Introduction

Maive sat down on her bed and looked over toward Mary. She was quietly arranging the sheets and puffing her pillow, getting ready for her Winter Solstice Sleep. December 21 was an important day in the village. It marked the longest night of the year, a time for sleep and silent reflection. Getting in bed at five o'clock and not getting up until nine the next morning. Other nights were not as strict, though bedtime in the transitional dorms was always ten. It was Maive's first night in the transition dorms. She had turned 14, and was now allowed to live without her parents, with three other girls and a dorm minder. Transition dorms were separated from the rest of the village, with the girls on one side and the boys on the other.1

Maive remembered last year, in 2074, when she had turned 13. She had been so excited and apprehensive. Only one year had remained until she becamse a transitive! She had had two of her friends over (the most you can have for a youngest party) and they had sat there all night, talking about how exciting it was going to be next year. They knew that transition dorms were fun from rumors that often branched out into the buildings flew right past the adults, and snaked into the ears of the youngest. Adults in the village were so clueless. Maive doubted they even knew that some of the things transitives did existed. They didn't know, because they had never heard of /them/.2

They were who Maive was so excited and scared about meeting. They had come two years before. They were the only ones who had been to the outside. Maive shuttered in excitement as she thought about seeing them tomorrow at breakfast... for the very first time.3

"Girls, night watch is coming soon. Please get in your beds" Mary said, snapping Maive back to reality. Terrie, Sal, Andie and Maive obeyed without hesitation, as they always did to authority. "Lights off!" commanded Mary, and the room automatically darkened.4

Maive lay in her bed, aware of every sound. The soft humming of the security camera, the quiet click of the heaters as it turned on and off, adjusting the room to the perfect temperature, the slight movement of the bed as it became more or less firm, depending on her position, to be most comfortable. She felt lucky. Glad that she was a chosen one; Chosen to live in this sheltered world, and not the terrifying outside. Her whole life, she had been told the story; How she had been found by the Finders. They had brought her into the village and given her parental units. That's how everyone had come. She accepted this story, but there was some part of it that never made sense. How had she been born? Did she just appear one day? Did she have parentals in the outside? Did they decide they didn't want her? Though it was only 5:15, Maive's eyelids dropped into a light, restless sleep.5

***6

Maive awoke to a soft tapping on her shoulder. Confused, she turned over to look who had broken the Winter Solstice and gotten out of bed before light. Surprised, she saw Andie standing there, a scared and almost excited look on her face.
"What are you doing?" she mumbled, still trying to think of any reason why she would be out of bed. It didn't really surprise her though. Andie had always been looking for excitement.
Andie's eyes sparkled in the moonlight streaming in through the window. "Mary's gone" she whispered
Maive, more awake now, sat up in her bed, "But Andie, why are you up? You could get in so much trouble!" but Maive stood up also, knowing that this could be the excitement she'd always waited for.
"Five minutes ago, she tood up, walked to the security camera and switched it off, then walked out the door. At first I thought she was going to take a shower, but then I remembered that transitives have showers in their rooms-"
"Hey, shh!" Maive interrupted, "you're getting loud. We don't want to wake anyone up!"7

TBC!..