Chapter One: Daley

This is my very short chapter of my new book. I hope you like it.

Chapter One:

            “Mortargens has killed its first American yesterday morning. Although President Postrema highly doubts there will be more infections, the government highly advises people to take common health precautions to prevent Mortargens. You are listening to MORS morning show with Rose Summers and Barry Lynch. Now back to our regularly scheduled music.”

            “Enough of that rubbish,” Cal said as he shut off the wave of obnoxious pop music that flooded our compact car. I could feel my face rise up a few degrees as it turned a feverish red. He sighed, “What? Do you actually believe any of that nonsense?”

            “Cal, people are dying from Mortargens everywhere. People are just worried that the US is next. I think it comforts many people. We all know that the scientists are already working on a vaccine. The epidemic isn’t going to come here,” I said while decreasing in decibels.

“Day, if we all know that, then how come they have to talk to morbidly on the radio!” he shouted. The compact car was silent.

“So, how’s your major going? Did you learn anything new in pre-med?” I said, tearing the tension into two uneven and coarse halves.

“I’m learning how to be a doctor. What are you learning? Oh, yeah! You are learning how to speak with our hands-”

“Interpret,” I said softly, “I want to be an interpreter, Cal.” My whole body began to sink down into a bottomless abyss with nothing to pull myself back up.

“Daley, you can be whatever you want to be, and what did you choose? Sign language interpreter? What were you thinking?” The deeper I plummeted into the whole, the less audible his voice was until I saw him walking on the adjacent sidewalk.

“Drat! Cal, I seem to have forgotten my notebook! Can you drop me off here, so I can buy a notebook? I can walk the rest of the way.” Cal pulled over the car, kissed me on the cheek and said, “Love you”

“Love you too.” I croaked out. I shut the door and left.

Adam Ambrose was the kindest person I knew. He was 5 foot 6 inches and of average build. I ran up to him and tapped him on his shoulder,

“Hey Adam! How are you?” I signed.

“Not bad. Yourself?” he signed.

“I’m…. here.”

“Callum?”

“His name sign is not Looser with a C, but yes. It’s Cal. He isn’t the person I knew once.”

“Daley, he always hurts and belittles you. He was never a nice guy.”

“I know, but what am I supposed to do.”

“Then you should break up with him.”

“Maybe one day, but he deserves another chance.”

“You gave that one other chance last week. Daley, he had exhausted all of his chanced. You should break up with him now,” he paused for a moment and signed, “I’m not going to change your mind Daley. I know that. You do whatever you feel comfortable with,” He placed his hand on my shoulder, “I am always here for you.” His blue eyes spoke the hundreds of words he didn’t sign.

“It was everything, Adam! He doesn’t understand anything! He is completely self centered and a whole bunch of four letter words!” My arms went limp as I broke down, hyperventilating and crying. I felt is body against mine as I tensed and loosed with every breath and tear. His arms wrapped around my back as he caressed me. After a while, he gently pushed me away and tilted my head up, so I could see his pyramid.

“You know, the new ASL Film is playing in the community center tonight. I hear it’s not good, but if you want"” I smiled as I laughed in our shared language,

“I’ll go with you. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“Good. So, would you mind if I walked you to your class?”

“Oh, sure,” I said in a daze. Callum, the angelic demon, passionatly burned in my mind. How could somebody be so handsome, but be so ugly? He let me fall and Adam pick up the pieces one too many times, “I’m going to do it, Adam.” I signed this so minutely that I doubted he would see it.

“What, Daley? I didn’t see that.”

“I’m going to break up with Callum.” I formed the C hand and placed it in the middle of my forehead to form Cal’s name sign, looser with a C.

“Are you sure?” Adam’s pastel blue eyes sparkled with concern as he signed this beautiful phrase.

“Yeah,” I paused to gather my thoughts, “I started to think that maybe Callum isn’t the best person for me,” tears poured from my eyes, “I’m going to let him fall this time, and I don’t care who picks up his pieces. He left me broken too many times and you were the one who always came with the glue and tape. I don’t even know if he has somebody to pick up those pieces, but I will certainly not be there. I want a clean break! I want him in a million pieces!” Those words exploded from my hands like an opened soda bottle after it was thoroughly shook. Those were the built up words I dreamt of saying, but never let myself say. When I looked at Adam, I saw a crooked smile written on his face.

“Now, hopefully I used duct tape. I hear that tape can do anything. Did you know it could be used to fix a sinking boat temporarily?”

“Sometimes duct tape can hold together a boat permanently.” I found our faces drawing closer to each other’s until Adam tried to kiss me. I moved myself to turn this into a hug and not a kiss. I’m still with Callum. I can’t kiss Adam. Not yet.

Author's Note

What did you think? I know it's an awfully short chapter, but all of the pre-apocalypse chapters are nice and short for a reason. When the full book is posted, I believe all of you will know why.
Please give honest opinions and honest critiques. All criticism is warmly welcomed.

Reviews

[Entrelesnuages]

This good! I really enjoyed it. I'm a little skeptical of the genre. Generally post-apocoliptic/ sci-fi combined with chick lit isn't very successful mostly because there isn't too much of an audience for it (look at Meg Cabot's questionable Air Head series). But you made this work. Some of the dialogue reads as a little stiff. It mostly little things that differentiate written english from spoken (yourself versus you) some of it is just too fluid for spoken english (hurts and belittles). Try reading it over out loud. Overall though a great start. I would be interested in reading more. Also if you haven't already you should check out World War Z. Its a post apocalyptic novel thats really great that this kind of reminded me of.