pushed me inside.

Instantly I was blinded by the bright lights shining down. The door closed behind me locking again.

When my eyes finally focused there was a line of men on the other side of the room. All older with clipboards and pens. Chatting amongst themselves and writing notes down. A row of desks with a much nicer one in the center with the biggest computer I had ever seen.

I scanned the room for him, and there he was. In the center of all the well dressed men. The selector.

He was in his mid fifties, clean shaven with a hard brown eyed stare. His brows were furrowed deep in thought, etched in wrinkles. He looked at me as if he could flick me away with a single finger.

"Elizabeth Burdett take the stage and stand still." He said, his voice carrying unwavering confidence.

In the middle of the room was a small 4 feet long black tiled stage with a single step. I took a step towards it feeling my legs wobble from the tension.

A few men gawked and laughed at my attempt to walk. It made me want to fold into myself and evaporate.

I bit my lip to keep tears from falling as I took my place in the center of the stage of the big empty room.

They all stared at me with judging eyes, I tugged at the bottom of my dress wishing I could've just worn something longer and not so revealing. I felt like a piece of meat on display.

Finally one of them spoke, a bald man with his shirt tucked under his gut.

"She's not what we were expecting huh boys?"

"No, too skinny. Her father should have told us." Another said.

The selector sighed and picked up my test from a small table next him. He glanced at it for a few seconds before tossing it into a office trash can.

I caught my gasp in my throat, I spent so long on that and he won't even look at it? What is he planning for me? My father should have told them what?

He walked towards me, pacing in a slow circle around me. Each step making a loud clap against the floor. I felt my heart beat match the tempo.

He stopped in front of me, staring me down. I flinched away.

And he smiled.

"Shes like a wobbling baby deer in spring. A fawn."

The men behind began furiously writing, the sound of pen on paper filled the room.

The selector snapped his fingers in delight and then briskly walked to his desk. He sat down on his big red leather chair and spun it around with his hands behind his head. Clearly satisfied with himself.

The group of men began passing papers and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. All I could do was stare bewildered at what was happening.

The bald man who spoke before walked away to the massive computer, he hit a single button and a piece of paper slid out of the side. He folded it and handed it to me. I took it with a shaking hand.

He clicked his pen closed before speaking. "Here is your assignment. Please go to the medial room before reading. It's right out that door there."

He pointed to a black door to the left of me, I rushed towards it ready to leave the unbearable area when I tripped over the one step and sent myself into the tiled floor.

The room erupted into laughter at my misery. I pulled myself up and covered my face with my hands attempting to hide my horror. Right before I opened the black door the Selector called out to me,

"Don't go messing up that pretty face. You'll need it."

I didn't give a second to ask or turn around I threw open the door as hard as I could and closed it behind myself.

Once inside, alone and safe I crumbled to my knees and let hot tears rain down my face. I had made a complete fool of myself. A laughing stock!

After my self pity session I finally took in my surroundings. There was a baby blue armchair in the corner of the room positioned towards an operation table next to a smaller steel table with multiple tools.

I'm in a doctors room? My anxiety was at an all time high. For a second my brain told me to run, but I knew that was impossible.

I sunk myself into the arm chair and pulled my legs up to my chest. My father is going to be horrified when he hears what happened. He might've even break laws and visit me just to scold me.

I realized that in my clenched fist was my rebirth papers. I paused before opening, my whole body felt like it was screaming. Just open it!

Slowly I unfolded it, only to be consumed with feelings I've never felt before.

Rebirth assignment

Name: Fawn (last name omitted)

Home division: East

Job assignment: The Dollhouse

I folded the paper back up. As if that would make it all go away. 

It was all too much to take in.

My head exploded with questions,

Why am I in the east? Why don't have a last name? How am I going to survive living in slums? Why don't I have a husband? Will I never have a family?

What is The Dollhouse?

The black door open and snapped me out of my racing thoughts. A short, scrawny man dressed in a surgeons gown stepped in looking down at a clipboard.

"Alright, Misses Fawn? Yeah I'm going to need you to lie down now." His voice was shrill.

"Uh- uhm why?" I sputtered.

He threw his head back in annoyance. "Ugh! Your type is always asking questions. Do it now please don't make this difficult. "

I cautiously went and rested myself on the table, closing my eyes tight. Maybe I could sleep this all away.

I could hear him riffling through tools and muttering to himself.

Suddenly he grabbed my left arm tight, I tensed up at the touch.

Before I could ask there was a sharp sting in my forearm. I looked down and saw a three inch long needle jutting out of me.

"Wha-!"

There was another pinch, another needle.

He huffed at my pain and pulled the needles out of me, not bothering to bandage the holes.

"What was that!" I asked inspecting my arm.

He had his back turned to me, digging through his tools again. "Oh the first one? That was just your tracker."

Suddenly my head begun to feel woozy.

"And the second one?" I asked, my own voice fading in and out of my ears.

"That was the anesthetic, time to go to sleep."

My eyes shut and I drifted into my own black abyss.