INITIATION ULTIMATE, Chapter 7.2: Narrated by Saphara

A Chapter by A.M. Victoria (LostWritings)

Home before the Initiations

My vision fades from black to grey, then from grey to white. Suddenly, I can see clearly again. Did I fall asleep? My right arm begins to throb, and I look down at it. What? Bandages? But I don't remember a Ceremony! Last thing I remember, 355 and I were cheerfully greeting each other, so relieved that we were in the same court.

I look toward my friend. Now, her head is on my shoulder, and her eyes are closed. She looks so innocent when she's asleep. Looking around, I see that mostly everyone is asleep as well, though a few are up and groggily looking around like I am. What happened?

"355..." I whisper. "Wake up...wake up!" I softly shake her shoulder until she blinks awake. After looking around for a second and noticing her bandages, she breaks into tears. "What? What's wrong?"

"I must have passed," she murmurs, "I must not have done it."

"You must not have done what? Why are you so sad?"

"A few years ago, I made a promise," she sobs quietly. "And I must not have kept it. I must have been too scared. I promised her that I would stand up for all the Initiates who didn't pass. I thought today would be the perfect time to do it...stand up in her honor. I must have been too scared," she repeats.

"It's not your fault!" I whisper. "It's not your fault! Don't take the blame for this! You can always honor them later!"

"It's not the same, 684. I wanted to make a difference."

Another Initiate stirs awake near 355. "What? Where am I? Whoa...gauze. That means...that means..." He turns to us, eyes wide. "What happened? I can't remember anything! Why was I sleeping? Why is everyone sleeping... Excuse me..." he pushes out of the row. "Mom! Mom! Are you okay up there? Mom!" He opens a door to the stairway to the parents' section and runs out of sight. 355 and I listen quietly as he shouts, "Mom! Mom! Whoa, no! Don't make me go back down there, sir! I need to check on my mother, sir... I need to make sure she's okay... Please sir, I'm sure you have a mother of your own that you care about... Wouldn't you understand..." We can't hear anything after that, and returns looking relieved. "The parents are okay," he tells 335 and me before settling back into his spot, rocking back and forth in a stressful way. "They're waking up, too."

We sit, watching the rest of the Initiates reawaken. "What's your names?" the boy asks us. "It looks like we've passed the Ceremony, so we must have names."

"I'm Saphara, I guess," I answer.

"Handal," 355 sulks. She's still upset about the promise she was too afraid to keep.

"I'm Anwei," the boy says. "It means safety, because my life is dedicated to keeping people safe. Did you ever see me on the local news?" he asks. "I was up there once for rescuing by drowning baby brother from a pool, and another time for giving CPR to my grandmother who had a heart attack."

"I didn't see you on the news," Handal says, "but I saw you at school. I've never been in any of your classes." She still looks rather upset, but she's no longer crying.

"That's probably because I go to advanced grade classes. Not everyone's cut out for those, you know."

"You..."

"No, I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm probably stressed out that everyone's been drugged, and that I haven't been chosen to be a Creatorian! I don't mean to insult anybody..." He goes back to rocking back and forth, unable to keep still.

"Anwei," 355 calls gently.

"Hmm?"

"You say you don't remember anything?"

"No... I just remember coming in and sitting down beside you two, because it's the perfect spot away from the sides and all that. Then, some guy started coming around with cookies...I don't remember anything after that."

"Saphara...how about you?"

"What do I remember last? Well...greeting you..."

"I remember," 355 begins, but our attention is drawn to a figure walking up to the podium.

"Hello? Everyone awake in here?" The man standing at the podium looks much younger than the High Judge, but he carries an equally prideful stance and wears Creatorian garments. "I am Eri Alcantara of the Technetium Creatorians. I hope you all had a pleasant rest... I am here to inform you that this year, there has been a memory wipe for your own safety. This is not a cause for alarm, and your guardians have been informed as well."

"Yeah, right," Anwei growls.

"Accepted Initiates' families have also received messages, and they know that you are safe. If you find yourself experiencing any symptoms other than memory loss, and this memory loss ranges past the beginning of the Naming Ceremony, please do not be afraid to contact me or any of my coworkers at any of the Technetium Reporting Offices in your local town. We will make sure you receive help and compensations.

"For all Initiates, please do not leave the Honor Court until a parent has come to pick you up, and you will need to sign out before leaving. Congratulations to everyone here for passing, and remember to report back to this court in a week for your journey to the Initiations. Goodbye." The Creatorian leaves the stage.

***

"684...Saphara! Oh, and 355! What's your name now?"

"Handal, Mrs. Neowarren," she tells my mother, and who wraps both of us an embrace.

"I worried so much about both of you... I wish I could have seen you give your speeches, but the memory wipe took that away from me. Handal, you might already know this, but your mother wasn't able to be present at the Ceremony, so you'll be going home with us. Things have come up within your family, and they'll be able to pick you up on New Year's day."

"Okay, Mrs. Neowarren," Handal sighs. From the look on her face, I know the change of events was unexpected.

"Don't worry."

We file in behind the long line of Initiates and their guardians, and wait until we reach the sign out booth. My mom writes down that she's taking Handal home.

I've never felt so much relief as I did driving home from that court. The Honor Court had an unstable, heavy feeling in the air, and now that I'm away from it, I feel like twenty pounds has been taken off my back. I try not to think of what will happen in another week.

***

The doorbell rings at around 9 o'clock at night, and Handal, 382, and I run to get it. "Private Bradshaw!" I shout excitedly when I recognize the young man waiting. He looks so much happier than earlier, now that there's no ice or snow covering his uniform. "What are you doing here?"

"I have some news," Bradshaw tells me. "And a congratulations! I always knew you would pass. Can I call you Saphara now?"

I feel all warm and fuzzy when he says this. He remembered my name! "Yes! You can call me Saphara! And this is my friend, Handal, and my little sister, 382!"

"Nice to meet you," says Handal warily. 382, with her eyes wide, runs back into the kitchen.

Private Bradshaw smiles, and his eyes linger on Handal. "I'm proud of you two, and I know Talaimai would be, as well. I'm sure he'll be waiting for you over there."

"He knew your brother?" Handal asks with surprise.

"Family group, right?" I ask the Private.

"Rede and I were his advisors, though Rede acted more like a messenger," Private Bradshaw shrugs. "We were the closest to him throughout the Initiations, but I had to leave before I was eliminated. Rede and Talaimai were younger than me, fifteen when I last saw them. A little on the young side, but still little heroes."

"Girls, who's at the door?" my mother calls from upstairs.

"Private Bradshaw," I call up to her.

"I'll be right down."

"Anyways, I have come with some news," Private Bradshaw sighs. "You know how I had requested to be assigned here?"

"Yes?"

"Since Handal came home with you, I have to be the one to deliver the news to her." He takes a breath. "Here it is... Unfortunately, Handal, you will not be going to the Initiations."

I think I feel a drop in the barometric pressure as Private Bradshaw tells us this. "What do you mean?" Handal cries.

Bradshaw frowns. "Nor elimination," he adds.

My mother rushes to the door. "Hello, Private, come on in."

"Thank you, ma'am," Bradshaw says politely, stepping inside. Once inside, his demeanor turns serious. "The news I must deliver involves Handal Keith. Unfortunately, she will be going to a separate version of the Initiations altogether, called the Island Initiations. I don't know how to describe it that well, because I was never there, so let's say... Imagine the Initiations as heaven, alright? And elimination as hell. Well...the Island Initiations are sort of a purgatory."

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