《Twenty Fifty-Six》+2+
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"Amber! You're needed downstairs!" My father calls.
I push my sheets off of me and jump out of bed. I pull on grey sweats and a hoodie, and run downstairs.
I pass Ty, who smiles at me and blinks his dark brown eyes, which are the mirror image of mine.
I follow the sound of my parents talking to the front door.
"Good morning Amber!" My mother says cheerfully.
"Morning Mom."
I try to be as happy as I can around her, knowing the amount of pain I will put her through tomorrow.
"Amber, this officer is here because-"
Wait. An officer? What? I look to the door, and what do you know, there's a government officer there.
"-your mother thought that there might have been some error in your fitness test, as she didn't believe that you would be able to pass it," my father continues.
"Oh?" I say, surprised.
Wow Mom, I think. Way to make me sound weak.
"So I called ADCCG, and they sent an official to have you do the test again, with your father and I watching," my mother says.
"Okay. So I just have to redo the fitness test?" I ask.
"Yes," the official says gruffly, looking at me critically.
I am suddenly aware of my knotted, brown hair and the bags under my eyes.
"Honey, run upstairs and get ready, and then we'll go," my mom says.
"Okay. Is Ty coming too?"
"Yes."
Once get back into my bedroom, I shut the door and I rifle through drawers to find some athletic clothing. I settle on a black Dryfit shirt, and blue Adidas shorts. I lace my shoes and head back downstairs, where my mother waits with a bowl of oatmeal, which I actually hate.
She looks at me sympathetically.
"I know it's tiring, but I'm doing this for you Amber," she says.
Oh, if only she knew. But based on the conversation I overheard last night, I think my dad has figured it out. If I wanted to, I could have failed the fitness test, but I didn't.
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I choke down the disgusting oatmeal, and then my whole family follows the ADCCG official to their complex, and takes us to a high tech gym.
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An hour later, I'm purely exhausted.
The official tells me that once again, I have passed the fitness test, and that my name will be in the bowl.
My mother's face goes sheet white, and it's almost enough to make me regret my decision. But nothing can me regret it.
I think back to five years ago.
It's the day of the drawing. One boy from each of the thirteen provinces will become government property today, and there's nothing that their parents can do about it. They all signed the contract when their child was born. If they didn't, their child would already belong to the government. I get ready, in nicer clothes than usual. Normally, my family does not attend the drawing; we normally just watch it on television. But today we are going, because my best friend's brother, Mitchel, is in the bowl. Tasha asked me to come to support her. Her brother is like her best friend. Even with the four year age gap, nothing could come between those two. But the government did-taking Mitchel away, and changing Tasha's life for the worse.
Last year, up in the North West Territories, the boy drawn had a speech impairment, and could not speak. But he was drawn, and taken by the government.
I just have to know what happens to these teenagers. I feel like it's my goal in life.
My family walks home together, everyone but Ty silent.
When you're five, you don't understand all of this. Ty knows the basic concept of the ADCCG, because children learn that in kindergarten. But he hasn't fully grasped the concept that I could be gone forever by tomorrow.
"Amber!" Ty exclaims, grabbing onto my leg, "Piggyback ride! Please Amber!"
"Okay," I exhale.
I'm exhausted, but I love my baby brother too much to say no.
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I bend down and he climbs onto my back. It's a good thing that he's a scrawny little kid; otherwise I think this would kill me.
"Faster Amber! Faster! Faster!" Ty shrieks with excitement.
"Sorry buddy. Your big sister is slow," I say panting, "You might have to carry me home bud."
Ty makes a cute face of surprise and doubt.
"But you're too big for me to carry, Amber!"
"It's okay bud," I say as I put him down, "I was just kidding."
Ty laughs.
"I love you Amber."
And at that moment, I don't know how I'll ever leave.
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After a hot shower, I get ready to go to Tasha's house for the afternoon. I get dressed in jeans and a t-shirt; knowing that Tasha will be wearing something similar, and not really caring if I don't look like a celebrity.
"Amber! I've missed you!"
"I know! It feels like we haven't seen each other for a really long time!" I say.
"Want to go on the balcony?" Tasha asks.
Tasha lives in a huge house. Her parents are really rich, and she's always had anything a girl could want, including looks. Tasha has vibrant green eyes, and strawberry blonde hair, and at the age of fifteen has already had four boyfriends. But she's never flaunted any of it, even though she could. Tasha is one of the most humble and down to earth girls I know, and the best bestfriend I could ask for.
We get up to the second story balcony, which is our special place.
"So, did you pass?" Tasha asks me.
"Yeah. You?"
"Yes. I'm terrified for the draw tomorrow."
"Don't be. If it isn't my name called, I'll be volunteering. I'm probably the only girl in Manitoba who wants to go."
"Amber, you're so weird. But I love you anyway."
Then reality hits Tasha.
"But ohmygosh! I'm going to miss you so much Amber! I'll be best friend-less!"
"Tasha," I hug her tight.
"Please don't make me cry today Tasha. We'll have time for that tomorrow, when they give us time to say goodbye. But today, I just want to have fun with you. Please?"
"Yes Amber. Today, we'll do whatever you want."
"Okay," I pause and think, "We should go get ice cream, and then go to the park."
"Okay," Tasha giggles, "Let's do it."
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I really enjoyed my evening with my best friend, but now, as I lay in bed trying to sleep, I start to think of all the things I will miss. But I'm going to do it.
