Alexandra

I sat, my hands in my lap, going over what could happen. None of the kids in here were any different from me, all having been raised by Aides, just like everyone in the world. All of us were in fancier clothes than normal, as the Aides liked to have us look nice on the day that would determine our carers and mindsets.

I went over the possible options. Tigress. That would be looking at admiral, important government official, but probably not a leader. Bear. Military, maybe espionage, maybe a movie thing. Snake. Espionage, government official. Horse. Entertainment arts, maybe farmer. Dog. Dog could go pretty much any way. Cat. Espionage, maybe an actor, but it could go lots of ways. Sheep. Sheep could go almost any way, but it was hard to be important.

My heart was probably beating too fast. I was probably going to get some sort of long lasting heart illness from this day.

A woman walked to the front of the room and began calling out names. I didn't really pay attention until I heard "Alexandra". 

Hearing my name snapped me out of my stupor. I walked towards the door, feeling woozy.

My legs were shaking. I was going to fall. I reached the door, along with about five other kids.

A thought occured to me as I walked up the hall. What if I didn't have a Shaling?

Then you're looking at a crappy life. I could feel myself shaking. The woman guided us into the room. "Blood test," The woman said. "That's all we need to determine this."

A blood test? Nothing but a blood test? Half of the kids thought that this test was a seven hour test that involved mind games and hallucinogenic drugs. Nothing but a blood test? 

Thank god.

We stood in a line and waited until we reached the front.

I stepped hesitatly forward. "Stick out your arm," the woman commanded. She took a blood sample and stuck the needle into a machine. I waited.

Sweat trickled down my face and I wiped it off. It was so quiet I could hear the other people ( )eathing. I was suprised none of them could hear my heartbeat.

"Snake," The woman announced. "My dear, you're a Snake. Please join the other children who have recived the Snake Shaling and wait with them."

Snake? I couldn't be a Snake. I wasn't clever. I wasn't sneaky. There must have been a mistake. I couldn't be a Snake. They were said to be sneaky, and in your buisness, and not friendly. This wasn't fair! I was better than that! However, I didn't complain. What I got was what I got.

I walked out of the room, feeling irritated but relived. I had a Shaling. However, I was a Snake. I didn't want to be sneaky. 

I entered the second room. It was small, concrete, and smelled of mildew. Ugh, I thoguht. They couldn't choose a nicer spot? I walked over to a small clump of kids. They were all talking. They couldn't shut up for a freaking second. "I was a Bear," one girl said happily. 

Voices flew around the room. "I was a Dog..."

"Sheep..." "Horse...." "Cat..." "Snake..." 

I wanted to curl up into a ball and scream. "Still no Tigress," A boy said quietly. "There hasn't been one in forty two years. I don't think that there is ever going to be one again. I think that the gene vanished," he finished. I hissed softly. He was just repeating the newspapers; was anyone in here original at all?

Emira

I wasn't all that worried. I wondered if that was bad. The Aides had said that being nervous was normal. I stared straight ahead at the wall ahead of me, like the Mother that had been assigned to raise me had taught me. I stayed still as a statue, not showing anything and trying not to let the whispers of the others break my concentration. 

"Emira Delar," one of the workers called. I stood and walked to the end of the hallway with a small crowd of other children. The woman took us through a small hallway, into a brightly lit room. The lights hurt my eyes, which were ridiculously sensitive. 

"Your blood test will be taken and we will have your results in minutes," the woman said.

"A blood test?" I say, flabbergasted.

"What is the issue, Emira?" The Aide asked.

"That isn't just. This is just based on genetics. That isn't right; it should be about intelligence and capability, not genetic material. Just because you have a bad mother or the donation was bad doesn't make you immediatly stupid."

"Emira, this isn't how we do things here. I suppose if you do not find the system just, you should move to another country. The Commonwealth, perhaps, or the Union of Europe, or even the Republic. But this is how we do things here."

"It's not right," I protest.