Good and Evil pt. 1

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I will never be like the other kids. I don't have someone to tell secrets too. I don't have someone to hold when I'm scared.

I don't have anyone.

When I was born, the government told me my brother had died. I was the only surviving twin, and I was sent into one of the territories they had. I was sent into Territory B.

I was taught from day one to be bad.

To be evil.

To be cruel.

Unfortunately, something inside of me won't let me.

I won't ever be like the other kids.

They have their twin who they are allowed to see every weekend.

They are bad to the bone.

I will never ever be like them.

Not even if I tried.

♢ ♢ ♢

"Okay kids, line up! It's time for training!"

It was a disgusting Thursday morning. The sky was a dull grey, clouds covering the sun, as if forbidding us from the light it beheld. The ground under my feet was damp, the smell of rain and dirt pungent in my nostrils. As the whistle sounded from our coach, the squish squash of combat boots on the ground surrounded us kids.

I took my place in the back of the line, since my name started with Z, and got in ready formation; arms behind my back, face stoic, legs apart in second position.

"Good morning, maggots!" Coach December screamed.

"Good morning coach!" We shouted back in unison.

The coach nodded at us, and we dropped our arms, saluting, before putting our legs in first position. None of us spoke as the coach walked around us, eyes trained on every child. "Today, we're going to be going through the course, once again! Every single one of you will succeed, or you'll be thrown out tonight! Am I clear, you roaches?"

All of us saluted. "Yes, coach!"

"Then," coach shouted, "on my whistle, go. Three...two...one!"

The sound of the whistle pierced the air, and footsteps were instantly heard. We all ran straight to the course. The first part was easy. All we had to do was hop over the mud wall. I was one of the last to finish, my boot getting caught inside the wall, my fingers slipping on the slick dirt inbetween my fingers. The next challenge was a bit harder to finish.

It was the barbed wire.

We were forced to crawl under barbed wire, through mud and sand.

I instantly tucked and rolled, beginning my ascent under the serrated blades. I almost screamed as the side of my cheek was nicked by the sharp point, but I continued on.

The last task was by far the worst.

It was called the hanging tree.

There was a large oak in front of us. We were forced to jump from rope to rope on the humongous tree, and down from the top, to a zipline. If we missed, we were stuck in a pit of oak leaves and icky mud; maybe even a broken bone.

If we failed this task, we failed the entire directory.

This meant we were gonna sleep outside. I couldn't fail this.

As the piercing whistle busted my ear, I glanced around and noticed everyone was just as dirty as I felt. Some of the other kids were scratched up badly. I hesitated, but then ran up the tree, hopping on the first branch my rough hands could grasp. I swung myself up, flipping above, and landing on the branch as evenly as I could, with the bobbing tree. I then jumped from that tree, and my hands found a ripe in which I used to swing to the next biggest branch in front of me. I repeated this, going higher and higher, swallowing the bile in my throat.

I couldn't be scared.

If I got scared, and I fell, I'd be punished.

The whistle blew again, and all heads whipped around. "Five minutes, maggots!" Coach December shouted at us.

I gasped, and jumped to the next rope, hopping on another branch.

And then that was when I saw it.

In front of me was a girl. Her name was Aliyah. Her skin was a honey brown, and her eyes were this foreboding sepia brown hue. Her face, though usually calm and collected, was now set in panick as she swung from side on a rope that seemed to be breaking at every second. No one else sparred her a glance; this was Territory B. It was eat or be eaten.

But I could not just watch her fall and hurt herself. Not this high above.

I grabbed the nearest rope I could, and positioned my legs. Then I pulled back and swung with all my being, towards Aliyah. As I watched, her rope started to rip more and more, and I gasped as it broke as soon as I begin to swing.

Her screams wracked the sky with its heartbreaking wretchedness.

I took this moment to do something I've never done before. I jumped off my rope.

I flipped off of my rope, feeling my body catapult through the air. My hair whipped behind me, my arms outstretched. I got closer and closer to the falling body of Aliyah, her eyes shit in horror, her screaming still touching the air.

And then she was nestled in my arms.
Just as I calculated, my rope swung back to where we were, and I not only grasped her, but the rope as well out bodies flinging around on the rough material. Her eyes opened, and I winked at her, her face turning a sickly green. "Zachary!" She cried out, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Hi," I said. "Ready to hit the top?"

Aliyah only nodded, and I poin tr ed to the rope, to which we only had to climb to the top, and then zipline down with our other territory mates. Not a minute later, we reached the top of the oak, giving us a fair view of our training fileds, our living facility, and lastly, the meeting center. That was where all the twins in Territory A got to see their twins in Territory B.

I have never been to the meeting center.

"Thirty seconds!" Coach D screamed, and Aliyah and I looked at each other with panick.

"Hop on my back," I told her, my voice shaking.

"What? No!"

"Do you trust me?" I said.

"Uh, maybe," she murmured.

"Okay then," I replied. "Hop on my back. Wrap tightly. Hurry!"

Aliyah followed my directions, and I gripped the zipline with all my might, flinging myself down the line. Trees whipped by us and air stung my eyes if I dared to open them more than fraction. It seemed to take longer than expected, when we made it down to where all other Territory B members were.

"Five seconds!" They shouted to us.

I nodded and let go of the zipline with one hand, and grasped Aliyah around the waist with my other hand.

Five...

Four...

I prepared my limbs to land.

Three...

Two....

I let go of the zipline and tucked Aliyah into my body. I took the brunt of the fall, and we rolled down the hill, tumbling in front of Coach December, who blew his whistle.

"Times up!"

I sighed in relief, and let my body fall slack on the ground, as my team mates surrounded me.

"Way to go, Zach," someone said sarcastically. "We almost had to sleep outside."

I stuck up my middle finger and glanced at Aliyah, who didn't dare look at me.

I groaned and got up, limping. Coach December told us to report to our sleeping bases, and take a break until lunch. I complied, and made my way over to the nursing facility, alone. No one cared that I saved Aliyah. No one cared that I finished the training regime with so much as a broken ankle.

I hated Territory B.

× × ×

"Zachary Welches, Aliyah Soto, please report to Mayor December's office."

It was a regular afternoon in Territory B. I was attending Maths class, when I was suddenly called to the mayors office. It wasn't the first time I had gotten in trouble, but it was sure to be the last.

Everyone turned around in their seats and started whispering, as I stood up, as did Aliyah. She was the star student. All A's, and perfect record. The fact that she was being called to the office was almost like her being suspended. It was unheard of, and was sure to make its way around Territory B like wildfire. I glanced at the teacher, who nodded and I proceeded to the door, letting Aliyah go ahead of me. She gave me a weary grimace, and I frowned.

As she elbowed past me, Aliyah muttered a venomous, "You better not have gotten me in trouble, Zachary."

I only gave her a small smile, and we walked alongside each other in the grey halls of Territory B.

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