Page 100 of Deviant

God, I hope this works.

It has to.

I stare at the screen, praying to see my name.

However, the first name that pops on the screen isn’t mine.

“Lucas Mitchell,” Mayor Davenport announces.

Everyone in the crowd searches for Lucas and finds him immediately since he’s the only one to drop his mask. I frown when his parents and girlfriend start crying beside him, Lucas putting on a brave front, not wanting to look weak with so many eyes on him.

Damn it. I know Lucas.

Sometimes, when Nora and I were binge-watching some show and ordered a pizza, he would always be the one to deliver it. His parents own a quaint little Italian restaurant in town and work their butts off to keep it running all year round. They’re good people. And now the son they thought would take on the family business will probably die at the tender age of twenty-one.

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” Mayor Davenport says, eager to announce the next victim.

“The next person to be selected for the Harvest Dozen is,” he says, just before the name of his own daughter flashes up on the screen. The entire crowd gasps as Mackenzie pulls downher dove mask, her mother standing proudly beside her. Neither woman sheds a tear, standing center stage behind the mayor. “Tha… thank you for your sacrifice,” he stammers, turning his head over his shoulder to glance sadly at his only child.

“I guess this year he’ll feel the pinch too,” Joe says, standing beside me. “Only fair, don’t you think? Every other family has to go through this, so why not his?”

“She’s just a girl, Joe. Have a little sympathy, even if only for her,” I mumble, knowing this is Mackenzie’s first-ever Harvest Festival.

“The Scourgedoesn’t discriminate. They want who they want,” Joe rebukes with a scorn-filled expression on his face.

He’s not wrong.

And as the mayor continues to call out the names of those selected, it looks likeThe Scourgewants the blood of our young this year.

The next two names that are called are those of a boy and girl I used to go to school with—Andrew Scott and Ruby Mitchell. I used to sit next to Andy in homeroom, a class clown if I ever saw one. Even though we weren’t exactly friends, he always had a friendly smile for me.

Ruby, on the other hand… well, I always got the feeling she didn’t like me much. Especially after we got paired in Chemistry and she changed classes the following day just so she didn’t have to work with me.

“Shit. Looks like they’re going for the younger potentials this time.” Joe frowns, coming to the same conclusion I have. “Someone my age would definitely struggle with such young competition.”

My forehead wrinkles in concern.

If I had it my way, no one would be selected.

Aside from me, that is.

Come on…say my name. Just say it.

More names are called, my shoulders hunching when my name isn’t one of them.

“Okay, girlie. Just two more names. Looks like we might be in the clear,” Joe says, smiling, only for it to fall to the floor the minute Mayor Davenport calls out the one name I’ve been waiting to hear all night.

“Rowen Hawthorne.”

He said it.

He really said it.

My hands shake as I pull down my mask and drop it to the ground, the crowd turning their attention to me.

“Goddamn it,” Joe curses, opening his flask to take a long swig. “Bad luck, girlie. You, of all people, didn’t deserve this shit.”

“It’s okay, Joe. It’s okay,” I reply, my voice coming out a little shaky.

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