Bong Bong Bong. The bell tower rang, signaling the start of the drawing. Bianca Chase joined the flow of the crowd as she exited her safe haven and into the dangers of the streets. The whole town gathered at the bell tower, waiting for their Mayor to begin the drawing.
Many people were wringing their hands and whimpering. No one wanted to be picked.
"Silence!" The Mayor was ready. As his eyes swept through the crowd, it seemed like he was staring into everyone's soul, searching to find their deepest guilt.
"This is our 168th lottery that you all know happens every 4 years to please the gods. Everyone from the ages 10 and up are eligible and must participate in the lottery. We will begin by having all families write their last name on a slip of paper and tossing it into the box. You may begin!"

"Okay," the Mayor's voice boomed through the town after all the names have been tossed in. "Now, we will choose!"
The Mayor sticked his hand into the box. He twisted his wrist, shaking the papers around. The Mayor raised a doomed piece of paper into the air.
"The gods chose... the Chase family!"
Gasps ran through the crowd. Everyone believed that the Gods would favor them since their son was chosen before. It was the first time in history that a family was chosen twice in the same generation.
Bianca, her mother, and her father slowly walked up the stage. Two papers with a black dot and a paper with a red dot were all folded and placed in a bowl. The family simultaneously reached in and each grabbed a slip of paper.
A red dot was discovered in Bianca's hand.
"No!" Her father protested. "I will take her place in the sacrificing!"
"Mr. Chase. You know from previous choosings that the gods picked her specifically. If they wanted you to go, your paper would have been marked instead of hers." The Mayor's beady eyes glared at Bianca's father, daring him to object one more time.
"N-"
"Josh," Bianca's mother paused him from protesting even more. "It's over."
"Well, with that settled, you have fifteen minutes to say your goodbyes and to prepare yourself, Bianca Chase." The Mayor concluded the lottery and started to rush people out of there like someone had been set on fire.
Bianca's father gave up. He finally accepted the truth when Bianca said her goodbyes.

"I sure hope to see you alive," the Mayor said, his words dripping with venom.
Bianca shuddered as she followed the guards that were ready to escort her to the pit. The chilly air reminded her that she would never see this chilly little town again, nor her family.
Bianca was greeted by the stank of the pit. Dread sank in her stomach. I am going to die, Bianca thought.
The guards shoved Bianca to the ground once they approached the pit. It was a 15 feet deep hole and around 10 feet wide in diameter. No one knew what killed the sacrifices, and they weren't eager to find out. Bones belonging to the victim would be left in the pit when it was checked immediately when the sun rises the next day.
The guards unlocked the 3 layers of bars that made sure nothing escaped from the pit. A rusted ladder awaited Bianca.
"In you go," a guard's rough voice echoed through the air.
Bianca lowered herself into the pit, shivering with fear the whole time. I don't want to die. Please, please save me, someone, thought Bianca.
When Bianca was halfway to what seemed like hell, the guards shut the gates and locked them up. Gosh, the smell is worse down here.
Bianca stood on the moldy, bloody, rocky floor. There was nothing left for Bianca except for waiting. She soon fell asleep on the damp floor, curled up in a fetal position.

"She is not waking up. What happened?"
"I don't know. She will soon"
"Wait. Her eyes are moving!"
What's all that noise? Am I dead? Bianca fluttered her eyes open. Two hazy figures stood in front of her.
"Jacob?" Bianca's eyes widened.
"Hey Bee," Jacob replied, smiling. Shrieking with joy, Bianca jumped up and engulfed Jacob in a hug. Jacob was her brother that was chosen for the lottery before Bianca.
"What..? I thought you were dead! How? Where am I? And who's this?" Bianca finally noticed the figure standing next to Jacob.
"Woahh, calm down Bee. It's a long story. This is Bryant."
"Hi Bianca," Bryant said.
"Hi. But still, J what happened to me?"
Jacob sighed. "Honestly, I only know that all of us here were all previously chosen in the lottery, and we may be dead..? I don't know. We still have heartbeats, but we don’t age at all."
Confusion took over Bianca's face. "So I'm alive… Wait! Does ma and da know we are alive?"
"I don't think so. I think we are immortal. Or maybe we are dead and still have heartbeats."
Bianca took a long glance at her surroundings. It was a peaceful looking green field with around 70 cabins filling it. There seemed to be all ages of people doing various jobs around the field. They all were staring at Bianca while finishing their jobs.
"So now what J?" Bianca asked.
Jacob smiled. "Now we welcome you to Elysium Bee."