Talent Hall

Our practice is going by faster and we fit in more time for dancing. The paparazziare going ballistic. More parties and celebrations, more rewards, and more publicity. It also means more hate Marybeth and for me. Marybeth was already being hated on, but now people have turned on me too. Not everyone certain people. Like the kids who are imprisoned. They know me as the son of a known Elimination member. Jack being regular in the royal court, they see me as deadly. A little girl described me as dangerous. I don’t see myself as dangerous and neither do the people that know me. That’s the thing. They don’t know me. They only know what The Elimination told them, and those are lies. I’m not like Jack, and that’s what I want them to know. That’s actually the purpose of my interview tonight.

They do this every year. Have an all star honest interview for each contestant, every talent scheduled for a different day. It’s to help the viewers get to know us better. Knowing more about us could help our chances of winning or getting closer to the crown.

A week and a half ago, I told Kayiah and Kamron the plan: Wear the necklaces. Never be alone unless you’re in your room, going to the bathroom or absolutely sure no threat is around to harm us, and I promised I would so the same. They both agreed and said that we need to prove I’m not a threat to the kids, especially since that’s why they are afraid of me. Because of the lies they’ve been told. That’s my goal. If nothing else, make at least one person see I’m not a monster. Not that I want to be known as the good guy, but they need to realize that The Elimination lied to them, not only about this, but everything else too, and that if they do what they were assigned, things won’t get any better. They will destroy any chances of us helping them.

I stare at my gray beanie before placing it on my head, making sure my bangs stick out. Then I push the mirror the other way. It spins around three times and remains facing the wall. Not that I hate the way I look, but I have no need to focus on how I look right now. No need for my peace with my body to change before an interview.

As I’m spraying cologne, Kayiah growls from the doorway and mumbles about hos she envies us guys. Seeing an opportunity to mess with her, I grin and turn around.

“Because we can survive a bombing and smell like heaven, and you ladies have to continuously spray yourselves all day?”

“That’s exactly it,” she pouts. “It’s not fair.” She tries to hold in her pout, but ends up giggling and then covers her mouth. “Ready for your interview?”

“I think so,” I say. “I really want them to get to me better. Ever since my recent breakdown, I haven’t been out in public much.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great. If they are human, they should love you.” I shrug. “No, seriously. No one in the right mind would think you’re a threat to kids.”

I laugh and roll my eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m dangerous like The Elimination are.” As I say that, Holly runs into me and hugs me, her arms wrapped around my waist, a smile on her faceand a gleam in her eyes. My instant reaction is to pick her up, kiss her cheek and forehead multiple times. Kayiah crosses her arms. My reaction just proved Kayiah right, even though we both know the truth. I hold Holly and smile. “I think they’re afraid of me because I’m the son of a well known member and it’s natural to want to be like your father.”

“You don’t want to though.”

I shake my head. “No. I want to be like Blake when I grow up. Brave. Kind. Always looking for the positive things in life.”

“You’ve gotten better at that,” Kayiah says. “When I first met you, you were so focused on the bad things to the point of-Well, if meteor hit earth, you wouldn’t have been surprised.” I’ve often thought that before. “Now you’re focusing on the positive things. For the most part. It’s not like The Elimination are rainbows and butterflies, but you aren’t going crazy like everyone else.”

Thank God.

An hour away from the interview, Kayiah and I decide to just sit in Evie’s garden and admire the flowers and stone statues of angels, dragons, and children with water pouring out of their mouths. One of the perks of working for the queen and king personally is that they pay for you to live wherever it is you live, expensive and long vacations, all one could ever ask in exchange for a bit of your freedom and your talents. Just like any other government.

Although Evie could have anything she could ever want, she does have one large hole in her heart that the queen can’t fix and that’s why she mentors kids during Award Month. The hole in her heart is not having a child of her own. Queen Alice told me about Evie’s past. She and her husband have been trying to have a baby, but were both told by doctors that Evie is infertile and can never have a baby. They continue to try, but are let down every time. So they stopped trying due to many disappointments. I didn’t know she had a husband. Because they have big responsibilities this time of the year, they can’t just leave or do whatever unless the house is completely empty. It’s a rare occasion that it is, but sometimes contestants will have dinner or spend time with their families. Now that I think about it, she does have a tattoo on her wrist. A name tattoo. Logan.

