Rite of Rejection (Acceptance Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

lights stop after what feels like half an hour, but is probably less than ten seconds. The blues and reds have disappeared, and all that remains is a bright green strip of light running across the newly Accepted.
    A polite round of applause breaks out through the crowd. It’s a bit disappointing after the roars of celebration earlier. Ernestine steps down off the platform with the same proud smile on her face that she wore stepping on. She’s off to find her family who will welcome her with hugs and smiles as an official member of society.
    I envy that for her the waiting is over. She’ll probably stay at the ceremony for a while longer, especially if she has any close friends still in line. Besides, as my mother would be only too happy to explain to Ernestine, an early exit doesn’t allow enough time for potential dance partners to go through Acceptance and spot her in the crowd. For Ernestine, it’s now a delicate balance of waiting long enough to secure at least a few names on her dance card and leaving early enough to prepare for the ball.
    Cheryl nudges me out of my thoughts, and I realize I’ve completely missed several Candidates moving through the Machine. I look up in time to see the next Candidate, a boy with bright-red hair and a face full of freckles, moving across the stage at a snail’s pace. His shuffling steps make it look like he’s attempting a soft dance to music only he can hear. His eyes are glued to the floor directly in front of his feet, giving the crowd a prime view of the top of his head. Eventually he reaches the Machine and trudges on to the small, round disc. He places his hands on the readers the way someone might attempt to pet a stray dog, uncertain if the animal will snap back and bite off a few fingers at the first contact.
    The lights flash the second his palms make contact with the readers. I wonder if they’re a crucial part of the Machine’s process or just there to add to the show. I could ask my father after the ceremony, but he probably won’t know. The only people who really know how the Machine works are the experts who built it and the few assigned to keep it working. Important details about the Machine are a closely guarded secret in the government, although there are rumors of discussions with other countries interested in creating their own Machines.
    The flashing lights stop and the bar across the front of the Machine flashes red. Without missing a beat, two large men in standard Cardinal uniforms step out of the shadows of the platform. I grab on to Cheryl’s arm and fight against the desire to run onto the platform to protect him. The crowd is indifferent. They are already looking to the next person in line.
    On the stage, the Rejected boy braces against the guards’ approach, his wide eyes darting left and right, but there’s nowhere for him to go. His shouts of protest die off as the guards drag him off the platform and out of sight. The next name is called and the ceremony continues as if nothing happened.
    Nothing to us, but not to the boy headed to the PIT, wherever that is. His life is over. Even if he’s not slaughtered by the deranged criminals inside, he’ll never go to Assignment or get married. He’s not a citizen and that means he doesn’t exist. I jerk my hand away from my pendant. My mother doesn’t need to be standing next to me for me to hear her telling me not to fidget.
    Cheryl places a hand over mine and mouths “Are you okay?” I nod my head and pull my hand away to twirl the knot of my necklace. That boy looked so scared, and harmless, but that’s why we’re here. Because you can’t tell who’s bad just by looking.
    Those poor people who live in a place where your next-door neighbor could be a criminal. How can they trust anyone? Sometimes, when my parents watch the news, reports come in from other countries of murders and violent attacks, especially on women and children. The people in those news stories always look so frightened