She was just a shadow. Granted, her shadow actually moved. Withered trees and crumbling stones left their black marks on the ragged, ruined earth, casting exhaustion all around. 

But she had a job to do. Or rather, a job to win. She did not let the stillness surrounding her affect the movement of her feet or the power in her legs as she ran and ran. Two years were on the line. Twisted ankles, papercuts, the gash on her temple from not ducking low and fast enough. Sleepless nights and a stolen clock tower. She had risked everything - absolutely everything - for tonight. She had earned tonight.

As she reached the start of the steep decline that would lead to the Entrance she became aware of footsteps behind her, falling heavier and faster than her own. It was probably one of her competitors, someone who could stand in her way of becoming a Huntress. Before beginning her descent, she glanced back and saw a tall, masculine figure about fifty feet behind.

"Lupe!" he called out.

"Pasco," she thought recognizing the honey in his voice. Even better, if she could beat him there.

Of course, he had an advantage. He'd already raced down the massive hill to the Entrance before, countless times. This edge was as far as she'd ever been allowed to go. One more step and everything would be new. Poised there on the edge between the boring familiar and the thrilling new, she immediately knew which side  she wanted to be on. Pasco called her name again. She looked over her shoulder, smiled, and waved.

Then she lifted her foot and ran. The incline wasn't horrible at first, but it quickly gave way to more dangerous slopes. The ground had become much more of a sand composition than the solid earth she was used to. There were no rocks or vegetative remains to give some friction to her flight, to help her slow down when she noticed her legs may not be fast enough to do as gravity demanded. She put a picture in her head, as she always did when she didn't think she could meet her goals or keep up with the pace of others around her.

There in her mind, she saw her feet barely touching the ground, lightly bouncing off. Her stride lengthening, her breath slowing. She focused on that, and she smiled. She was already half way down the hill, and she could see the entrance just beyond the foot of the hill. She relished in the picture in her mind. She flew, and almost reached th

"Guadalupe!" Pasco yelled, just behind her. She didn't expect him to be so close and she stumbled, just a little. Just enough.

Down she went, falling the last ten yards or so before the land leveled out. She wrapped her arms around her head and held her breath. Pasco must have reached out for her, because she was aware in those few seconds of his warm hand around her waist. One last bump at the bottom disloged his grip and she rolled a few feet away. Lupe simply laid there for a few moments, her heart still pounding in her throat and legs tingling from the sudden cessation of movement. 

She heard Pasco crawl over and, this time with a concern in his tone, he said her name again. "Guadalupe? Are you okay?"

A little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she finally brought her arms down from over her face. Pasco was leaning over her, and she could see his brow trying to crease, but he was too young and too cheerful in general to have any evidence of stress on that strong face of his.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lupe sighed, trying to sound like she didn't notice Pasco's worry. "You didn't have to sneak up on me like that. Or grab me when I fell. Now we're both going to show up looking like we..." She blushed, but quickly recovered. "Like we fell down a hill."

"But we did," Pasco smiled, standing and reaching out a hand to help her up. 

"You may not see a problem with it," she said as she rolled to her knees and stood alone, "but it's hardly the kind of impression I want to give tonight."

"That's not the worst impression your appearance could give," he smiled, leaning over her and pushing a stray curl behind her ear. She didn't know what that even meant, but his closeness was quite suggestive of what was on his mind. Again.

"Close your eyes," she said, quietly. He chuckled a little, and closed his eyes with a wink. "You know what I think?" Lupe asked.

"No, but I bet you're going to show me," Pasco smiled.

"I sure am."

With that she kicked his knees out from under him, yanked his shoes off, and ran toward the Entrance. She heard him call out her name one more time but she could already see the other Scabs lined up, clutching various items in their hands, with the Hunters and Scavengers ready to examine them. Lupe wasn't the first one there, which wasn't quite according to her plan. As she came to a stop, skidding in the sand just past the row of her competitors, she smiled. She had beaten Pasco. 

Everyone stared at her with various expressions. The Hunters had hints of smiles, the Scavengers exchanged secret fives and handshakes behind their backs, and her fellow Scabs seethed with jealousy from their downturned lips and hands clenched tight over the various trophies of the entrance exam. No one else had managed such a great haul: shoes stolen right off the feet of their Mentor.

Even though she had arrived last, or rather, second to last, her first Hunt as a Scab was a complete and utter success. There was no way she wasn't going to be admitted straight to the Hunter class.