I was shocked to find out, but Queen Alice told us she could break down about not having a baby and scaring us, and that she’s done it before. To kids our age, hearing someone wants a baby is a weird thing to hear just because babies cry a lot and when you’re really young, that makes being hit in the head with a cinderblock peaceful. I used to feel that way, but I’m sure Evie would be a wonderful mother. She’s very motherly to the rest of us. Now that I know her story, I just let her be the temporary mother. It’s not like she’ll get it anywhere else except from the kids she mentors, unless a miracle happens and she gives birth to a baby.

Blake comes out side to bring me a salad and then wishes me luck at the interview before he vanishes. Kayiah smiles, touches a dragon statue, and puts a few fingers under the water. The water hits her hand lightly. My head freezes at the sight of it. Something tells me the water is cold. If it is, Kayiah doesn’t seem to mind. It anything. It looks as if it relaxes her.

I take out my fork, the plastic lid off the salad, and start to dig in.

“I see you’re eating again now.”

I nod. “I started a few days ago. Hasn’t been too long. Didn’t lose anything.”

Her eyes fill with panic and worry. “Were you trying to?”

“Not at all. Usually, people ask how much I’ve lost if I go a few days without dinner.”

I feel something cold on my arm. Something white. One word comes to mind: Snow. The first snowfall of winter, or late fall. Small snowflakes fall from the sky and land on a large sunflower. The door opens. Four men in blue shirts and black jeans run out different sections of the guard. Evie stands on the stairs in her red and grey dress with sparkles and glitter, and barks at them to be careful with her flowers. Kayiah and I immediately stand and watch them take statues and flowers inside.

“Sorry, guys,” Evie says. “My babies need to be safe from the snow fall.”

As Kayiah shivers,I take her hand in mine and lead her back inside. Evie holds the door open for the men carrying the flowers and decorations. We watch the snow fall to the ground and file on top of each other like a game of Jenga, sipping on hot cocoa. The next thirty minutes fly by like we’re at Disney World. Then we grab our phones and fix ourselves up.

Evie is to accompany us because the woman interviewing us also interviews the mentor, asks about how we behave, things she notices, and will on occasion tell her that she looks beautiful and the queen and king appreciate her hard work. She’s close with the queen, so I’m sure she already knows that.

We ride in a limo and Evie is fixing her makeup and hair. Kayiah says it’s dangerous to fix makeup in a moving car, and I can see why, but it doesn’t seem to bother Evie any.

By the time we get to the palace, people are either snapping pictures and admiring us or groaning. Marybeth gets a little bit of both. I’m okay with both. It gives me a chance to have faith in who I really am.I know I’m not a killer, and I hope that they’ll be able to see through whatever they were told are clear lies.

As soon as we enter the throne room, we bow to King Henry, Queen Alice, Princess Sydney, and Riley. They all bow their heads lightly. Princess Sydney welcomes us and announces that the interviews will begin. There’s no direct order for our interviews. First, it’s the mentor- In our case, it will be Evie- and then afterwards, anyone who wishes to go first can simple approach the table on the right side of the room and answer any question the interviews throws at them.

The lady shakes Evie’s hand, talks about her red gown and they both sit. A camera points at them and the man behind it sighs deeply and looks at the ceiling.

“Miss Evie, this is your sixth year taking in children and helping them prepare for the Talent Hall Awards. What do you think about the time that has gone by?”

“It’s a lot of hard work. I won’t deny that. Lots and lots of hard work, patience, and compassion. Especially with so many kids involved. That’s what makes it hard, but seeing their hard work pay off is very rewarding. The coffee I have in the morning helps too.”

The room bursts into giggles. Queen Alice giggles herself. I’m sure it is a lot of hard work. I can handle Riley and Holly, maybe at one time because they are both good girls. Not rebellious troublemakers. Now me as a nine year old. Well, that’s a different story. And ten teenagers? Oh, boy.

“I applaud you. That does sound like so much work and patience to be involved. With my children at home, I have to be strict. Speaking of children, how many do you have this year?”

“Ten,” Evie answers.

The lady looks surprised. She should be. The average Talent Hall class can range from ten students to forty. Usually, it’s closer to forty than ten. “Really? The hip- hop dancers are going extinct.”

Light chuckles go around the room as Evie starts to answer again. “Oh, yes. I was surprised. Last year we had at least forty dancers.”

