frostedoverrose (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
frostedoverrose) wrote2019-03-07 11:34 am
frostedoverrose) wrote2019-03-07 11:34 am
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Life as a Seven
After lunch, Maxon asked me if I wanted to go on a stroll in the garden, so I agreed. I got glared at by Celeste and Emmica, so I just smiled and waved. After flicking the bow around my waist at them, of course.
"So, tell me, Lady Elizabeth," Maxon started, "What was your life like, before the Selection."
I blinked, "Oh, it wasn't that bad. I mean, sure we got teased by having a large number of siblings, but my mother was pregnant four times, giving birth to twins each time. Not exactly her fault. We mostly worked, and there wasn't that much time for doing what we wanted to do. It was get up and work. Sometimes some of the higher Castes had attacked us simply for being Sevens. Sometimes Eights did as well."
Maxon seemed to recoil at that, "Really?"
I nodded, "We're Sevens and Eights. We're the lowest of the low. We're animals and trash compared to them. Worthless. And sometimes we..." I paused. "Sometimes we had to attack higher Castes and sometimes each other."
"Why?" Maxon asked.
"We did what we had to do to survive," I admitted. "During winter, farming nearly ends. It's either be the aggressor or die. Survive or die. I'll admit, I'm not exactly proud of doing it, but I had to. It was for my family, you know. We needed food and money. Like I said, we only eat a coaster size of oatmeal for breakfast every morning. We can't let Alyssa and Adam die. I have seen babies, toddlers, and young children in caskets during the winter, because we couldn't afford taking care of them."
Maxon looked horrified.
I continued, feeling anger and sad all at once. The Ones did this. They created this system. Now I knew why January was a rebel. "My sister's ex-boyfriend's parents had gotten mugged by other Sevens. He had gotten hit in the head by a hammer when he was eight, but they survived." I shrugged.
"And you're not affected by this situation?" Maxon asked.
I shrugged again, "Growing up in that type of environment affects you. We're all used to seeing and doing things. Alyssa had gotten in trouble for stealing a chocolate bar. She gotten publicly humiliated for it. Sat her right in the middle of the town square and had rotten food thrown at her. If she was older than six, she would've been whipped by how hold she was. If she was ten, ten lashes."
"That's horrible," Maxon said, looking horrified. "Over candy?"
I nodded and turned to leave, "Yeah. And we've seen her steal more than a candy bar even after that. Alyssa had gotten unlucky because someone just happened to see that. That's life for a Seven. We're animals. We're worthless. Since there's so much of us, we're expendable." I shrugged and walked away.
"So, tell me, Lady Elizabeth," Maxon started, "What was your life like, before the Selection."
I blinked, "Oh, it wasn't that bad. I mean, sure we got teased by having a large number of siblings, but my mother was pregnant four times, giving birth to twins each time. Not exactly her fault. We mostly worked, and there wasn't that much time for doing what we wanted to do. It was get up and work. Sometimes some of the higher Castes had attacked us simply for being Sevens. Sometimes Eights did as well."
Maxon seemed to recoil at that, "Really?"
I nodded, "We're Sevens and Eights. We're the lowest of the low. We're animals and trash compared to them. Worthless. And sometimes we..." I paused. "Sometimes we had to attack higher Castes and sometimes each other."
"Why?" Maxon asked.
"We did what we had to do to survive," I admitted. "During winter, farming nearly ends. It's either be the aggressor or die. Survive or die. I'll admit, I'm not exactly proud of doing it, but I had to. It was for my family, you know. We needed food and money. Like I said, we only eat a coaster size of oatmeal for breakfast every morning. We can't let Alyssa and Adam die. I have seen babies, toddlers, and young children in caskets during the winter, because we couldn't afford taking care of them."
Maxon looked horrified.
I continued, feeling anger and sad all at once. The Ones did this. They created this system. Now I knew why January was a rebel. "My sister's ex-boyfriend's parents had gotten mugged by other Sevens. He had gotten hit in the head by a hammer when he was eight, but they survived." I shrugged.
"And you're not affected by this situation?" Maxon asked.
I shrugged again, "Growing up in that type of environment affects you. We're all used to seeing and doing things. Alyssa had gotten in trouble for stealing a chocolate bar. She gotten publicly humiliated for it. Sat her right in the middle of the town square and had rotten food thrown at her. If she was older than six, she would've been whipped by how hold she was. If she was ten, ten lashes."
"That's horrible," Maxon said, looking horrified. "Over candy?"
I nodded and turned to leave, "Yeah. And we've seen her steal more than a candy bar even after that. Alyssa had gotten unlucky because someone just happened to see that. That's life for a Seven. We're animals. We're worthless. Since there's so much of us, we're expendable." I shrugged and walked away.