Chapter Text

Dear Reader, I wish I could tell you this ends well for everyone, but don’t you dare come into this thinking it’s a happy story, because it absolutely isn’t. Everything that happens is a fucking disaster.

Let me give you a little context for what happened to make the world so piss poor. The ‘First Generation’ rid the world of disease and defects. All of it. For them. They lived long prosperous lives, but their children are another story. They were infected by a virus that kills all females at the age of 20, and all males at the age of 25. Their children died the same way. Gatherers come for women, kidnapping them and taking them to wive the children of the rich of the first, but last night they came for me. Now let me just tell you that I’m no woman.

My name is Dirk Strider. I’m the fourth generation. I'm stuck in here with all the woman taken by the Gatherers. They’re scared and confused, and I won’t lie so am I. I don’t know why I’m here, but they’re filing us out of the truck. The outside is cold. I can see my breath and the clouds look like they may shower us with snow at any moment, but I’m not outside for long. I’m taken into a building with the others. It’s warm inside but I’m scared shitless. I know what happens to people here, and no option here is a good one. If I try to run I die. If I’m not picked I die. If I am picked, sure, I don’t die so soon but I have to live with a husband, a man I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with. I’m not even gay. Why the fuck am I here.

We’re all lined up, staring down the backs of each others necks. I stand quietly with the others as Gatherers jab them if they so much as twitch a muscle. I can feel the doors open and cold air rush in and when they do I hear voices to muffled for me to make out anything. I can’t even tell the genders. I try to listen carefully but can’t make out a god damned thing. Then I hear footsteps coming down the hall slowly but the person in front of me blocks my view. After what feels like hours of waiting I hear the footsteps stop next to me. I’m told to turn and face him.

The man standing in front of me stares at me with his brow furrowing, leaning over me a bit as if trying to figure out why I’m here. He’s dressed in fine clothing, a dazzling golden cape made of tassels, a tight fitting suit, and golden earrings. Whatever isn’t black is gold. His dark skin looks soft and well taken care of, unlike a lot of the people I’ve met. He stares at me with emerald green eyes behind glasses.

I didn’t expect much less from someone who would kidnap women to wed. I stand still so I don’t get jabbed, but the Gatherers seem to have lightened up since he got here. Maybe there’s a chance I can run…



“Look at me please?” His hand is gentle as it lifts my chin. I decide to suck it up and allow him to thinking that I may as well just do it. Who knows, this man may be kind if I just stay quiet and let me live after all of this. “I don’t know why I’m saying this but you. I choose you."