“Speaking of last year, how do these kids behave?”

“Way better than the contestants last year. I’ll tell you that much. One of the ones we had last year is actually competing again this year, and his behavior has improved. I haven’t noticed anything bad behavior yet.” At this point, we all know she’s talking about Kristian. He doesn’t even try to mentally deny it. “Makes my job so much easier.”

“I bet. How do you have the patience for so many kids?”

“Well, when I was growing up, my parents weren’t as patient as many parents are today. Sometimes they were drunk and cruel. I always told myself that I would be a better parent. I would be patient, kind and always show children, whether they are mine or not, that they can come to be with any problem, and I’ll help them to the the best of my ability.”

“That’s admirable. Your husband is lucky to have such a loving and compassionate woman. Speaking of your husband, how is he, dear?”

Evie’s eyes reflect how she’s feeling perfectly: Shattered. I can see she wants to stop bawling and it makes me want to just stop her interview right now. “He’s fine,” she sighs. “Helping others brings joy to him as well.”

Queen Alice claps her hands and announces that we’re out of time for Evie’s interview and demands someone else goes now. Mary volunteers on the spot and is sitting in the red velvet before I can blink. Her interview is rather short because she was here last year and they usually go over the same questions for every contestants. There’s really nothing to ask her. But she says something that really touches me. How she ignores the harsh things that are said about her.

After six interviews go by, I approach the stage, explaining I want to go next. The lady shakes my hand and we both sit in the comfortable and red chairs by the table. Princess Sydney smiles at me, encouraging me to not be afraid, but I’m not afraid.

“You must be Danny. You’re well known around these parts. Did you know that?”

“I had a feeling I was.”

“Something I want to address is you’re known around here by a lot of kids because you’re the son of a cruel member of a group known as The Elimination, and that has made people believe you are a danger to the kids imprisoned in our kingdom and the kingdom itself. I personally don’t see the threat in you, but I want to know what your thoughts about this are.”

“Well, when I first found out that believe I’m a threat, I meditated on the accusations. What I think happened is The Elimination wanted to make sure they wouldn’t fail their task and portrayed me to be cruel. That would make them believe that no one here would understand or try to help them. I have to hand it to them. They did a good job at brainwashing them. Those kids who are placed in jail aren’t taking no for an answer.”

“So what’s one thing you want everyone to know about you?”

“I’m a lot of things,” I say and use my fingers as I go through each quality I possess. “Weird,awkward, introverted… Sarcastic. Very, very sarcastic at times, but one thing I’m not is cruel. That’s what I want everyone to understand. I don’t know what was said exactly. I’ll admit that, but if it’s making kids see me as cruel like my father, then I’m sure they were lies. My father never was good at telling the truth anyway.”

“That sounds about right. I can see through people, and I don’t see anything dark or cruel in you. Now that that has been established, we’ll move on to more important things. For instance, how are you enjoying your first year here in London?”

“It’s different than my life in Washington. That’s for sure.”

She straightens up in her chair and gasps. “That’s right. You’re not from New Jersey, are you?” I shake myhead. “What’s it like in Washington?”

“My experiences may be a little different than someone else who has lived there.” My brain goes blank. My heart skips a beat. Don’t be brainless now, Danny! “Um, for me, it’s not a happy story. I was bullied a lot in school, and it was a struggle for so many years because they said things that tore me down and I never learned to be comfortable with who I am as a person.”

“And how has getting away from it helped you?”

“Just getting a break from the life I had there and being surrounded by people who are helping me to see that I control who I am has helped me to see that nobody else can have a say in what I’ll be or do with my life. It’s helped me to be a little more positive about things. People are always going to tell you who you should be or what you are, but what they say doesn’t matter. I think it’s important to keep that in mind.”

And I’m not just making things up. That’s the truth. Blake is a prime example of how to be positive no matter who or what brings you down. Like Holly’s mother. She’s not the nicest person in the world and I’ve heard the type of threats she makes to Blake. He doesn’t let it ruin everything. Sure it upsets him at times, but he knows that she isn’t worth his joy, and he’s the real winner because he has custody of their amazing daughter.

Kayiah and Kamron have been trying to teach me I’ll break down, and that it’s okay. It’s normal. Mom and Caleb have tried to teach me that for years, but I’m just learning it for myself. When they told me that, I wasn’t willing to believe. I always thought it made me weak, but seeing Angelia break down from time to time and knowing she’s the strongest girl I know-It’s hard to think otherwise.

