Changing Hope - first 10 pages

[Mackenzie Eaton]

Chapter 1 

There was a knock on the door, but Blair didn’t look up from her desktop. Moments later, another knock forced her hazel eyes to roll.

“Tessa?” Blair called to her assistant who was putting together the new white leather couches for her office.

“Yes Miss?” Tessa stood immediately, smoothing out her clothes as she spoke. Tessa has only been Blair’s assistant for a week. She had applied hopeful, but didn’t expect much other than a phone call saying she didn’t qualify. She, after all, did come from the scheduling department, which everybody knows is the bottom tier job at The Circle. Blair often refers to them as “sadly necessary.” But Tessa is young and very impressionable. She looked at Blair as if she was a goddess sent directly from heaven. Blair knew she could mold Tessa into the perfect assistant, one who is obedient and whose mind is malleable. Blair hired her before even bothering to interview any other applicants. 

“The door, Tessa.” Blair raised an eyebrow. Tessa still had a lot to learn. 

“Oh,’ Tessa turned her head to the door, then back at Blair, ‘right! My apologies Miss.”

“Don’t apologize, just get the door.” Blair said flatly as she continued her work.

Tessa scurried swiftly to the door, her heels clicking the entire way. She paused to smooth out her white blouse one last time and push back the stray hairs that fell out of her top knot before finally opening the door. And boy, she was glad she did. Kennedy Edina, by far the most attractive employee at The Circle, aside from Blair of course, stood tall in a navy suit and white tie on the other side of the door, only a few feet from Tessa. 

“Oh, Mr. Edina.” Tessa stood up straighter and her eyes brightened as she spoke. “May I help you?”

Kennedy flashed a smile,

“Oh no,’ he waved Tessa off and quickly peered around her to look at Blair, ‘you called for me?” Kennedy walked forward, forcing Tessa to quickly step out of the way, otherwise Kennedy would have walked right into her. She frowned, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she closed the door behind Kennedy. 

“Kennedy,’ Blair turned her chair towards him and folded her hands over her desk, ‘it’s about time.”

“Oh come on,’ Kennedy sat cooly in the chair across from Blair’s desk, putting his foot up on his opposite knee and mockingly placing both his hands behind his head, ‘I came as soon as you called me.”

Blair smirked playfully, “Sit like a gentleman when you’re in my office Kennedy, you know that.”

“Of course, my bad boss.” Kennedy put his arms up in surrender and placed both feet on the floor, sitting straight in the chair in the same manner any other person would in the presence of Blair Woodsen. 

Tessa gawked at the two of them. She had never seen Blair so relaxed and she had never seen anyone so at ease in Blair’s presence. Tessa was confused, slightly uneasy, and a bell was ringing loudly in her head telling her to leave the office as fast as she could. 

“Um.” Tessa took a step towards Blair and Kennedy, causing Blair’s face to harden immediately. Her eyes darted sharply towards Tessa’s fragile figure. She pointed to the center of the room towards the mess of boxes and screws “Should,’ she stuttered, ‘… should I continue with the couches?” Tessa glanced nervously at Kennedy, who had also stiffened and now looked much more like every other Circle employee. Blair pursed her lips slightly,

“That won’t be necessary Tessa. If you could give us a minute…” Blair raised her eyebrow at her assistant, who wasn’t moving fast enough for her liking. Tessa should have left the office  as soon as Kennedy walked in, but it takes time and patience to train assistants well. Too bad Blair is a woman with neither. 

Tessa glanced back and forth blankly between Kennedy and Blair before finally realizing she should be long gone by now. 

“Oh, of course. I’ll just be…” Tessa tried to think of where she could go where Blair could easily call for her. Blair tilted her chin down at Tessa and her heart skipped as she bolted out the door.

 How could I be so stupid? Tessa thought. 

 

“New assistant, huh Blair?” Kennedy laughed, amused by the shy, finicky girl. 

“She’ll learn. She’s young and eager.’ Blair smirked, ‘she’ll do whatever I say. Plus she grew up in a good Comely home, so she will strive for nothing but perfection.”

“A good Comely home?’ he laughed, ‘shouldn’t she be a little more…” Kennedy paused, looking for the right word.

“Confident? Polished? Dignified?” Blair suggested.

“Ah, precisely.” Kennedy responded.

