"Good afternoon, citizens of Cromerth!" Catherine Gerard yelled at the crowd facing the stage. "Welcome to our June ritual, where we have new and returning candidates for your approval. Please take a minute to approach the stage and view our seven lucky girls just waiting to be picked."
I fidgeted as I saw the eyes glancing at the seven of us, comparing each of us in a snobbish way. I knew the girls well, growing up in such a tiny town, and knew they were just as afraid as I was. First they would feature plain Abigail, seeing as this is her eleventh time and she is now the oldest candidate. Next would be Caroline, all cute and dainty but knowingly shallow, which is why this is her eighth time. After that would be Anne and Sofia, both four time veterans, both best friends and both born in the same month. Then Bonnie, coming back for the second time, looking a lot more confident this time than last month, when she fainted on the stage. And then there was me and Jane, both May babies and both here as first time candidates. I tried to ignore the lingering eyes and caught my sister's eyes and she gave me a smile of approval. I smiled at her to let her know I was fine, but stopped as I saw two hands grasping her shoulders from behind. I glared at Wilson, almost sixty years of age, with his bald head, beady eyes and furrowed brow as he hovered over Clara in a dominant way. I took a deep breath and continued facing forward, silently chanting in my head "please not today, please not today".
"The viewing is over!" Catherine Gerard announced. "Let's start with the lottery!" I gulped as she pulled out seven chestnut boxes made many years ago just for the ritual. I knew each box had fifty blank papers in it and I knew that people would be writing their names on those papers and that they would put it back into the box. I knew that if you drew a paper with no name, you had to do this again. I knew that if you get to the twelfth lottery, you had to face the worst kind of sentencing. I also knew, Catherine Gerard, the evilest woman in the history of the world, rigged each ritual to benefit her own sadistic means for the town. It was a power she enjoyed and it was something she knew would give her the upper hand on everything. It also caused her to get special treatment from the families who fell to her evil ways. It was also a way to get revenge on the families who did not submit to her. In that way, you always hope you had males instead of females when the time came for children.
"Let's start with Abigail" she mused as Abigail bravely stepped out of line and faced the crowd. "For those who don't know, Abigail is a sweet girl, knowing a lot about sewing, since her family trade is that. She also may appear plain, but she is very sweet and sometimes that can win more than a pretty face. Let the names commence!"
Catherine Gerard passed out the box with the black mark on it and I saw some people start jotting down names from the slips of paper and put it back in the box. I glanced at Abigail who continued standing up straight and tall, watching the ordeal in front of her very eyes. After about ten minutes, the box circled back to the front and was put to the side. With that, Abigail stepped back into line and I saw the slump in her shoulders as she waited for her fate.
Next, I saw Caroline swagger forward, twirling her pink skirts back and forth with a cute smile on her face. I internally gagged at her performance but the minute the yellow marked box went out, men crawled to put their names in. I shot a look at Abigail who finally faced me and rolled her eyes which caused me to snicker behind my hand. Thankfully no one noticed and it took longer to get Caroline back into line so that the ritual continued.
I watched as the other girls had their turns and before I knew it I saw Bonnie step back and I knew, it was my turn. Catherine Gerard signaled for me, and like having logs tied to my ankles I took slow, methodical steps forward
"Next, we have Lisbeth. First time with the ritual. What a pretty thing she is! Probably one of the only girls who knows how to read since her father taught her even though she does not have schooling. Lisbeth is great at keeping home, an excellent baker and has a bit of fire in her that you don't see in other girls. Let the names commence"
I cowered as I saw the green marked box, my box, get passed by Catherine Gerard's evil hands and get pushed into the crowd. Like the scary stories we told as children, I gazed in horror as I saw hordes of people take out paper to write their names on it. I flinched as I looked at the faces of each man writing his name, Johnny Primeir, who never said more than a hello to me my whole life, Ray Arnold, who is fifty years my senior and is deaf, Jake Tecolor, who teased me as a youth and currently still lives with his mother because he was a simpleton. I moaned internally as I watched multiple names get put down before being passed back to the front and I hurriedly took a step back.
As Catherine Gerard called out Jane's name, I remembered something was off. I replayed the morning in my head and reflected on what my father and Catherine Gerard said and all my courage almost wilted right there. Catherine Gerard rigged these rituals. She must have rigged mine so I get picked today.
Almost too soon, Jane stepped back and Catherine Gerard hovered over the chestnut boxes. "Thank you all for your participation. As our ancestors decided many years ago, the ritual was the best way to preserve our town for the better." The rehearsed speech she gave usually makes me laugh but it currently held a bit of dread and foreshadowing of my fate this time. There was nothing funny about this. "As the rules state, we will finish the ritual by the end of the month, before the next ritual, on the first of July starts. I will coordinate the events and hope that everyone attends so that you can be a full circle in the experience. Now, the results."
I felt my fist tighten into a ball as I saw her hand dig into Abigail's chest. "Our match for Abigail is...unfortunately, a piece of blank paper. That means Abigail, you get one more chance to participate or you will end up with our oldest member to spend your years with him." I felt Abigail's pain from here, and wished she would not end up with that ending.
"Next, we have Caroline's!" I held my breath as she dug her hand into the chest. "We have a match! Caroline, please welcome Ben Fulton as your other half." I gasped at my father's name. I looked into the crowd to see my father's smiling face and men congratulating him with handshakes and patting his back. I looked at Clara, who looked as shocked as I did at the announcement. I could never imagine having Caroline join us, not now, not ever. I glanced over at Caroline who was back to twirling her dress but having eyes only on my father and I knew she approved the match.
The shock of the announcement put me in such a state of astonishment I barely heard my own name being called. "Our match for Lisbeth is, why, we have a match! Oh, my! I apologize for my surprise, it's just that, my own son Aaron, is the other half! I am so happy to finally have a daughter!" I looked at Catherine Gerard in horror as she said those words. It was a mistake, I was not going to be with Aaron Gerard. I scanned the crowd to find him, only to see him swarmed with men's well wishes. I looked at Clara who seemed pleased with my results and my father, too busy to notice his own daughter with his own well wishes. It just dawned on me that I, Lisbeth Fulton, was now officially engaged to Aaron Gerard.