Something Kamron taught me from the night I met her at that party up until now is that everyone goes through something. Growing up, I always thought I was the only one who had demons of my own and battles I had to fight. Kamron showed me that she deals with things too. Just like Anthony, Jayden, Angelia, and Blake do.

I’m sure Holly even goes through bullying at school and is afraid of her mother trying to take her away from Blake, and with good reason.If she ends up with her mom, she won’t be going to anything better. I heard she used to do drugs and still drinks a lot.

“Well, it sounds like you’ve grown. I didn’t know you then, but I can tell you’ve done a lot of growing up. You’re wise for your age. There are plenty of adults who have yet to learn that. Can I share a secret with you?”

Not a secret with nearly three hundred people in the room, but okay. “Oh, I love secrets.”

“Awesome. A lot of girls think you’re cute. How do you feel about that?”

I fix my beanie and smile. “This beanie does wonders.”

Everyone giggles and continue to pay attention. “I think it’s the hair, but that’s just me.” she replies as she touches my hair. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m such a creep.”

“Hardly.”

She picks up the book “The Princess Bride”, one of my favorite books and movies ever. “Now, this is the most important question you will be asked today.” I raise an eyebrow and glimpse at the book before she continue. “What is your favorite book?”

That’s a confusing topic. I read a lot of books and I could go into a full on conversation about every book that’s made me cry, my heart swell and curse life for eight hours straight, but I don’t think we have that kind of time.

“That’s a hard question. I read a lot of books to be honest. Um, lately, I’m been digging older books that retell fairy tales. Right now, my favorite is ‘Sinful Cinderella’. It’s creepy, dark, and overall amazing, but I love ‘The Princess Bride’ too.”

“Finally! A man who isn’t afraid to admit his love for fairy tales! High Five.” I high five her and lean back in my chair. “You’re a rare edition to come across. Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

As she says that, I catch the eyes of Princess Sydney and Kamron who both smirk at me and take a short glance at Kayiah. I feel blush filling my cheek, but fight it off.

“Aw, thank you.”

Her smile widens. “Now how did you feel when you found out you were nominated?”

“Uh, I was confused at first. When I got the email, I thought it didn’t mean anything. I got home to my aunt, uncle, and Angelia, who’s competing this year too… Found out it wasn’t blowing over unless I accepted it and came to London or dropped out and whatnot. I wasn’t expecting to make it as far as I did, but here I am,” I say with a shrug. Everyone applauds.

She nods. “Well, you’re doing very well.One of the many reasons you’re all people are talking about. You’re so talented, and I’m jealous. I’m lucky to be a TV host, not that it has anything to do with my talent.”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short.”

She hugs me. “You’re so sweet. I wish we had more time to chat, but we have other contestants. Take care, Danny. Thank you for clearing some things up.”

“No, thank you. I needed the opportunity.” I step down and smile at the applauding audience as I stand in my spot.

I didn’t pass out. That’s a plus. If I didn’t pass out in front of over three hundred people then, maybe I have a shot at not fainting in front of eight billion people. Sure the risk of fainting is high, but so is the possibility of not fainting.

Kayiah hugs me and whispers in my ear. “You did great.”

“Eh, I was okay.”

“If you were just okay, then the princess and king wouldn’t be smiling at you right now. Riley wouldn’t have been your biggest fan while you were up there. Of course, I was too, and I’m sure Lia would have been if she were here too.”

“If you say so.”

I feel Kayiah’s fingers interlock with mine. Blush fills my cheeks, but this time, I’m not strong enough to fight it. It’s showing. Princess Sydney beams in her spot, but tries to control her excitement. Kayiah lays her head against my shoulder.

The rest of the interviews go by quickly. As soon as everyone has had a turn to talk, the queen wishes us all luck and dismisses us to do whatever it is we want to do. The snow is still falling and it doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon. The other dancers and I decide to meet up at the mansion and have a snowball fight. Since it’s snowing like crazy, there’s certainly enough for snowball fights and the building of snowmen. That’s our plan for a while until Evie calls us back inside for dinner.