“Yes, she is the outlier of her family. But a few more weeks with me should cause a few more mental breakdowns, some terrible self-doubt, and extreme insecurity; all building blocks for the perfectly molded Comely citizen. And more importantly, a perfect assistant to me.” Blair smiled amusedly.

“Aren’t you just a saint, taking the humility out of a poor young girl.’ Kennedy sunk back in his chair a bit, ‘they wouldn’t like that in Ghastly.” 

Blair laughed. 

“None of them would survive a day here. And funny you should mention that, because that’s our topic today.”

“Manipulating impressionable young people?” Kennedy asked sarcastically.

“It’s not manipulation if it helps them, Kennedy. And no.” Blair drew in a breath, “Questionables can no longer be judged one dimensionally.”

Kennedy stopped smiling and leaned forward in his seat, intrigued by Blair’s words. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. 

“You, of all people, should know how attentive I am, since it is my keen observational skills that landed you a job here in the first place.” Blair smiled. Kennedy truly is her favorite employee.

“And I am eternally grateful.” Kennedy’s teeth glimmered as he grinned. 

“Anyways,’ Blairs face returned to its normal state of stiffness due to the amount of collagen placed in her forehead, ‘'I've come to notice problems in some of the Questionables. My judges are failing, and they are utterly disappointing, arrogant imbeciles; much beyond my capability of helping.” Blair rolled her eyes just thinking of her inadequate employees. 

“Okay,’ Kennedy said, waiting for Blair to continue.

“So I need you. From this point on, you will be my head judge, and you’re going to help me work out all the kinks. If any.”

“No need to be so modest Blair.” Kennedy scoffed lightheartedly. 

“Careful Kennedy. You’re my favorite right now, but that can easily change.” Blair narrowed her eyes at him, but they both knew that it was highly unlikely Kennedy would fall from his pedestal. 

Blair leaned in closer to Kennedy, and he followed suit. Her face was stern and her eyes shown wildly, “Together, we are going to create perfection.”

 

Chapter 2

 

The dark, glaring building loomed over Ana’s petite and wiry frame, sending cool chills up her arms and down the back of her spine. Ivy crawled up the blackened stone front like a dying tree begging to find sunlight. Ana was petrified, yet oddly curious. She thought the building was abandoned, as did the rest of Ghastly, but here she was; only two steps from entering the forsaken structure alongside a complete stranger. Her mother had warned her about strangers, but Ana did not feel threatened by this one; there was a kindness, and maybe somewhat dumbfoundedness, embedded in his stern stature. Charlie was thirty-three years old; six feet even; with thick, dark brown hair; and kind, sparkling blue eyes. He was dressed in an all black suit for the purpose of blending in. Though he tried, his perfectly tailored suit did not tailor to what people wore in Ghastly. The color was right, but the hue, texture, and undertone was a fabric that stood out, a much too regal piece of clothing. 

Charlie hovered over Ana’s shoulder, laughing to himself as he watched the child's face mallform into a look of sheer befuddlement as they gazed at the building. But soon, his inner laughter faded as he noticed a twinkle in Ana’s eyes that he had never seen in any other child before. Especially one so young. That was his favorite part of the job; seeing the reactions of the people he receives. They’re called Questionables. When an individual of Ghastly, or Comely, has an unsure status, they are stripped of their current titles of either Ghastly or Comely, and are labeled as Questionable.

 Charlie is in charge strictly of those originating from Ghastly; he is not entrusted with Comely, despite being one of them himself. Charlie is told a name and an address of a Questionable, and all he has to do is bring them here. The Circle, it’s called. A building that, to all except who work there, is nothing but an eye sore. Of course, only employees of The Circle, like Charlie, know of its existence. Normally Charlie took joy in watching the incredulous faces of each Questionable brought upon the front steps of The Circle. But Ana. Ana was no ordinary Questionable. She was clearly nervous, but stood tall. Wonder brightened her face, but defiance hardened it. Ana was angry. She had been told this building was abandoned. She was told to never go near the darn thing, and now a strange man with expensive clothes was guiding her into it. Ana clenched her tiny fists into a ball, realizing she had been fooled. Ana did not like being fooled.
Charlie reached down to place one hand on Ana’s shoulder while the other brushed away a piece of ivy cascading from a boarded up windowsill one story above. A small, nearly translucent rectangle shined dimly in the dusk. Ana glared at Charlie, her eyes daring him to keep his hand on her while he fit the palm of his hand onto the smooth surface of the rectangle. It was a scanner; the Circle was too secret of a place to only be protected by lock and key. 

