I was Chosen. This second-year reprieve was gone and I was going with it. Anyone in our metropolis would tell you that it was an honor few received. What they didn't tell you was that even fewer survived to enjoy that honor.

Out of the several hundred teens in our city, three families were Chosen. And from each family, one member was taken by the state. I was the last one to be Honored. I had thought my brother Teal would have been Honored for his strong appearance and proud bearing. Yet they picked me. Maybe it is better this way.

Every time the two-year wait was over and the Chosen taken away, Teal and my dad would wear mourning black for the families who lost their children to the war that never seemed to end or change.

Who would wear black for us?

But after I saw who else had been Chosen, I knew why they had taken me. The other two were both male, both strong, and both looked tough. They needed a little feminine appearance to make them seem happy when our photos were added to the thousands that had been Chosen, our photo would be on the billboards till we were killed. And then we would be cut out of the picture and the survivors would remain on the billboards. Only one face had stayed on the billboard out of the sixty children that had been taken.

I was a twin; Teal told me that my twin had died when both she and my mum had been taken sick by influenza. I often looked in the mirror at home and wondered if my twin would have shared my expressive brown eyes, the same curved chin, or shared my frizzy brown hair that bordered on uncontrollable if she had survived infancy. Now I wondered if my twin would have been Chosen and if she had, if she would have shared my insecurity.

The two Chosen stared at me silently, unabashedly figuring out what they could with their eyes to see if I was going to be any help or just a liability.

I stared right back, searching for the same answer as I sat down in the only other seat the plane had. The nearest fellow-Chosen was the first victim of my stare. Average height, had wide shoulders and work-rough hands. His clothes had been worn a lot, there were no holes but his shirt bordered on transparency despite it's cleanliness, and work shoes clad his feet. His gaze- gray eyed- was firm and calculating. All this, added together gave me a picture of a person who was a provider for others and wasn't afraid of work. Not bad. I estimated his age to be between seventeen and twenty-one; no one who was Chosen could be younger than seventeen. His hair could use a trim, wavy brown loose curls made him look a little feminine but no one would mistake him for a sissy. He also need to shave.

Having figured out all I could about the first, I turned my gaze to the second. And frowned I knew this guy, we'd met before at Teal's workplace. The same easy grin, brown eyes, and black hair faced me.

"Well, at least I know one of you," he said over the noise of the engine's turbine.

"Great," my tone was less than thrilled, "so we'll both die and our problems will be solved."

"Hate to tell you," his eyes sparkled mischievously, "but I doubt they will let us die that easy."

His name was Ethe Pitfor; nineteen years old, a logger, and part-time flirt.

"More's the pity," I replied, turning to the first guy. He hadn't said a word during the entire exchange but listened intently, "and you are?" the last three words were directed at the silent one.

"Koll Emmons," he said, voice slightly deeper than I'd expected. His gaze went from me to Ethe, "And you?"

I pointed to Ethe first, "He's Ethe Pitfor, I'm Tawny Felis," I pointed to myself and that was it. Introductions were over.

Koll leaned forward, "I've seen you and your brother before," he said and glanced around, "do you share the beliefs your brother has?"

I frowned again, "What do you mean by that?"

Koll glanced over at the pilot whose attention was on the takeoff, "Do you share his opinions on what's happening in our country?"

I looked away. Teal was a rebel, a zealot, in his own way. And it was dangerous to even consider changing the system, let alone talk about it, "My brother believes what he will."

Leaning slightly forward Koll said so softly that I almost didn't hear him, "As will you."

I wanted to ask what he meant by that but the pilot turned back to face us and we gave him our full attention, "Alright," he shouted, "you kids are Chosen, get used to it. That won't mean a thing in the field, only that you're bullet-targets, so don't expect any Honor till you survive your five years. The System is simple, follow the rules, follow the orders, keep your head down, and stay alive. Now, shut up, keep quiet, and don't do anything stupid. If you talk, keep it down. You'll be off my hands once you leave the plane so stay alive till then and be someone else's problem."

He turned back to the controls and started to taxi down the runway. I buckled into my seat and glanced at the other two. They glanced back but it was clear that any conversation would have to be postponed till any others besides us Honorees were gone.

I leaned back in the chair and I wanted to be back home yet I had no home now.

I closed my eyes as the plane rumbled on above the ground, away from all I knew.