Kayiah runs to her mansion to change and then meets us back in our yard. Zayden divides us into two teams, seven on each team. Team one, Tammy, Kyden, Jared, Sam, Austin, Kendall, Zayden. Team Two, Emily, Marybeth, Liam, Kayiah, Taya, Madison, and I. Team one on the right side of the yard, and team two on the left.

When Kayiah returns, we pull her over to our side and continue working on our fort. Ours is fairly big. Big enough to protect us that’s for sure. The bigger the fort, the more leg room we have, and legroom is important. Otherwise we’ll get, crampy, crabby, and we’ll start killing each other instead of crushing the other team. Kind of defeats the purpose of forming another team.

Kayiah and Emily pat the top of the fort while the rest of us keep the bottom and sides of the fort stable.

Seconds later, Jared shouts, “Are you guys ready?”

“Just about,” Kayiah says with a giggle and winks at me, creating a snowball.

The rest of us do the same.

Soon snowballs are being thrown across the yard, from the patio, behind trees and the fort. We’re scattered everything. Our screams and laughs fill the air along with more snowflakes and freezing air. My heart swells up with joy and happiness. I’m having fun. And that’s something I don’t admit to often.

I don’t think I’ve engaged in a snowball fight in a while. The last time I was maybe five. I had one with some other kids from the neighborhood. The kids in Montana were really nice and goofy. We built snowmen, made snow angels and had snowball fights. This one kid had a party the next weekend. He had a lake in his backyard. Fairly large and perfect for ice skating, and that’s what we did. Well, I tried. I fell every time I made it an inch away from where I was previously standing, but I did have fun falling everywhere. I guess that was when I had a decent personality. It was a few good days I had without the reminders of the next time my father, Maura, and I would be alone.

Kayiah throws a snowball at Jared and it hits him. I can tell because he screams playfully and throws some more over here along with Tammy and Zayden, who talk to him as they throw them together. As if they are friends. Honesty, I’m surprised to see Jared having fun. Playing nice. Not playing his part for The Elimination. I want to say he’s no longer afraid of what could go wrong, like his brother being murdered, but it’s not safe to say that yet. I’m still afraid of Jack coming after my family, but I know they’re safe. I believe they are. Although Andrew’s adoptive parents are involved with stopping The Elimination, or wanting to, there are still dangers, and I’m sure Jared knows that, but it seems as if he realizes playing his part will only make The Elimination gain more power over him. If he’s anything like me, which is a fifty-fifty shot, he won’t give them that satisfaction.

I roll up a snowball and throw at Marybeth only to get one thrown back at me from Austin. Screaming and laughing, I fall back. Kayiah smiles.

The snowball fights goes on like this for another twenty minutes before the king claps slowly with two guards behind him. We stand up and stop what we’re doing to bow. He chuckles and turns to his guards.

“I’m disappointed.” I guess he doesn’t believe in snowball fights. “If you guys are going to be in my kingdom, you need to know that I don’t allow such silly child’s play here,” he says with a serious tone of voice and then takes the bag from the guard on his right side.

“We can’t have a snowball fight?” Marybeth innocently asks.

He holds the bag and pulls out a large snowball gun slowly. We all gasp in shock and relief that we’re not in trouble. “Not without some upgrades, dear children.” He tosses me the first one and orders the guards to hand them out. “Now I’ll be inside the kitchen, watching you guys through the kitchen window. I want to see some action.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” we all say with enthusiasm.

“And miss Ross, aren’t you cold?”

Kayiah glances at her outfit and fixes her brown hat. It matches her brown and light pink leggings and a blue dress that stops at her lower thighs. She does have on boots and a sweater, but the sweater looks thin and warm at the same time. From where I’m standing. And her boots aren’t snow boots. More like combat books, so if the snow gets deep enough she’ll get snow in her books and have frozen toes. I admit, her outfit is cute, but it is cold and I get where King Henry is coming from.

“No, Your Majesty,” she says. “This sweater is warm and my hair is thick enough to keep me warm.”

“Then have fun. Remember, I want action. Don’t disappoint me,” he says the last part in a jokingly manner.

“Yes, sir,” Marybeth and Emily say.

King Henry goes inside and watches from the kitchen window with a bucket of popcorn with and Queen Alice and Evie by his sides. Evie chews on some popcorn and gives us the thumbs up. The battle then gets ugly or as King Henry requested, action-packed. Kayiah is the first one to shoot snowballs at the other team and gets Jared right in the face. He manages to duck, but not before he gets hit.

