The Luna Choosing Game

One of the soldiers dragged Boss out into the dining room. He was whimpering, begging them to let him go.

“I didn’t know. How would I have known?”

In the center of the dining room, the soldier dropped his hold on Boss and he crumpled onto the floor.

My attention flicked up to the television screens, which showed a replay of the selection process, displaying names, one after the next.

The 25(th) and final name was my own.

I didn’t understand. I never sent in an application.

“I had no idea she might be a future Luna,” Boss said, clutching his head. “If I’d known, I never would have –”

“For this slight against the royal family, this establishment will be shut down until further notice,” the head soldier said, cutting Boss off. Then the guard looked at me. “Some of us will escort you home, miss, so that you can gather your personal belongings.”

“How long will I be staying?” I asked. I felt like I was in some sort of dream. Any moment I’d wake up and be in that kitchen.

I never wanted to step foot inside of there again.

The soldier gave me a quizzical look. “Everything should have been made clear on your application.”

The application. Right. The one I hadn’t sent in.

I didn’t want to ask any more questions and risk drawing unwanted attention to myself, so I nodded. “Of course.”

A handful of soldiers near the entrance beckoned me to them. I followed them and they drove me to my apartment. When we arrived, I asked them to wait outside.

They complied, though one stationed himself right outside the door. “To help with luggage,” he explained.

I wasn’t used to that kind of care, so I looked at him strangely for a moment. He maintained a military stance, not seeming to mind my stare.

This was all too weird.

I opened my apartment door and walked inside. Anna excitedly met me just inside the door. Elva, not quite as excited, was still on the couch, playing with her dolls.

“Hi, Mommy.”

to her before looking at Anna, who seemed ready to bounce straight out of

Can

it, I still kept my voice soft so the soldier outside wouldn’t hear. “I didn’t even put in an

Anna quickly glanced away.

“Anna.”

sent in an application

“Anna!” I whisper-yelled.

belong in this town, Piper, and certainly

What am I

found mine again. She held hands out, palms up.

there, I’m going to be humiliated. I don’t fit

“What’s the harm in trying, Piper? If you go and they disqualify you, you come

“That will never happen.”

you can get a free vacation to the Capital. Elva’s never seen it.” Anna kneeled down, claiming Elva’s

a pretty

has a lot of pretty dresses,” Anna said. “And so do

turned her doe eyes

Anna. How could I resist Elva’s doe

“We can see the pretty

Elva cheered, I gave

just smiled. “You’ll thank me

choosing me had to have been some kind of mistake. I couldn’t say that, of course.

could do was take Elva into the palace to see the dresses, and then politely withdraw from the

pulling into a long circular entryway. Carrying Elva, I followed the soldiers to

this time. At the door, he whispered, “Good luck,

the nicest outfits we had brought. We matched in simple sundresses. I brushed Elva’s hair up into curly pigtails.

many beautiful women had begun to gather. Their dresses were much more elaborate than mine, the other girls looking like they had stepped out of the latest expensive fashion

as saucers. She pointed to one dress, and then the next, like she

of mimosas and parfaits. I ushered

two of us were earning simply by

struck me and I