If someone want to read a sample of my book and tell me what they think I would appreciate it?

I can hear his footsteps. Chasing me. Getting closer. I can feel him shifting through my mind, unlocking the doors of my most treasured memories. I can feel him changing them. My once happy memories are replaced by black terror until there is nothing left but pure fear. I pull on the last happy thought, begging it to stay, to save me. Then it’s gone and my last hopes of survival leave with it. The sudden feeling of death travels through my body, threatening to steal all the air from my lungs. My mind explodes, releasing my changed memories into the open. There are so many. I have no more strength to keep my eyes away from them. I look deep into the blackness, see the horrors, and scream.

I scream until my lungs burn and my throat dries. Only after I am surrounded my silence do I realize I’m on the floor of my bedroom. I quickly scan my memories, checking that they still hold the happiness I so desperately need. It was just a dream.

The floor is cold under my bare legs and blankets twist my arms together. My eyes quickly adjust to the dark, revealing a wooden bed and small wooden dresser sitting against the rock walls that line the room. The floor is made of sanded stone that tends to chip easily and hold little warmth at night.

Taking a deep breath I slowly standing up, make my way over to my dresser and open the top drawer. Slipping on grey sweat pants to match my grey shirt; I walk back over to my bed, reach under the mattress and pull out a thin metal needle then head to the door. Sticking the needle in a small hole underneath the doorknob I hear a click from the lock disengaging.

Every night at 11 o’clock our doors are automatically locked and every morning at 4:30 they are unlocked. If you don’t stay in your room from the time they lock to the time they unlock, then repercussions will be taken. Honestly I don’t care what they would do to me if I were caught. They don’t control me.

Today is the first day of the year, which means it is trial day. The day we go to the basement and take part in a series of trials that involve unfair rules, pain, and death; lots of death. I would like to tell myself that I’m not nervous but my dreams say otherwise.

At 16 years old I have been through plenty of trials; not saying they were easy but there is no reason I can’t do it again. The only reason this year is different from all the other ones is that this year I actually have a chance of being part of a good group.

The reason we take part in these trials is to be placed in a group. There are dozens of us, probably close to 200. Depending on how we complete the trials, meaning whether we live or not, we are put into categories based on our strategy, talent, and level of extremes. There are anywhere from 6-12 people in a group which means that there can be up to 33 groups at one time. The teammates learn and battle together; only in the trials is it every person for themselves.

Since this is the first year I have actually tried to improve on my battle skills, I have a chance to be with the kind of group that actually achieves something. Usually I’m in a group were a member would die after every battle. It wasn’t until one of my closer friends, Megan, was killed that I decided to step up my game and actually try.

Shaking my head to make the memory go away I slowly open my door, to prevent its usual creaking; step into the hallway, with bare feet; turn left, and walk into the darkness. The hallways don’t have lights but even without being able to see I take every turn perfectly and painlessly.

I remember the first time I was moved to my new bedroom, I would stand at my door for a good half hour waiting for my eyes to adjust and then after realizing they wouldn’t I would find myself scraping the walls and banging into corners. Back then I relied on my sight and now I rely on my other much improved senses.

In some ways leaving my room early is safer. Sure I have the chance of being caught and punished but this way I am alone and don’t have to be constantly aware of someone that might want to start getting rid of competition early. Especially on Trial day, where there aren’t any teams. So any alliances you might have had yesterday are now gone. Friends become enemies and their sympathy becomes disdain.