This is for hannahsue--'s contest #2 and IyzoplaysMC's contest #7.

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Ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling

My musical ringtone interrupted my deep slumber and I rolled over with a groan. Pushing my frizzy brown hair out of my eyes, I squinted at my watch as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was 2:32 A.M. Who would call this early? I grabbed my phone from my nightstand and tapped the "End" button, silencing the call. Putting my phone back and turning over, I shut my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. 

Ting-a-ling, Ting-a-ling

They were calling again! What was their problem? Reaching out, I picked up my phone once again to see who it was. Unknown number, oh great. It was probably some prank caller. I decided to pick up just to get them to stop. 

"Mm...Hello?" I said with a yawn.

"Is this Shea Winters?" Said a deep, robotic voice

"Yes," I muttered, my eyes flashing open with surprise. How did they know my name?

"There is a car waiting for you outside your apartment. Get in. If you choose to ignore this message, you will regret it."

"What are you talking about? Why would I-"

I was interrupted by the sound of the phone being slammed down and the long beep signifying the end of a call. 

"Hey, is everything okay, Shea?" My roommate, April, called sleepily from her bed on the other side of the room. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied lazily. I really didn't think there would actually be a car, but one look couldn't hurt, right? My curiosity got the better of me and I sat up slowly in bed, careful not to get April suspicious. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I slipped on the bunny slippers that waited for me beside my bed and tiptoed out the door. 

The frigid December wind penetrated my thin pajamas and chilled me to the bone. I wrapped my arms around myself as I exited the apartment building, chiding myself for my stupidity the whole time. Until I saw the black convertible just outside the building. 

I had never seen it around, and it definitely didn't belong to anyone in the building. Cautiously, I approached it to find a man wearing a thick coat and scarf in the driver's seat. 

"Good, you decided to show up," he smiled thinly. His voice was the same one from the call! He hadn't been joking!

"What makes you think I'm going to get in your car with you?" I asked bluntly. "I'm not that dumb." 

"Do you want to die with all the rest? If so, I'd be happy to leave you right where you are!" He spat in annoyance. 

"Die?" I snorted incredulously. "You are the lamest kidnapper in the world!" 

"Look, girl," he said gruffly. "I'm going to wait for five minutes. If you come, you're safe. If not, you're dead. I honestly don't care what you do, as long as I can get back to my boss in time." 

"Go back to your boss, weirdo," I rolled my eyes, turning to go back into my apartment. 

"Your choice," he whispered, and a jolt of terror shook me. There was something about the way he said it that shook me, something ominous and foreboding that activated a visceral instinct to live. 

"This is probably the stupidest move I'll ever make," I sighed, pulling open the door of the car and stepping into the back seat. Slamming the door shut, I relaxed into the warm leather seat and closed my eyes as the man started the car and began to drive. 

We rode in silence for about thirty minutes. Or it could have been longer, I wasn't really paying attention. Finally, we pulled up in front of a large warehouse. 

"We're here, get out," the man grunted. 

"Where's here?" I inquired. 

"You'll see," he replied quickly. 

I followed him to the large double doors in front of the building. 

"Don't move!" Yelled a security guard, running out in front of us with a gun in hand. 

"Relax, Connor, it's just me," the man rolled his eyes. 

"Oh, Mr. Wesley. Sorry, sir, I didn't see it was you in the darkness. What've you got here?" He gestured to me. "Another Selected? She doesn't look like one." 

"I know. I dont know what the Authorities were thinking, Selecteds are supposed to be different from the rest," he smirked. 

"What's a Selected?" I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion. 

"They'll tell you inside, come on," the man- Mr. Wesley- led me through the doors into what looked like a lobby. 

"All hail the Authorities!" Mr. Wesley proclaimed enthusiastically as we stepped inside. 

"All hail the Authorities," the woman at the front desk responded. "How can I help you, Mr. Wesley?" She asked in a pleasant voice. 

"I've got a Selected," he said, pointing to me. 

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "Come along, dear, we wouldn't want to keep the Authorities waiting." She motioned for me to follow her and I did. We went through narrow passages, occasionally passing other groups of people. None of them stopped to say hi. Wow, this was a somber place. Finally, we reached the end of a long hall, where two closed doors stood proudly. 

"Go in," she said with a smile. "Good luck!" 

I opened the doors slowly and entered a large auditorium. Other people who looked about my age filled most of the seats, and more continually entered from other doors at all sides of the room. 

"Miss Shea Winters?" Asked a man at the door. "Yes," I nodded. "You're in seat B-26," he pointed and I followed the rows to my seat. 

Plopping down, I turned to the girl next to me. "Hey, do you know what''s going on?" I asked. 

"No," she shrugged. "This guy called in the middle of the night and asked me to get in his car. I did, and he brought me here. I also heard something about being a Selected."

"That's what happened to me too!" I exclaimed. "What do you think is up with these people?" 

"I guess we'll find out," she pointed to the stage as the lights darkened and a woman in a red dress stepped up to the podium. 

"Hello, Selecteds of Earth," she began. "I'm sure you are confused, and want answers. I will give you those answers. My name is Maeris Veler, and I am one of the Authorities, rulers of Icthle. I warn you, this will come as a shock to you, but I promise it is all true. Years ago, there was peace between the inhabitants of the planets Icthle and Vargaes. That was, until the Icthleian Revolution, which dethroned our monarch and put a council of Authorities in power. The Revolution left us weak, and the Vargaesites, who supported monarchy, attacked the new Authorities, starting a terrible war. 

Now, generations later, the war between the Vargaesite King and the Authorities of Icthle still rages. As if this isn't enough, the Vargaesite savages also entertain a sick desire to be the only intelligent species in the galaxy. They have destroyed three planets not unlike yours so far, and now, their new target is Earth." 

This got several gasps and screams of "apocalypse!" and "Oh my gosh!" From the assembled crowd. My heart began to thump faster in my chest. I didn't want to believe this Maeris Veler, but I did. 

"This time, though, the Authorities ruled unanimously that we would do everything we possibly could to keep another species from going extinct and another planet from becoming uninhabitable!" She pronounced, and was responded with cheers. 

"That's where you come in," she smiled. "You are the Selecteds, hand picked by me and my fellow Authorities to keep humanity alive. You are the best of the best, possessing ideal traits that should be passed down to your offspring. Shortly, you will be taken to a containment center on Icthle. We have no time to waste, from what we have gathered, the Vargaesites are attacking your planet tomorrow!" 

Little did I know that day would start a new chapter of my life. A time when I would be constantly running for my life, and nothing was guaranteed. A time when I would be able to trust no one, and I was one of the two hundred Selecteds. Humanity's last hope.