Read Online The Elect: Malevolent, a Dystopian Novel by Tamryn Ward - Free Book Online
Authors: Tamryn Ward
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the rope around it the way my father taught me when we tied my tire swing to the tree in our backyard. Then I climb down and test the rope and knot, tugging as hard as I can.
It feels strong.
I knot the bottom end, for a footrest, and step back. There’s only one way to make sure it’s safe.
I sail across the chasm and drop on the opposite side. Then I wave over the next person. Claire goes second. I help her land, steadying her as she tries not to put pressure on her bad ankle. Mattie is next. Within minutes everyone is safely across, including Jay. The other recruits all look at me as they land. Something has changed. Their gazes aren’t quite as cold or judging now. I think this hick has earned their respect.
Jay and I help support Claire as we continue on, arms wrapped around her waist as she hops. I am smiling. I saw the most horrific thing earlier today, a boy fall to his death. And tonight has been hard. And scary.
But overall it’s been a good day. Very good.
Chapter 8
I miss home already. I miss my parents.
But that’s not all. I miss the sounds of birdcall. I miss the smell of damp earth and green grass. I miss the feel of a gentle summer breeze combing through my hair. I miss the warm kiss of the sun on my face.
Our new home is a massive concrete and steel fortress. I shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. We are preparing to fight rebels, an enemy that has eyes everywhere. Living in a building with wide windows would be stupid.
Stupid, but so much better.
Our new home is dark inside and very different from where I grew up. I can tell already and we have just arrived.
But there is one bright side. Only one.
Him. Jay. There is something special about him. As we’d helped Claire hobble the rest of the way to our new home, I’d gotten a glimpse of his personality. He’s strong. He’s a little quiet and mysterious, but that just makes him more interesting. But he’s also thoughtful and kind. I like him. More than I should. More than I thought I would like another guy, considering how I felt—how I feel —about Sam.
I glance his way.
At the moment Jay is talking to another guy who appears to be about the same age as him. Jay’s expression is dark. He shakes his head, jerks a thumb in our direction, and walks away. The other guy glares at him.
Are they arguing? I wonder why.
“Hello recruits,” Jay says as we gather in the wide open space at the bottom of the staircase. “Welcome to your home for the next few weeks. Tomorrow you will start your first of three phases of training. As I told you before, not all of you will make it through training. And of those who do, only the top three will have their choice of positions within the agency. The others will be assigned duties.
All around me, my fellow recruits whisper to each other. I hadn’t expected to be competing against them. From the bits and pieces I’m catching of the others’ conversations, I’m gathering they didn’t either. Now it isn’t just about surviving our training and helping each other. It’s about being on top. That puts a whole new spin on things. One I don’t like.
I glance at the boy to my left. He’s taller than me by at least a foot. And his arms are muscular. I ran faster than him, but if it came down to a test of strength, I would lose by a mile.
Next to him is Alice. She isn’t the fastest runner either. But she’s smart and strong. And there is Mattie. She struggles when it comes to the physical stuff, but she knows computers. Her father even taught her some computer programming. And then there are all the other kids. I need to be better than nine of them.
Crap, it’s hopeless.
Then again, I know Mattie can’t run. And I can. If I’m able to compensate for my weaknesses with strengths that the others don’t have, maybe I’ll have a chance. Maybe being a hick will give me more than one advantage.
Maybe.
We still don’t know what kind of training we’ll be facing—physical or
It feels strong.
I knot the bottom end, for a footrest, and step back. There’s only one way to make sure it’s safe.
I sail across the chasm and drop on the opposite side. Then I wave over the next person. Claire goes second. I help her land, steadying her as she tries not to put pressure on her bad ankle. Mattie is next. Within minutes everyone is safely across, including Jay. The other recruits all look at me as they land. Something has changed. Their gazes aren’t quite as cold or judging now. I think this hick has earned their respect.
Jay and I help support Claire as we continue on, arms wrapped around her waist as she hops. I am smiling. I saw the most horrific thing earlier today, a boy fall to his death. And tonight has been hard. And scary.
But overall it’s been a good day. Very good.
Chapter 8
I miss home already. I miss my parents.
But that’s not all. I miss the sounds of birdcall. I miss the smell of damp earth and green grass. I miss the feel of a gentle summer breeze combing through my hair. I miss the warm kiss of the sun on my face.
Our new home is a massive concrete and steel fortress. I shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. We are preparing to fight rebels, an enemy that has eyes everywhere. Living in a building with wide windows would be stupid.
Stupid, but so much better.
Our new home is dark inside and very different from where I grew up. I can tell already and we have just arrived.
But there is one bright side. Only one.
Him. Jay. There is something special about him. As we’d helped Claire hobble the rest of the way to our new home, I’d gotten a glimpse of his personality. He’s strong. He’s a little quiet and mysterious, but that just makes him more interesting. But he’s also thoughtful and kind. I like him. More than I should. More than I thought I would like another guy, considering how I felt—how I feel —about Sam.
I glance his way.
At the moment Jay is talking to another guy who appears to be about the same age as him. Jay’s expression is dark. He shakes his head, jerks a thumb in our direction, and walks away. The other guy glares at him.
Are they arguing? I wonder why.
“Hello recruits,” Jay says as we gather in the wide open space at the bottom of the staircase. “Welcome to your home for the next few weeks. Tomorrow you will start your first of three phases of training. As I told you before, not all of you will make it through training. And of those who do, only the top three will have their choice of positions within the agency. The others will be assigned duties.
All around me, my fellow recruits whisper to each other. I hadn’t expected to be competing against them. From the bits and pieces I’m catching of the others’ conversations, I’m gathering they didn’t either. Now it isn’t just about surviving our training and helping each other. It’s about being on top. That puts a whole new spin on things. One I don’t like.
I glance at the boy to my left. He’s taller than me by at least a foot. And his arms are muscular. I ran faster than him, but if it came down to a test of strength, I would lose by a mile.
Next to him is Alice. She isn’t the fastest runner either. But she’s smart and strong. And there is Mattie. She struggles when it comes to the physical stuff, but she knows computers. Her father even taught her some computer programming. And then there are all the other kids. I need to be better than nine of them.
Crap, it’s hopeless.
Then again, I know Mattie can’t run. And I can. If I’m able to compensate for my weaknesses with strengths that the others don’t have, maybe I’ll have a chance. Maybe being a hick will give me more than one advantage.
Maybe.
We still don’t know what kind of training we’ll be facing—physical or
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