Her Master's Voice Preview
Chapter One
This was my twentieth year. All the youth of the same year stood in rows. Men wore uniform suits, and women wore uniform dresses. I could barely breathe; the bodice was laced so tight, my breasts seemed to spill out of the top. I would have been proud, the way I had matured. Perhaps, if only I lived in a different world. A world that didn’t sacrifice their youth to die by the hands of monsters.
I gazed around at the other people. Some cried, shook with fear, clenched their fists in anger. But there was no choice. They’d lived out their years. Not all will be taken, killed. Some will stay behind to bear more children, more to line up on their twentieth year of life to be taken away themselves.
They drove up in smoky black limos. It seemed like there was no end to them.
“At least we get to go out in style.” I thought bitterly.
One by one they got out, and studied each and every one of us. Some took measurements, some took notes and pictures. They all looked at us with disdain.
Mothers cried out as their children were taken from the lines. Lovers fell in despair.
A particular one came up to me, looking me over. I glared as hatefully as I could into his golden eyes. He smiled wickedly as he poked and prodded me, pulling my snow white hair. I bit my lip in both anger and fear, for the sparkling fangs his smile bore swiftly put me in my place.
He called a female counterpart to him, speaking to her in hushed tones. I kept hearing the words rare and albino. A blush crept up my cheeks in anger as they looked me over like some prized cow. They nodded at each other, and the woman looked at me with what seemed to be rueful hope in her eyes.
“What is your name?” The man asked. Although I wouldn’t call him a man at all.
“Anora.” I whispered, fear making my lip quiver.
The two whispered once more and the woman grabbed my wrist. I gasped with the sudden touch, tripping over myself as she dragged me to the first limo. A few people were already there, white with fear and shaking like leaves. They huddled against each other, strength in numbers I suppose. I sat away from them, gazing out the windows, seeing my parents collapsed on each other, sobbing.
I steeled myself against the sight; I had to be strong for them, I had to be strong for myself. I pulled my hair up angrily into the messy ponytail I usually put it up in, though it was so short that the front half instantly came out of its binding.
After a few minutes, half of the people in rows remained to breed. The others had been ushered into the limos to be taken away to their fate. The scared people also looked at me in fear. Perhaps they thought I was a vampire as well. My blood red eyes would surely fool any human, but that was just my albinism: a rare genetic disorder practically making my body void of all color. The red in my eyes was simply because of the blood that ran through my veins.
I sighed, my heated breath fogging the window as I awaited my fate. The limo slowly drew forward and took us away from all we knew and loved.
This was my twentieth year. All the youth of the same year stood in rows. Men wore uniform suits, and women wore uniform dresses. I could barely breathe; the bodice was laced so tight, my breasts seemed to spill out of the top. I would have been proud, the way I had matured. Perhaps, if only I lived in a different world. A world that didn’t sacrifice their youth to die by the hands of monsters.
I gazed around at the other people. Some cried, shook with fear, clenched their fists in anger. But there was no choice. They’d lived out their years. Not all will be taken, killed. Some will stay behind to bear more children, more to line up on their twentieth year of life to be taken away themselves.
They drove up in smoky black limos. It seemed like there was no end to them.
“At least we get to go out in style.” I thought bitterly.
One by one they got out, and studied each and every one of us. Some took measurements, some took notes and pictures. They all looked at us with disdain.
Mothers cried out as their children were taken from the lines. Lovers fell in despair.
A particular one came up to me, looking me over. I glared as hatefully as I could into his golden eyes. He smiled wickedly as he poked and prodded me, pulling my snow white hair. I bit my lip in both anger and fear, for the sparkling fangs his smile bore swiftly put me in my place.
He called a female counterpart to him, speaking to her in hushed tones. I kept hearing the words rare and albino. A blush crept up my cheeks in anger as they looked me over like some prized cow. They nodded at each other, and the woman looked at me with what seemed to be rueful hope in her eyes.
“What is your name?” The man asked. Although I wouldn’t call him a man at all.
“Anora.” I whispered, fear making my lip quiver.
The two whispered once more and the woman grabbed my wrist. I gasped with the sudden touch, tripping over myself as she dragged me to the first limo. A few people were already there, white with fear and shaking like leaves. They huddled against each other, strength in numbers I suppose. I sat away from them, gazing out the windows, seeing my parents collapsed on each other, sobbing.
I steeled myself against the sight; I had to be strong for them, I had to be strong for myself. I pulled my hair up angrily into the messy ponytail I usually put it up in, though it was so short that the front half instantly came out of its binding.
After a few minutes, half of the people in rows remained to breed. The others had been ushered into the limos to be taken away to their fate. The scared people also looked at me in fear. Perhaps they thought I was a vampire as well. My blood red eyes would surely fool any human, but that was just my albinism: a rare genetic disorder practically making my body void of all color. The red in my eyes was simply because of the blood that ran through my veins.
I sighed, my heated breath fogging the window as I awaited my fate. The limo slowly drew forward and took us away from all we knew and loved.