people to assist him in making the country better by doing whatever he deems necessary. None of that fits with keeping us locked inside and murdering Wray, but then I suppose that wouldnât be the best thing to put into a film which is telling us how lucky we are.
It finishes with a mother and son being given a basket of food, âto show the Kingâs gratitude for your serviceâ, and itâs hard not to see Mum and Colt in their places. I try to console myself that, despite what could happen to me, they will at least be looked after.
As the footage ends, the lights switch back on and a ripple of applause spreads around the room. At first, it is just one or two people but quickly everybody starts to clap. Not wanting to be singled out, I join in too, hammering my hands together loudly as the noise turns into cheers. Ignacia is standing at the front, a curious half-smile on her face as if she knew what was going to happen. Quickly it has become a competition to see who can make the most noise. People are banging the tables; others are making hooting noises that sound more like the ones I am used to from the woods. After a while, Ignacia raises her hand to quieten us and says the King would be grateful to hear of our appreciation.
It is as if last night did not happen.
âAll of our Offerings are given roles to perform to serve the King,â Ignacia says. âThese will be judged based upon your performance in the Reckoning.â She presses something on her thinkwatch and ours burst into life. I feel mine buzzing at first before the screen lights up, displaying the word âtechnologyâ.
âYou should all now see where we have judged you to best aid your country,â she adds. Around me, everyone is checking their wrists and I feel a hum of satisfaction. I assume most people, like me, have been given jobs within areas they have an interest in.
Ignacia seems cheerier than the previous night as she tells us it is time for a tour â but her demeanour makes things all the more confusing. Is being an Offering a blessing or a curse? It is hard to reconcile the differences with everything we have seen.
More identical corridors, more echoing footsteps and then we are outside. As we exit into a courtyard through wide wooden doors, I realise it is the first time I have been anywhere but inside since stepping onto the train. The air is cool but refreshing as I gulp it desperately, enjoying the feeling as it fills my lungs. I look at the deep, endless blue of the sky and the fluffy clouds before Ignaciaâs voice brings me back to the present.
She asks who has been assigned to the barracks and nods approvingly as a few boys and one girl raise their hands. It seems strange that there is a need for an army of this type when we all know there are bombs that could destroy us all so easily, but then there are many things I donât understand about the mix between the old and new. Ignacia leads us towards a door at the far end and then invites those assigned to the barracks to go inside and meet their Head Kingsman.
She explains that each of us will have a Head Kingsman to answer to and then leads us towards another door at the far end of the courtyard. I stay towards the back, taking my time to enjoy the last remnants of what feels like freedom before we are back inside again.
More corridors, more stone, more footsteps. The dark-skinned Elite boy who was looking at me last night catches my eye again but he is harder to read this time. We are all nervous, not knowing how to deal with the situation we find ourselves in. I realise I have spoken fewer words since arriving at the castle than I have at any point in my life.
Intoxicating smells drift around us as we enter a giant kitchen. There are piles of vegetables and racks of meat which makes me hungry again. I have become so used to eating once a day that the longing in my stomach at this time of the morning feels unnatural and fills me with
It finishes with a mother and son being given a basket of food, âto show the Kingâs gratitude for your serviceâ, and itâs hard not to see Mum and Colt in their places. I try to console myself that, despite what could happen to me, they will at least be looked after.
As the footage ends, the lights switch back on and a ripple of applause spreads around the room. At first, it is just one or two people but quickly everybody starts to clap. Not wanting to be singled out, I join in too, hammering my hands together loudly as the noise turns into cheers. Ignacia is standing at the front, a curious half-smile on her face as if she knew what was going to happen. Quickly it has become a competition to see who can make the most noise. People are banging the tables; others are making hooting noises that sound more like the ones I am used to from the woods. After a while, Ignacia raises her hand to quieten us and says the King would be grateful to hear of our appreciation.
It is as if last night did not happen.
âAll of our Offerings are given roles to perform to serve the King,â Ignacia says. âThese will be judged based upon your performance in the Reckoning.â She presses something on her thinkwatch and ours burst into life. I feel mine buzzing at first before the screen lights up, displaying the word âtechnologyâ.
âYou should all now see where we have judged you to best aid your country,â she adds. Around me, everyone is checking their wrists and I feel a hum of satisfaction. I assume most people, like me, have been given jobs within areas they have an interest in.
Ignacia seems cheerier than the previous night as she tells us it is time for a tour â but her demeanour makes things all the more confusing. Is being an Offering a blessing or a curse? It is hard to reconcile the differences with everything we have seen.
More identical corridors, more echoing footsteps and then we are outside. As we exit into a courtyard through wide wooden doors, I realise it is the first time I have been anywhere but inside since stepping onto the train. The air is cool but refreshing as I gulp it desperately, enjoying the feeling as it fills my lungs. I look at the deep, endless blue of the sky and the fluffy clouds before Ignaciaâs voice brings me back to the present.
She asks who has been assigned to the barracks and nods approvingly as a few boys and one girl raise their hands. It seems strange that there is a need for an army of this type when we all know there are bombs that could destroy us all so easily, but then there are many things I donât understand about the mix between the old and new. Ignacia leads us towards a door at the far end and then invites those assigned to the barracks to go inside and meet their Head Kingsman.
She explains that each of us will have a Head Kingsman to answer to and then leads us towards another door at the far end of the courtyard. I stay towards the back, taking my time to enjoy the last remnants of what feels like freedom before we are back inside again.
More corridors, more stone, more footsteps. The dark-skinned Elite boy who was looking at me last night catches my eye again but he is harder to read this time. We are all nervous, not knowing how to deal with the situation we find ourselves in. I realise I have spoken fewer words since arriving at the castle than I have at any point in my life.
Intoxicating smells drift around us as we enter a giant kitchen. There are piles of vegetables and racks of meat which makes me hungry again. I have become so used to eating once a day that the longing in my stomach at this time of the morning feels unnatural and fills me with
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