Prologue

Prologue

I’d hoped they wouldn’t come. They would, eventually, of course, but until then I was determined to make the most of my time.

It was the day of my fifteenth birthday. Much was destined to happen if I lived. It’s a new world out there. More dangerous. Lethal. Our ancestors polluted it so much the Earth adapted itself to end the human race. We were lucky to have escaped extinction. On second thought, maybe not so lucky. The remaining humans formed a tightly controlled society and barred the woods and forests. Every threat was guarded against. But the humans cannot keep living like this: all races and colors huddled together behind barricaded walls. This is thanks to our government, the OSHR - Organization for the Survival of the Human Race, or just E.P - Emergency Parliament.

OSHR had kept the remaining humans alive and well. It was still seeking ways to freedom. A solution had been found, a way out. After many debates among the OSHR it was finally decided that come the age of fifteen every able-bodied child had to be whisked away from their homes and train against the outside world. There was hope that batch of strong, capable children would brave the dangers and finally step into the real world for good. Until now, though, anybody who’d exited the barriers of our society had never been heard of again. They’d probably died horrible deaths.

It gave the rest of us so much to hope for.

Note my sarcasm.

Every year a fresh batch of newly turned fifteen-year olds would begin their training. But like always, they would be claimed unsatisfactory. The cycle would go on and on. Our hopes were dwindling. Close to gone, actually. What was there to hope for anyway? Here we were prisoners in our own home. Fighting against our own planet. Our Earth. It was depressing to say in the least and the forced separation of teenagers from their homes was not helping. The OSHR was rapidly gaining enemies. It was for our own good, they said.

Trouble is, not everyone saw it that way. People argued that children were torn away from society and trained to death but no one had yet been successful. So, they concluded, the OSHR were just cruel to continue the process. Yet, everyone still harbored a tiny little hope that maybe someday, someone would finally break free.

Author's Note

A first chapter for my book, Collected. All criticism is encouraged and welcome.