“Take cover!” They scream.

Evie giggles and shouts for Jared to man up while I shoot towards Austin. It’s a win-win situation for both teams. I’m shooting Austin. Samantha is shooting me. Marybeth is shooting her. And it goes on. We’re an even number, so everyone is shooting everyone in defense of someone else.

Snowballs fly in the sky across the yard. I get hit in my nose and the impact of the snow from a distance is what makes my nose heat up and hurt and knocks me to the ground. I slowly sit up, pull my hand away from my nose and stare at the blood. I know the snowball didn’t hit me hard enough to know me down and cause a nosebleed. Everyone on my team just stops and stares for a minute. Team one takes that opportunity to fire some shots, but stop once they realize something is causing us to stop. The king, queen, and Evie whisper to each other and then ask if everything’s okay. Kayiah glimpses at them, but then turns to me. Well, this is embarrassing. I have a simple snowball fight and I’m knocked down by a snowball.

“It’s not a lot of blood,” I whisper. “I’ll be alright.”

I stand up and look at the blood on my fingers. Queen Alice and Evie rush outside and demands I come inside so she can take care of it.

“I can do it, My Queen.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Evie. You’ve done so much for me and my kingdom. It’s a small nosebleed,” Queen Alice says. “I’ll take care of it. If you want, you guys can continue.”

A shadow runs past the garage. At the same time as it passes, I make eye contact with Emily who nods her head and glimpses at the garage. Now I know for sure this wasn’t an accident. I whisper to Queen Alice and refer to the garage. Emily approaches and confirms she saw the shadow. She nods and signals for her guards with one finger. They take off for the one behind this. They don’t even need for her to tell them what to do.

“Now, Danny, come inside. The rest of you, If you want to keep playing, be my guest.”

Kayiah follows us inside and helps Queen Alice with my bloody nose. It’s not much to do. Just stop the bleeding, maybe put a cotton ball in my nostrils. Give me a lollipop. I know dentists do that, but it would make my nose feel better. Wow, this is different. A month ago, I would cringe at the thought of someone giving me a lollipop. Now I’m hoping she gives me one. Not that I need her to give me one. I’m sure Evie has candy and ice cream in the kitchen. Maybe even a cookie.

Kayiah giggles as she takes the cotton ball out of my nostrils and sighs. “All done. Now you can go back to being reckless with the other kids.”

“It wasn’t me, Kayiah. Or the others. Someone tampered with the guns to make them go faster or pack more of a punch.”

“Well, you definitely received a punch.”

Queen Alice puts the supplies away and closes the box. Screams and shouts for freedom fill the air. Seconds later, the two guards and the guy who was hiding behind the garage and who tampered with the guns, but it isn’t who I thought it would be. It’s not Jack. It’s a boy no older than twelve with blood filled screams. His vocals could break the windows of the mansion and his brown eyes could cause you to sell your soul, but at the same time, show his innocence. Or the innocence he once had.

I place a finger over my ear and hope he stops soon. A girl with the same appearance is silent and shaking. The other hasn’t even restrained the girl, no older than six. He’s holding her and she’s not afraid of him, but terrified of me. Well, if he wants kids, he might be lucky right now. If it were Evie holding her, she’d never let go. “Your Majesty, this is the boy. As you can see, he’s a little feisty. The girl, well, she hasn’t said a word and it’s unlikely she didn’t do anything. She was just along for the ride.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Queen Alice says. “Thank you.”

“Let me go! I demand it! You hear me! Let me go! You’ll all pay for this.” Queen Alice just nods her head and clears her throat.

“Okay, let’s just calm down,” she whispers. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“We don’t know that!” he shouts louder. “But we do know that he will.” He points at me with an accusing finger. I sigh softly. “Don’t act so innocent! I know what you are! You’re just like the rest of them if not worse, Daniel.”

“What’s your name?” I ask the girl the guard is holding.

“Don’t talk to my sister!” he screams and attempts to get free. I back away and put my hands up. The guard pull him farther away from me and asks Queen Alice for permission to take him to the dungeon until further notice to which she agrees and tells them to feed him before they leave him alone. That guard nods and leaves with the screaming boy. The guard holding his sister whispers words of comfort and looks to me.

“Do you want to tell me your name, sweetie?” I ask thegirl.

