THE OTHER GIRLS look at me like Iβm crazy. Amaia gets up from her row in the array of white beds and walks over. Her feet make barely any noise. She is light, so nobody can hear her walking.
The girls are like my family. Technically they are. Thatβs what we call the people we are grouped with. There are 6 of them in Unfamiliar, our Sin. Well, βUnfamiliarβ means we donβt have a Sin yet. At the age of 16, all eligible Unfamiliars are taken by bulletliner to the Pride Hub and take a test to determine their new Sin.
Pride is the most respected Sin. Their clan is very ancient. Legend has it that Pride founded the Sins and spread the major beliefs to all the Unfamiliars around. They are very secretive and the process of finding your Sin is the only time anyone who isnβt a Pride Sin is able to see inside the gates.
Envy is a very shady area to be in. Everyone there is said to be strange and have obscure accustoms. All Envies must wear a full face smile mask and can only take it off when they are eating by themselves at home. Envies never marry or fall in love, so they depend on the rest of the Sins to provide Unfamiliars.
Greed is the library of the Sins. All of the Greeds are placed in an elite educational institution, and only the most intelligent become the Bookkeepers. They protect the information that is kept in the Greed Hall, where all of the records of people, places, and events are held. If you want specific information, you must first have the book found by a Bookkeeper, who will then see if you are fit to read the withheld document by checking your name in their records.
I donβt know much about Lust, Anger, Gluttony and Sloth. Theyβre not talked about much by the Familiars, the people who supervise us Unfamiliars. Sometimes when weβre supposed to be asleep, I can hear them talking. No one in our Family has ever dared to think about what the words they say mean. We are told not to.
Amaia has a petite, thin figure that makes me wonder about the chance of her becoming a Lust Sin. She has shiny blonde hair and bright blue eyes that scream of fear. I remember what I just did: I woke up cold and scared that my hopes were real.
βAre you okay, Mara?" She says. While Amaia is only 6, she has a big heart. βWhat happened? Was it a dream about Selection?β
I shake my head. Selection was only a few days away for me. I would travel to Pride Hub and be presented with my new Sin. Of course I was frightened and anxious for it.
She places her hand in mine. βItβs okay, Mara. Calm down. Itβll be fine. Youβre so smart, youβre sure to get Greed or Pride. Those are the best ones! Youβll do great.β
I nodded and straightened up my hospital robe-like pajamas. Making a gesture that indicated for her to go back to her bed, I silently laid my head down on the pillow of my small, cramped bed and tried to forget about it. Forget about her, about my past. I tried to forget about Selection, the Sins, the Unfamiliars, and the Families.
I didnβt sleep at all that night.
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United States • 16 years old