Charlie didn’t seem to notice Ana’s stare, or at least didn’t care. A sudden grinding noise caused Ana to jump in her shoes. Her discerning glare turned into fright as she turned her head to see the seemingly solid brick begin to separate on either side of her. The piercing noise stopped, but the fear within Ana remained. In front of her was now a large opening that seemed to lead to nothing but darkness.
“Ladies first!” Charlie hollered, his shrill tone snapping Ana out of her state of shock and relieving a tension that had built up inside of her. He motioned his oddly, perfectly manicured hand towards the entrance. Ana did not like being told what to do, especially not by arrogant men. She did not want to give Charlie the satisfaction of her obedience. But she also didn’t want to be left alone with only darkness and the overarching building to stare into. Besides, she was dying to go inside. If she didn't go in, her curiosity would have killed her before anything inside the building could. Wonder overpowering her fear, she took her first, daunting step. Ana was soon entirely inside the building; enclosed by near blackness. The only visible light was slowly disintegrating as the door behind her grinded shut again. As soon as the entryway originated back to its solid stone structure, a sudden release of white light blinded her. Ana squinted, throwing her hands over her eyes. Am I dying? She thought. Charlie only squinted slightly, his eyes use to the radiance the lobby of The Circle emitted. He glanced at Ana and chuckled at her reaction.
“You should be fine to open your eyes now.” Charlie’s voice came from her left side. Ana opened one eye slightly, peering through the cracks in her fingers, only to be blinded further.
“Ah!’ She shrieked,  ‘That’s still pretty bright!” Ana complained through clenched teeth.. He audibly laughed this time, genuinely amused by Ana’s frustration, and also beginning to take a liking to the girl. Ana had more of a personality than any other seven year old he had ever been assigned.
“My bad. I guess I’m used to it. Put your arms down and let your eyes adjust.” Charlie suggested. Ana obeyed, tired of being vulnerable without her most reliable sense. As she slowly let go of her squint, her eyes fixated on the floor beneath her. It looked fuzzy and was the color of an apple. She had never seen that color on anything but fruit before. She lifted her foot up and put it back down, her shoe sinking into the plush carpet.
“It’s like I’m standing on a cloud.” Ana whispered to herself, her eyes wide in amazement. Ana’s attention was suddenly directed to her right side, where a slight glimmer caught the corner of her eye. She looked up and over to the wall nearest to her, and only then did she notice where she was. She was in a wide hallway that seemed to never end. What caught her eye was the sparkling miniscule crystals that were embedded in the white walls of the hallway. Ana had never seen anything so shiny before. Ghastly, Ana’s home, consisted of only the dullest of hues. Gray, brown and beige were the primary colors she had come to know. She had never seen any place so bright and magnificent before. Taking it all in, Ana slowly turned, tilting her head upwards to notice peculiar sheer figures casting light throughout the room, hanging from the ceiling. Ana lowered her eyebrows and moved her head to the side, trying to decipher the odd shapes. Charlie noticed the girls fascination,
“They’re called chandeliers.” Charlie said to her, but Charlie’s words only sounded like gibberish to the seven year old Ghastly born girl. Charlie noticed her perplexity, “They’re just fancy lights.” He said, rephrasing his sentence. Ana smiled, still staring at the ceiling, grateful to be able to put a name, and correlation, to the odd shapes... Chandeliers. Ana glanced at Charlie and opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by a growing clicking sound...
Click. Click. Click. Click….
Blair Woodsen's echoing high heels grew louder as she moved towards them. Ana stared up at Blair as she came closer, the sound of her heels suddenly muted as she stepped foot onto the plush carpet that furbished the infinite hallway. Blair’s elongated and slim figure halted in front of Ana and Charlie. Blair looked down at Ana, but only with her eyes, not allowing her chin to fall. She faced Charlie, careful not to open herself up to the girl. Blair felt the girl was not worthy of her attention, but, of course, to keep the Ghastly and Comely societies running smoothly, she had to pay attention to those of lesser status. Very close attention. Especially to Questionables. She smoothed out her white Italian wool dress, even though it didn’t need fixing, since it sat perfectly on her hourglass figure. From the corner of her eye she scanned Ana up and down one more, painstakingly slow, time. Blair saw potential in her face, but she was mostly fixated on her clothes, her nails, her posture...
Blair whipped her head back around to Charlie, her face emotionless.
“Bring her to trial.” She said smoothly, then swiftly turned on the sole of her heel and walked away, her tight, long blonde ponytail swaying with each step. Charlie’s shock showed on his face.
“But, Miss Woodsen, she’s only seven.” Blair paused, but did not turn to face them again. Charlie quickly realized he should have kept his mouth shut.
“I am aware of her age, Charlie.” Blair took a deep breath. Sometimes Charlie could be so clueless it hurt her, but sometimes his ignorance was exactly what she needed. “Bring her to trial.” Blair repeated herself, sterner this time, so that Charlie would surely get the message. Without awaiting a response, she continued to her office, her clicking heels echoing in the silence.
 

