The Crimson Fold

The Hunger Games meets Cinderella. This fairy tale has no happy endings - only dark beginnings. They call them the Crimson Fold. High up in their castle they look down on my little world and wield a silent control. That is, until the invitations are sent out. I never dreamed I'd be selected. They tell me it's a privilege. I should be honored. But the fear in their eyes doesn't lie. If I refuse to go, my family will be shunned. If I go, my life and my body will no longer be mine. It'll be theirs. At midnight it will be over. At midnight, I'll be his.

Winning had never been the plan. I just wanted to go home. I still do. Now, I'm in too deep. With my conversion only days away, the count down has begun. When it hits zero, I lose. My only hope is to rely on the one who brought me here in the first place. A few unlikely friends might make all the difference between the Fold winning and a revolution. If I can stay alive that long.

The end? This is just the beginning. Winning seems like a far-off dream. Something that happened a lifetime ago, to someone else. Now, I don't even recognize myself. This hunger inside of me demands to be fed, but the need to save my people is stronger. It'll come down to us versus them, but the problem is which side am I really on? And will I be able to live with myself when it is all over? Living with regret is even harder when you have eternity to remember.