Shining Through Shadows

Chosen

Lydia

“Welcome to you all!” Our mayor bellowed out to the silent crowd gathered in the town square. The bells had stopped chiming a few minutes ago, letting us all know that time had come.

“As you all know, we are gathered here today to choose who must take the noble job of keeping our town safe.” Bullshit. No one ever came back! How were we supposed to defend ourselves when we were never even trained to protect ourselves!? Despite the cold, I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as anger settled within me from his statement.

“We’ve all witnessed the cruel and disgusting ways of the Rogue Alpha,” I could hear people murmuring around me as he was mentioned and the mayor continued, “and sadly, this is the only way we can keep our beloved town safe from his vicious rule.”

And he was right. We’ve lost so many people in our desperate attempts to keep the vicious wolves out of our town. When the first letter arrived and nobody was sent to ensure our protection, our town was raided in the cover of the night. They had taken nothing of value, for them, nothing but the life of a young man with his whole life ahead of him and left him right where we were standing, the town square. After that dreadful night, we dared not ignore the letters.

“It has only been a month since the last letter and I fear that this won’t be the last one.” The mayor lowered his gaze and the crowd fell silent again. We spent a minute mourning the souls we had lost. Brothers, sisters. Mothers, fathers. Every single person in this square had lost someone to the Rogue Asshole as I liked to call him. Only in my head, of course. My mother would shun me if she heard me saying something like that.

“The chest, please!” The mayor finally called, and everyone turned in their place to see the old lady carrying the wooden chest to the mayor. She took her time, careful not to lose her balance in the sloppy snow. When she handed over the chest she nodded her head once before returning to her place.

The mayor shook the chest his hands, carefully mixing all our names together before he could randomly pick one. I glanced around the crowd, not able to resist looking at all of those whose lives were at stake. My eyes met with Cameron’s ice-blue gaze, worry and concern swirling in them as we stared at each other. I could lose the only friend I had left.

The whole square fell more silent, if that was even possible, as we watched the mayor put his hand into the chest. It was as though time stood still as we waited impatiently. I could almost see every single snowflake descending from the sky covered in gray and heavy clouds.

“Let’s take a look,” he began as he fumbled with a piece of paper he had picked out from the rest. My heart was pounding in my chest as nervousness spread through my body. I couldn’t feel the cold anymore as blood rushed through my veins. My chest was rising and falling with every labored breath I took.

My shawl fell from my shoulders when he announced the chosen one, but I somehow missed it due to the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. Who was it? Who was the unlucky soul to be chosen?

I picked up my shawl from the ground, gently shaking the soaking mess of soppy snow from it, only to realize it was in vain. When I regained my focus, noticing how the square had fallen eerily silent, everyone was staring directly at me.

“NO!” A familiar voice yelled, and I recognized it as Cameron’s immediately. “I’ll take her place!” A different kind of warmth surged through me as I watched him struggle his way through the crowd.

Once he reached me, he blocked my view of the mayor with his body, shielding me from the pitiful looks of everyone gathered in the square.

“You need to move, son. Her time has come.” A deep voice sounded from in front of him. Instead of moving, I saw Cameron shaking his head repeatedly as he held out his arms protectively in front of me. My time had come?

“You can send me in her place instead.” Cameron’s voice was firm and he took a step back, our bodies almost touching. He was protecting me because my name and number had been drawn from the chest. Oh god, I’m in trouble.

“Cameron,” I whispered, my voice not loud enough for him to notice it over the commotion. I couldn’t lose another friend, not even when he was trying to save my life in return.

“Don’t touch her,” Cameron warned as an arm reached for me, making me squeal out in fright. This was getting out of hand too quickly. I had to do something.

“I’ll do it.” My voice was louder and more confident as I spoke this time, making both men in front of me stop. Cameron spun his head around, staring down at me with his blue eyes, probably wondering if I had gone mad.

“Wait… No. She won’t, I’ll take h—“ Cameron faced the man again, but I placed a hand on his tense bicep, stopping him from saying anything else. Even though my bones were practically shaking with fear, I knew I had to take my place as several others had done before me.

“I’ll do it,” I repeated, pulling myself slightly forward, so I was facing the men here to fetch me. “Promise me you’ll look out for my mother, will you?” My eyes found Cameron’s again, and I gave him a pleading look, one I knew he couldn’t resist.

We didn’t get a chance to say goodbye as the man pulled me away from the square, making me tumble after him on shaky legs as I stared back at the place that was no longer my home.

What was to become of me now?