 

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Blair could not give Ana any chance of promotion. The facial recognition system they normally used for Questionables would surely see her as Comely. The big blue eyes and dark lashes, the full cheek. To an untrained eye there would be no question of her status. But Blair was the master of her craft. One look at Ana and Blair knew she was discordant with the world she worked too hard to maintain. Comely is perfect; there is not a flaw in the system, or in any person. Structure allows society to function. There are no cracks in Blair’s world, but Ana would create one. Her tousled and gnarled, oily brown hair; her grimy hands and dirt filled fingernails; they could all be fixed with a blowout and a bath, but Ana could never play the part. She could never conform. Blair had no choice but to subject her to trial. She would disrupt the system. She would destroy everything the Woodsen family has created over the past five decades. The jury would see the same helpless girl that Blair sees, and they would never allow her into the coveted society that is Comely. As soon as Blair’s jury lays eyes on those mud stained overalls, Ana’s a goner.

Charlie shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around Blair’s orders. He didn’t understand. Charlie didn’t understand a lot of things, but he clung to his confusion in this instance. He had taken a liking to the child, and had no idea why Blair would want a girl so young to be subjected to trial. The situation was truly mind boggling. 

Charlie walked over to Ana, placing his hand on her shoulder, this time genuinely wanting to comfort her. Ana didn’t appreciate the gesture, and dramatically rolled her shoulder back, slapping his hand away as she turned to face him with a sinister twinkle in her eyes.
“I. Don’t like. Being touched.” Ana barked. Her whole demeanor shifted when she laid eyes on Blair. She had felt vulnerable. Ana could still feel the coolness in her soul that Blair’s dehumanizing emerald eyes had displaced.
“Okay, okay,” responded Charlie, surrendering his hands to the air and backing away. “Head that way then.” He cocked his head to the left  in the direction of the nearest hallway. Ana stomped past Charlie, bunching her fists. The dark colors that masked the wall were rich and chilling. The only light in the corridor seemed to be coming from the light of the main hallway. Ana ran her hand against the organic black detailing of the maroon wall. Her feet were no longer cushioned by the vibrant, plush carpet, but instead chilled by the black marble.
Charlie and Ana walked down the hallway for what seemed like ages. Charlie found himself anxious about the result of the trials, and Ana was growing impatient when a sudden burst of iridescence sprang from either side of her.
“Ah!!” Ana jumped back and toppled into Charlie, taking him off balance and nearly falling over.
“Oh, what now?” Charlie asked, annoyed. Ana looked to where the light came from, noticing flame.
“Fire!” Ana’s eyes widened in fear and she began to run, but Charlie grabbed her.
“Relax, they’re torches.” Charlie was slightly irritated, but still couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the poor girl. She was in a strange place, literally walking to a fate she didn’t deserve. But he had orders, and he did not want to be on Blair’s bad side.
“They’re what?” Ana turned sharply to face Charlie, her cheeks red and brows furrowed.
“Torches. It’s like tamed fire in place of lamps.’ Charlie walked forward, nudging Ana ahead of him, and another set of torches hissed alive as they passed “They turn on when someone goes near them.” Charlie turned in the direction they were headed, leading the way this time. Ana followed, still peering curiously at the torches. More torches came alight and Ana quickened her pace, hoping to get out of that hallway as soon as possible.