the country. If my hair were longer—if I didn’t dress as a boy—if I weren’t the Elected—would any of them want me? I blinked hard to empty my head of the ridiculous fantasy.
Instead of staring at the young couples, I turned my attention to the older villagers standing around the dance floor. Parents stood by the sidelines, taking notes and talking hurriedly amongst each other. I pulled my hood closer over my head but continued to stare at all the festivities with immense interest.
“Look! Margy is taking a liking to him for sure!” crooned one parent to another.
“Yes, it does look like she and Albine will make a good pair,” said the father to my right. “We won’t even have to push them together. They’re already linking up!”
I kept standing by the candles, taking it all in, until I felt someone grab my arm.
“Hey, come on, let’s dance! What’s your name? Mine’s Griffin!”
That’s when I first met the boy with the birds. He pulled on my arm as he ran us both onto the dance floor. I couldn’t think of what to do. Did he think I was a girl? All this time, was this the reason my parents always wanted me hidden? Because even when wearing a hooded cloak, I still gave off the impression of being female?
“No, I... shouldn’t...” The heat of my words made cloudy white puffs in the air.
“Why? Are you already linked up to someone?” He kept pulling me behind him until we were standing dead center in between all of the other dancing couples.
I tried to keep my head down so he wouldn’t see my face, but before I knew it, we were standing in front of each other. His left palm rested against mine the way I’d seen other couples start dancing. I tried to say something, but I couldn’t think. I just felt his fingers against mine, the tips extending over mine by at least two inches.
“Umm... yeah, I guess that’s...” My voice broke off as I looked up at the boy for the first time. Of anyone I ran into that night, my luck it would be this boy—the one who was always trailing his father in our house. Now I finally had his name.
His eyes opened wide as he stared at my face, recognition seeming to sizzle in his brain. Then he looked down at the size of his hand against mine. My delicate fingers hinted at the secret my haircut and falsely gruff voice couldn’t hide.
“Hey...” His mouth was an O of astonishment. I could see Griffin’s mind trying to make sense of the situation. I inhaled sharply, my eyes skirting to the side, trying to figure out what to do.
Griffin dropped his hand from mine. “Wait... but... aren’t you...” His voice trailed off, but he kept staring at me.
Before he could get out one word more, I tore myself off the dance floor and started running. I didn’t look back. Just continued to run toward the dark houses I saw earlier. I hadn’t expected anyone to pull me onto the dance floor, let alone realize who I was.
I flattened myself against an empty house when I heard a group of guards shuffling by. They came out of nowhere, descending from the shadows to walk single file down the nearby path. They peered left and right, seemingly looking for me. I was so caught. The boy must have alerted someone, and now there was a posse of guards trying to find me. I shouldn’t be scared of my own guards, but watching them walk in the stark, straight line away from the town center, they looked fierce and determined. The lines of their mouths were more firm than I’d ever seen before. I feared what they would tell my parents when they found me.
Then, suddenly, they all stopped in front of another empty house a few hundred yards ahead of me. One by one, they entered until all the guards were off the path.
I crept on my hands and knees from the side of one house to the next, determined to get past the guards unnoticed. But in front of the house, I couldn’t help pausing for a moment. It was altogether too quiet in there, even though about thirty guards just entered.
I
Instead of staring at the young couples, I turned my attention to the older villagers standing around the dance floor. Parents stood by the sidelines, taking notes and talking hurriedly amongst each other. I pulled my hood closer over my head but continued to stare at all the festivities with immense interest.
“Look! Margy is taking a liking to him for sure!” crooned one parent to another.
“Yes, it does look like she and Albine will make a good pair,” said the father to my right. “We won’t even have to push them together. They’re already linking up!”
I kept standing by the candles, taking it all in, until I felt someone grab my arm.
“Hey, come on, let’s dance! What’s your name? Mine’s Griffin!”
That’s when I first met the boy with the birds. He pulled on my arm as he ran us both onto the dance floor. I couldn’t think of what to do. Did he think I was a girl? All this time, was this the reason my parents always wanted me hidden? Because even when wearing a hooded cloak, I still gave off the impression of being female?
“No, I... shouldn’t...” The heat of my words made cloudy white puffs in the air.
“Why? Are you already linked up to someone?” He kept pulling me behind him until we were standing dead center in between all of the other dancing couples.
I tried to keep my head down so he wouldn’t see my face, but before I knew it, we were standing in front of each other. His left palm rested against mine the way I’d seen other couples start dancing. I tried to say something, but I couldn’t think. I just felt his fingers against mine, the tips extending over mine by at least two inches.
“Umm... yeah, I guess that’s...” My voice broke off as I looked up at the boy for the first time. Of anyone I ran into that night, my luck it would be this boy—the one who was always trailing his father in our house. Now I finally had his name.
His eyes opened wide as he stared at my face, recognition seeming to sizzle in his brain. Then he looked down at the size of his hand against mine. My delicate fingers hinted at the secret my haircut and falsely gruff voice couldn’t hide.
“Hey...” His mouth was an O of astonishment. I could see Griffin’s mind trying to make sense of the situation. I inhaled sharply, my eyes skirting to the side, trying to figure out what to do.
Griffin dropped his hand from mine. “Wait... but... aren’t you...” His voice trailed off, but he kept staring at me.
Before he could get out one word more, I tore myself off the dance floor and started running. I didn’t look back. Just continued to run toward the dark houses I saw earlier. I hadn’t expected anyone to pull me onto the dance floor, let alone realize who I was.
I flattened myself against an empty house when I heard a group of guards shuffling by. They came out of nowhere, descending from the shadows to walk single file down the nearby path. They peered left and right, seemingly looking for me. I was so caught. The boy must have alerted someone, and now there was a posse of guards trying to find me. I shouldn’t be scared of my own guards, but watching them walk in the stark, straight line away from the town center, they looked fierce and determined. The lines of their mouths were more firm than I’d ever seen before. I feared what they would tell my parents when they found me.
Then, suddenly, they all stopped in front of another empty house a few hundred yards ahead of me. One by one, they entered until all the guards were off the path.
I crept on my hands and knees from the side of one house to the next, determined to get past the guards unnoticed. But in front of the house, I couldn’t help pausing for a moment. It was altogether too quiet in there, even though about thirty guards just entered.
I
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