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~Edited woo

Every year, the government randomly selects 20 teens to go on some random island to try and survive. It's like a ritual. It started with our 60th President. Basically, after all these years, people have been using up all of earth's resources. In the last 100 years, the population skyrocketed. More food and shelter had to be built which led to a demand for building materials and food. The government believed that by experimenting in different areas to live, they might be able to save earth from losing more resources.

Bogus if you ask me, but I don't question it. I would never have believed that a girl like me would have been chosen. I mean come on? There are many other options for girls to choose from. To put it plain and simple: why pick me? Pick a girl who's smarter or more athletic. Not a girl who enjoys binging tv shows all day. A slice of pizza and this old show Teen Wolf I found will never let you down. Seriously, it won't.

My mother and father prayed and prayed every night  I wouldn't get selected. Obviously, they didn't want me to leave.

You could imagine the looks on my mother and father when a government official showed up at their door to deliver the news.

I was swimming in my pool, and by swimming I mean the doggy paddle. I was a horrible swimmer period. Sure, my dad had tried hundreds of times; signed me up for swim lessons, showed me himself, even threw me in the pool a few times to see if my "natural instincts" kicked in. Let's just say that was a load of nothing because to this day I still can't seem to "reach for the ice cream," as my old swim instructor said.

No matter how much I tried to reach for the ice cream, my noodle arms got tired halfway. Shows how much upper body strength I have. I guess running track still doesn't help in that department.

Anyway, I still got in the water at pool parties-I wasn't afraid of the water or anything. In fact, I loved the way it felt to float aimlessly on the water. It feels so peaceful with the sun's warmth on you.

I had been totally stunned when I got out of the pool to face my parents' pale faces, a letter in their hand, staring at me in my soaking wet bikini. Oh, and it was personally delivered by a senator I might add.

I was assuming the government was planning on testing different climates to see if we can survive in different areas as I said earlier.

I had no choice. I had to go. Otherwise, the government would lock me and my family in jail for disobeying. In school, we learned of a few teenagers who tried to bend the rules. The most important guy was Jonas Harley. A few years ago he had knocked out a government official, escaped the building, and tried to flee the country, but he never made it. When they pick you, they pick you: with no choice. He was found by the border of Canada, and I have no clue how he hitchhiked there with no money or food. I don't know the full story, but all of my teachers have different theories. Some say he was thrown in jail for life, others say he was killed on the spot. After Jonas had disappeared, his family had too. No one had heard from his parents or siblings. I had never heard of him or seen him ever before just because he didn't live in my area, but he had to be a few years older than me. Its almost turned into some sort of legend for the young kids. Now he's used as an example. You are to do this for your country. If not, severe consequences are to be put in place.

I had the night to sleep and in the morning it was time to go. I knew I was going to miss my room and my friends. I called them straight after I got the notice and let me say, tears were shed. Luckily for them, they weren't chosen. I was happy for them, but also a bit jealous that I had to leave my life behind. I couldn't take any of my belongings. Not even my phone.

The next morning my parents and I made the four-hour drive to our nation's capital to drop me off. I hugged my parents and smiled at them, my eyes brimmed with tears. We were in the waiting room, and it was time for me to announce my presence. I think I practically squeezed the life out of them, trying to memorize what that last hug felt like, and inhaling my dad's cologne and moms perfume.

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