Post by dewbranch on Apr 13, 2024 17:46:36 GMT -5
Prompt:
In this day and age, we follow MY rules.
Another day, another day. Hal was getting tired of this. She picked up the next bag, stuffing it into the chute. It wasn't her fault that 'healing' wasn't useful to her society. After 30 years of war, and 2 leaders killed, her country had become war obsessed. It was training this training that, kill that thing kill that, until you turned 13. Then your future got decided.
Hal remembered her 13th birthday all too well, the way she had strode up the the podium to receive her magic. She had been so excited then, especially since her best friend, Rex, had been able to travel all the way from the capital to watch. Now she wished he hadn't. Rex had gotten his magic two months earlier, the gift of craft. You can imagine how that could be useful in an ongoing war. Hal had been last in line, two kids in front of her. She didn't care what their gifts were now, now that she was stuck here. When she had stepped up for her turn, the person told her to extend her arms wide, and close her eyes. She had.
"Close your eyes, good. Now extend your arms" The women had started to sprinkle water over her head, the coldness of it seeping into her bones. Then, everything went black. Hal had woken up here, and had been told she had failed.
"Haley Grey get back to work this instant!" Oops. She had drifted off again.
"It would go quicker if you helped us, you know" Hal shouted back. She shoved the next bag into the chute, hoping it ripped and all the vials inside broke on the way down. That will never happen. It's too protected for that. There, she had enough time to grumble before she was shoved against the wall.
"Do you want to get reported?" The proctor snarled in her ear.
"No Ma'am" Hal spat, because she didn't. Hal wanted to change things, not die a painful death because 'shouting at the proctor' was against the rules. If they were going to keep her prisoner because her magic wasn't 'useful' to the war, why wasn't she at least allowed to grumble about it?
"Then get back to work" Hal went back to shoving bags into a chute.
~~~
"Hal!" Came a shout from down the hall. Oh please help my soul - what is it this time?
"What?" She snapped, sitting up in her cot. It was Kathy, her roommate. Kathy came rushing into their shared room (small, with two cots squeezed in along with a dresser, no pacing space). She looked rather flushed, like she had been running for miles.
"Their coming for you! You have to go!" Kathy said, shoving Hal onto her feet. Hal was startled, but Kathy's voice sounded scared. She let Kathy guide her down the hall.
"In here" Kathy pulled her into the storage shed, putting her hand against Hal's lips. Quiet. Hal stiffened as footsteps sped down the hall down the hall, past them.
"She's gone! Where is she?" The voices called. Kathy started shoving mops out of the way, and they rustled around with a crash! Suddenly, an opening emerged, and the two friends rushed into it. Hal made sure to close the 'door' behind her. They rushed down a narrow passage, and after a few minutes, Hal heard the shouting and footsteps stop.
"I'm guessing I got reported?" Hal said, when she thought it was safe.
Kathy just nodded, and Hal rolled her eyes. Of course, although , I always thought her threats were empty, but I guess she hates me that much. Kathy let a burst of light of of her palms. She had the power of light, but apparently that wasn't useful if the war. I guess since she is untrained, the light can't go further than her palms.
~~~
It had been 24 hours since they had made their escape from their prison. Hal didn't know where they were going to go, and neither did Kathy. Last night, they had taken turns staying up, making sure no one had followed them. No one had. They hadn't had time to bring any food, and now both of them were hungry, although as punishment for 'misbehaving' a few times she hadn't been fed for two days. Still, not eating was annoying, and her stomach rumbled loudly despite Hal's internal protests.
The two kept going, despite their protesting stomachs. It felt as though days had past, even though it had only been hours.
In this day and age, we follow MY rules.
Another day, another day. Hal was getting tired of this. She picked up the next bag, stuffing it into the chute. It wasn't her fault that 'healing' wasn't useful to her society. After 30 years of war, and 2 leaders killed, her country had become war obsessed. It was training this training that, kill that thing kill that, until you turned 13. Then your future got decided.
Hal remembered her 13th birthday all too well, the way she had strode up the the podium to receive her magic. She had been so excited then, especially since her best friend, Rex, had been able to travel all the way from the capital to watch. Now she wished he hadn't. Rex had gotten his magic two months earlier, the gift of craft. You can imagine how that could be useful in an ongoing war. Hal had been last in line, two kids in front of her. She didn't care what their gifts were now, now that she was stuck here. When she had stepped up for her turn, the person told her to extend her arms wide, and close her eyes. She had.
"Close your eyes, good. Now extend your arms" The women had started to sprinkle water over her head, the coldness of it seeping into her bones. Then, everything went black. Hal had woken up here, and had been told she had failed.
"Haley Grey get back to work this instant!" Oops. She had drifted off again.
"It would go quicker if you helped us, you know" Hal shouted back. She shoved the next bag into the chute, hoping it ripped and all the vials inside broke on the way down. That will never happen. It's too protected for that. There, she had enough time to grumble before she was shoved against the wall.
"Do you want to get reported?" The proctor snarled in her ear.
"No Ma'am" Hal spat, because she didn't. Hal wanted to change things, not die a painful death because 'shouting at the proctor' was against the rules. If they were going to keep her prisoner because her magic wasn't 'useful' to the war, why wasn't she at least allowed to grumble about it?
"Then get back to work" Hal went back to shoving bags into a chute.
~~~
"Hal!" Came a shout from down the hall. Oh please help my soul - what is it this time?
"What?" She snapped, sitting up in her cot. It was Kathy, her roommate. Kathy came rushing into their shared room (small, with two cots squeezed in along with a dresser, no pacing space). She looked rather flushed, like she had been running for miles.
"Their coming for you! You have to go!" Kathy said, shoving Hal onto her feet. Hal was startled, but Kathy's voice sounded scared. She let Kathy guide her down the hall.
"In here" Kathy pulled her into the storage shed, putting her hand against Hal's lips. Quiet. Hal stiffened as footsteps sped down the hall down the hall, past them.
"She's gone! Where is she?" The voices called. Kathy started shoving mops out of the way, and they rustled around with a crash! Suddenly, an opening emerged, and the two friends rushed into it. Hal made sure to close the 'door' behind her. They rushed down a narrow passage, and after a few minutes, Hal heard the shouting and footsteps stop.
"I'm guessing I got reported?" Hal said, when she thought it was safe.
Kathy just nodded, and Hal rolled her eyes. Of course, although , I always thought her threats were empty, but I guess she hates me that much. Kathy let a burst of light of of her palms. She had the power of light, but apparently that wasn't useful if the war. I guess since she is untrained, the light can't go further than her palms.
~~~
It had been 24 hours since they had made their escape from their prison. Hal didn't know where they were going to go, and neither did Kathy. Last night, they had taken turns staying up, making sure no one had followed them. No one had. They hadn't had time to bring any food, and now both of them were hungry, although as punishment for 'misbehaving' a few times she hadn't been fed for two days. Still, not eating was annoying, and her stomach rumbled loudly despite Hal's internal protests.
The two kept going, despite their protesting stomachs. It felt as though days had past, even though it had only been hours.