“Grace.”

“Such a beautiful name.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “Why are you taking my brother away? Is what they say true?”

“Absolutely not,” I say softly. “I want to you help both of you, but I can’t help him if he’s tampering with toys and trying to punch me. Do you understand?”

She nods.

I put my arms out. She hesitates at first, but does jump into my arms. I hold her and walk around the room with her. It seems to relax her. She leans her head against my shoulder and takes deep breaths every couple of minutes.

“Can you help me with something?” I ask as I place her bottom first on the sofa and search for a pencil and piece of paper. She nods, but stares at me in confusion when I hand her the supplies. “I need you to write down everything The Elimination have said about me. So I know how much you need to know.”

She obeys and begins to write frantically. I can’t say I’m surprised at the fact that it looks like a Christmas list of the words they’ve used to describe me aside from “cruel” and “heartless”, but it’s sick. Queen Alice whispers for me to follow her towards the kitchen. I check on Grace one last time before I disappear with queen Alice to the kitchen. Kayiah stays and watches her. King Henry and Evie stand by the sink and sigh.

“Okay, what are you guys planning to do with her?” Evie asks.

“What else can we do with her?” King Henry asks.

“Do we have to separate them?”

“The Elimination have already changed the boy. What else can we do besides keep in prison where he’s safe as well as the rest of the country… Do you have a plan? Is that it?”

Shut up, Danny. “I might.”

“What is it?”

“She’s telling me what The Elimination told them about me. Tomorrow, I talk to all the kids they sent here and try to assure them that I do care and so do you guys.” Evie nods. “That’s what it’s about. They were toldwe’re just as bad as The Elimination are, if not worse, we’ll never help, never understand and we’re just downright cruel. If they see that they were lied to, this will decease. It’s not that they don’t know, but this is all they know and they’re used to it. They’re scared to admit otherwise. Please. Three days. If not, you guys can handle it from there.”

King Henry and Queen Alice nod in approval. “A week. Any guards will be with you while you are with a child other than your fellow contestants, family members or Riley. That is not a question.”

“Yes, King Henry.”

Before I go back to the living room to check on Kayiah and Grace, I take three juice boxes and then chopped fruit for Grace. I’m sure she’s starving. And I’m right. As soon as Grace takes a strawberry, all of it is gone in an instant. Assuming she’s done writing, I pick up the paper and read the words they use to describe me. And they are not friendly. I think the nicest names on the list are either “bitter”, “heartless”, or the classic “out of his mind”. Oh, I’ve never heard that one before. Bitter? I guess I can’t totally deny that one, but as for heartless or the other ones… “Cruel”,knew that was coming. “Barbaric”, “savage”, “bloodthirsty”, really? That’s the best they can do at this point. Well, I’d hate to bust their bubble of torture, but blood makes me sick and faint, so bloodthirsty is out. Heartless? I hide my true feelings under a layer of lies and fake smiles, but not because I don’t care. Because of the fear of being judged. It seems that right now, they’ll judge me either way just any one else, except it’s not everyday someone tortures a child and lies about someone else.

I don’t even know what to say about this. I’m not hurt. I’m angry. “Interesting list. I guess creativity isn’t their strong suit.”

She shrugs. “Jack says most of what you’re reading. My brother gave up hope a long time ago. I want a fairytale ending, but I’m starting to think it’s never going to happen.”

I place the list down and bend down in front of her, but Kayiah beats me to what I meant to say next. “Don’t say that. Fairy tale ending always happen. One day. I mean, I’ll be honest. Princes aren’t always riding in on a horse and fairies can be disguised in the real world. Sometimes the things that give you the most hope are amazing, but normal people. Don’t give up. I swear, you will find your happy ending. It may not be what you imagined, but it will be worth waiting for. I promise.”

“So do you care about us?” she asks.

“Of course, I do. I’m having a tough time figuring out why they lied to you guys. Wait, I know. They want you to feel hopeless and trapped, but I do care. This lovely girl right here, she cares. The king, queen, and princess of London. They care. My country, they care. People care. The only people who don’t are The Elimination. If I could save all of you right now, I would.”

She stands and hugs me. I pat her back and smile. “No one’s ever talked to me like this before.”

I stand up, holding her in my arms.“Do you have parents?”

“They were killed,” she says. “They never really wanted us anyways.”

But I know someone who might.