Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (3 page)

“Because our hearing, sense of sight, and sense of smell become overwhelmingly strong and capable, we enter a state of extreme heightened awareness. In order for our minds to cope with the heightened awareness, we lose our sense of reason, logic, and short term memory. Basically, we’re governed by our instincts during the changing. Even the nicest, most well behaved girls become vicious during their change.” She flashed a reassuring smile. “The good news, girls, is that we don’t remember any of it.” 

I wanted to ask her why forgetting days at a time was good, but I was afraid I would sound stupid. I made a note to ask her after class.

She clicked a screen to a map of our town with red circles dotted along the streets. “If you begin your changing and do not feel that you can make it home, go to the nearest government building. All of them have multiple safe houses for women who happen to be stuck out somewhere and don’t think they can get home before their change is complete. Any of the red dots you see here are public safe houses. It is very important that you get to a safe house before you completely change. We are dangerous to anyone around us once we've changed.”

I remembered stories of girls attacking other girls during a hunt when I was small. Mother assured me it was just an accident and that the community was taking care to make sure it never happened again. I looked around the room nervously. A few other girls listened intently and took notes. Most doodled or stared ahead, obviously bored.

She switched to another slide, this time an anatomical diagram of a female’s internal organs, bones, and nervous system. “Ladies, we've covered the outer physical changes that one can feel or see in their bodies but we have yet to talk about the changes inside. Has anyone read the information I've given you on the inner physical changes?”

A tall girl sitting in the front waved her hand frantically. “Oh Ms. Dawning, I know this, of course I know this!” she exclaimed. The entire class groaned.

Ms. Dawning sighed. “Yes, Susie.”

When the bell finally rang, I had five pages of notes. Ms. Dawning had covered everything from signs that your period was coming to early signs of pregnancy. She hadn’t discussed yet details of the hunt, or how exactly the male dies in the process. I looked at the clock. I couldn’t believe the lunch bell rang already.  I missed the morning class exchange entirely as I listened to all the information Ms. Dawning gave us.

Rally tapped my shoulder. “I’ll save you a seat at lunch.”

“That’s really not necessary. I have to stay here to talk to Ms. Dawning for a few minutes. I’m not sure I’ll make it to lunch.” I didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings, but I wanted to be alone to absorb everything from the last two days.

The disappointment in her voice was obvious. “Okay, maybe tomorrow?”

I smiled at her. “Sure, tomorrow.”

“Great. See you then!” She skipped away.

May was already talking to Ms. Dawning when I approached her desk.  It was full of folders, each with a student’s name typed neatly in the corner. The only other item was a book titled Perfect Punishment: A Teacher's Guide by U.M. Bridge. Two open folders sat on top of the desk. I saw my mother’s handwriting on one of them and reached down to turn the paper and read it.

“Lea!” Ms. Dawning pulled the sheet from my hand. “Paperwork on my desk is not for students to peruse through!”

“I’m sorry. Those are the forms my mother filled out. She didn’t mention injections. I wanted to see if it was on the paper.” I glanced back at my folder, hoping she would let me see the slip.

She laughed. “Of course she wouldn’t. When your mother was in breeding class, the girls took pills. We changed to injections a few years ago. They’re more reliable.” She opened a closet behind her desk and took out two pre-filled syringes with barely visible needles.

Ms. Dawning placed one on the desk and motioned for May to come to her. May stepped forward and rolled up her sleeve.  She wiped alcohol on May’s arm before plunging the needle into her arm. May winced, but didn’t make a sound. Ms. Dawning put her hand on May’s shoulder.

“See? Didn’t even hurt, did it, May?” May shook her head and rolled her sleeve back down. Ms. Dawning looked at me. “Your turn.”

I didn’t move. “What does the shot do? Why do we have to take them? How many do we need?”

Ms. Dawning’s laughter had sharpness to it. “So many questions!” She softened her voice. “It’s okay, Lea. These shots regulate you, and everyone else. We need every girl who is breeding to change at the same time. If we didn’t regulate, different girls would change each week. It would be chaos.” Her eyes glinted with authority.

“So this injection will make me change next week, with everyone else? What would happen if I didn’t get it?” I didn't want to sound defiant, but I wanted answers. “What are the side effects? And if my mom knows about whatever is in them, why can’t I skip it today and ask her. If she says it’s alright, I’ll get it tomorrow. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”

“If you didn’t get it, you would change in about three weeks, way off from everyone else. When it is time to hunt, you wouldn’t change, you wouldn’t be ready. The pills your mother took did the same thing.” She smiled reassuringly. “There are no recorded side effects from the injections; however there are consequences if you refuse them.”