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I am locked up in a cell with no way out. "Help me!" I scream, but there is no one here to hear me. I cannot understand why I wanted to do this. I am being starved to death, and locked in a cage, all in the name of government science. This can't be legal! There is no possible way for this to be legal. But they are the government, they make their own rules. Oh why! I should be having sleepovers with Tasha, attending school and watching Ty grow up! Why does the ADCCG exist? What is the point of this? I scream even louder.
"Amber?"
"What?" I groan.
"Amber, honey, are you okay?"
"Mom? What just happened?"
"I don't know Amber. You were screaming the house down in your sleep."
It all comes flooding back to me. My nightmare about the ADCCG. But I can't let that get to me. I can't let fear get in the way. I know that I am a strong person, and I will do this.
"I'm okay mom. It was just a nightmare. I'll go back to sleep now."
"Okay Amber. Goodnight. I love you."
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💚😝
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Wayward Soul
A kid who just wants to live his life gets caught up in more than he ever could've imagined. Time gets loopy and the world goes crazy. Whatever shall he do?Rating: M 18+ Strong Language
8 98Leftover Apocalypse
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] This is a story about the newly-adult Calliope Smith having a terrible day that ends in her getting mysteriously teleported from Phoenix, Arizona to a fantasy world where her life is in constant danger. She considers this an upgrade. Someone evil is looking for her, and she doesn't know why. Someone who seems to know a lot about her has promised they'll help her, but she doesn't know who they are. All that matters to Callie is that magic is real and one way or another she's going to learn it. The end of the world is coming up, sure, but Callie won't need to worry about that. In fact, by the time she even finds out about it one of the doomsday devices will already be destroyed, and the authorities will be well on the way to dealing with the other one. It's fine. Everything will be smooth sailing. Almost certainly. Probably. Chapters are usually about 2500-3500 words, and the goal is to post 2-3 per week but I sometimes get busy or have some writers block. It's your standard portal fantasy / Isekai premise, but unlike some the main character's time on Earth and how she got pulled into another world will (eventually) be explored. Some slight GameLit-feeling stuff later, no menus or level-ups but there's something suspiciously like a skill tree when the magic system gets going. No number crunching, and while the main character will get to do some silly stuff she won't be a god like in some fics (and will in fact spend a lot of time being badly outclassed by her enemies). Some reader interaction, ranging from adding to the worldbuilding to occasionally making big important decisions about skill progression. Please note that the main character is flawed and impulsive, and will make some stupid decisions. That's part of the story, but I get that it's not for everyone. Trigger Warnings: Foster care system references, crappy parenting. Some mental health adjacent stuff, specifically the main character has some issues where she experiences varying levels of empathy and emotional vulnerability depending on the day (it's complicated and not meant to portray any real-world conditions). Occasional violence including mention of death and grievous bodily harm, but no detailed descriptions of gore.
8 61Wolfheim
Earth and it's civilizations like you've never seen/read before, maybe. What if the gods of olden times were real? What if things like the Excalibur or the Pandora's Box really exist? Wolfheim proposes all these possibilities and much more. All that you believe in will be shaken to it's core, hopefully, at one moment or another.
8 101Baller || ✓ [book2FIUFAMILYseries]
- F I U F A M I L Y S E R I E S -Book 2 - can be read as stand aloneTori Quinn - the beautiful new girl on campus who has one rule; she doesn't date jocks.Maddox Hunter - the handsome basketball star who's draft to the NBA is a season away. His rule? He doesn't take no for an answer.Tori and Maddox might have spent a summers night together but bumping into each other changes things. Tori has a strict rule of not dating jocks. Maddox has a habit of not taking no for an answer. Will his persistence pay off in order to get the girl he can't get off his mind? Or will her rule, rule her life? ✫✬✫"You should know I don't date jocks -- stop trying so hard." "And I don't take no for an answer -- you're just giving me a challenge, darling.""Maddox? Go fuck yourself." She shot back with an over dramatic smile."Aw baby, has no one taught you how to put that mouth of yours to good use yet? I could give you a lesson or two." I taunted her. Which back fired when she threw up her middle finger and walked away from me - on the plus side I got a great view of her ass.[#2] FIU [#1] Baller [#1] MaddoxCompleted; 26/05/22
8 357Fuck you Fred (a Fred Weasley love story)
And then she fell. Miranda fell right on top of Fred Weasley. He looked up at her directly in the eyes, "I'm sure you wanted to see me and ask you how my summer was but Benny this is a little forward." Miranda rolled her eyes and let out a smirk, feeling bold she dared to look back into his eyes. "Is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me, Freddie?" Miranda Benson is a 16-year-old Gryffindor starting her 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She starts to fall for the infamous prankster (and not to mention player) Fred Weasley, trying to avoid her feeling proves to be a difficult task when she is all that Freddie wants...{Set in GOF era- Yule Ball and all that greatness}I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STORY AND I HOPE YOU DO TOO. PLEASE VOTE IF YOU LIKE IT!!All rights to jk rowling except my characters (Miranda, Frankie and Noah)i always support equal RIGHTS! this is a safe space.Rankings: (1) #16yearsold [27.03.2021](1) #fredweasleylove [11.07.2021]
8 1332 Weeks | Shim Jake | Enhypen
"i dare you guys to date each other for 2 weeks" "you have to do three things" "1. Go on a date""2. Have a sleepover" "3. Fall for eachother"
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