“Consequences?”

“Yes, Lea. If you refuse this injection today, I will have to report that you aren’t interested in hunting.” She sat on the edge of her desk and sighed. “Too bad. You’re mom seemed so excited when she came in this morning.” Ms. Dawning snapped the safety cap off the syringe. “So you have a choice. Take this and we can get on with our day, or refuse and I’ll send home your notice for surgery. Once you have chosen the surgical path, your decision cannot be reversed.”

I hesitated. My mother would be angry if I chose to get the required surgery before I had hunted. Especially without discussing it with her first. All over something she may already know about. If only I had more time to think the situation over.

"What if I requested more time?” An idea was forming. “What if I put in a requisition to wait until I was eighteen? I don’t think I’m ready for hunting.”

“You could, but you would still have to get the injections and go through breeding class, just like everyone else.” Ms. Dawning stepped toward me. “I’m losing patience, Lea.”

Reluctantly, I rolled up my sleeve. “Fine. I’ll ask my mother tonight.” 

“Good girl.” Ms. Dawning gave me a forgiving smile.

There was a slight pinch in my arm followed by a burning sensation. The needle left a small red mark. I waited to see if I felt different. Nothing happened. Relief washed over me.

“I have your welcome kits right here ladies, if you would like to take them to your desk and then join your class for lunch, we will go over vocational placement and assessments after.” Ms. Dawning handed each of us a cloth bag full of books, charts, a metal nail file, and running shoes.

“Running shoes?” I asked, “What are they for?”

“Physical training is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Bring an extra set of clothes on those days. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are classroom sessions on breeding. Your afternoons will consist of either your vocational training or general schooling, depending on your assessment this afternoon and your preferred vocation,” Ms. Dawning explained.

“Physical training?” My stomach lurched. I had spent the first sixteen years of my life explicitly avoiding anything more strenuous than a brisk bike ride across town.

“Yes, Lea. You have to be in top physical condition to hunt. Now please go eat lunch. There will be plenty of time for questions within the coming year.”

***

That afternoon, May and I completed assessments for projected careers. My top three were scientist, teacher, or government employee. I expressed to Ms. Dawning my hope of becoming a nurse.

“Why be a nurse when you can train to be a teacher?” Ms. Dawning asked. “Your great grandmother was an excellent teacher and your mother does well with the children at the center. You would make a great Early Ages teacher.”

I frowned. “Six more years of schooling and two years of provisional? No thanks. I would rather do my three years for nursing and be finished.”

She laughed. “You’re a smart girl Lea, and you could do it. Many women who become nurses wish they would’ve chosen something else, and once you’ve chosen, you can’t change. The system is too precise with designations to let people career hop. And after this morning…”

“I was overwhelmed, that’s all.” I said hurriedly. “My mom hasn’t really discussed much with me and everything is happening so quickly.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s alright, Lea. Talk to your great grandmother. She will be able to tell you anything you need to know. And don’t be afraid to ask questions during class.”

“I will.” I paused. “Ms. Dawning? Can I pick nursing even though it's not one of my results?”

“I still think teaching would be a better fit for you.”

“I don’t want to be a teacher, or scientist. And I definitely don’t want to work for the government.”  I had been warned that everyone's third result was government. That option was for girls who couldn't choose and didn't mind hopping from one low skilled job to another at the whims of a higher ranking official.  The only benefit to the position was a release from schooling once the hunt was complete and a mandatory retirement after twenty years.

“I need a decision, Lea.”

I gave her my best puppy eyes. “Can I talk it over with my mother? Give you an answer in the morning?”

‘Fine,” Ms. Dawning resigned. “But I need to know first thing in the morning. After eight, I’m picking for you.”

“Agreed.” I smiled at her. “But it will still be nursing.”

Chapter 3

~ Changing ~

“Too bad we're changing this weekend.” Rally had jogged up beside me.

“Why?” I panted. We were running laps around the field, with a goal of three miles in thirty minutes. I could barely run two. Rally lapped me easily. In a week or two, she would move on to the hill drills, leaving May and I as the only girls completing the three mile goal.

“It’s supposed to be nice.” She must have looked up the weather on the announcement monitor before coming outside.

“So?” I gave her an annoyed look. She was running and had no problems talking, like we were on a Sunday stroll.

“So, on the first warm Saturday of spring, my mother and I go on a picnic at the park. I was going to invite you.” Rally sped up a little and ran backwards in front of me.