Chapter 1: Waiting for a Kingdom

With members of the Hounds disappearing, Quell thinks of life inside Cypress Academy.

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Quell

The smell of stale bread wafts into my nose. It always makes me feel a bit bewildered how everyone deals with eating this same trash everyday, even if Mary warms it up. Even the word “trash” isn't too far from what it basically is. It falls down into the slums like all the other garbage. In any case, it's keeping me and my small band of misfits alive.

I can't resist thinking about leaving the place where we're hiding. Maybe if I make an excuse to go scout I would find him. Just one glimpse would break my heart, yet I would know if my silly crush is still okay. Even if I do go out, what's the chance that the worker version of Will will be among the sea of slaves working out there restlessly? I push the thought into a corner and bite down on the small bun hard enough to bite down on the edge of my mouth.

Mary stops her rounds when she hears the little yelp I make.  Blood is dripping off the side of my cheek in a slow stream, and I know right away it's going to leave another scar like Batty's. It isn't really all that bad by normal standards. Down here, though, a scratch like this means you can get sick. Sickness turns into either getting lucky or dying unless you go to the school nurse and turn yourself in. Luck isn't exactly on my side.

The wound is soon covered by a small rag, which soon turns crimson after a few seconds. She always looks at me the way she did on that first day, with those soft eyes that have seen so much. All of the Hounds have that same look, just without the hope she always has.  We're lucky she hasn't lost it yet. We are aren't going to survive without the woman who swept us up from becoming slaves. Some of us are even without all of their pieces.

“You're going to really hurt yourself one day, Quell.” she whispers like she cares if someone is listening. “It's like you're trying to prove you can feel pain.” Her words have an edge to them that she only has whenever she was worries about something. “We lost someone, didn't we?” I ask in a low voice. Even though she's old enough to be my mom, she's starting to break a little. As she lies down a stolen bandage she mutters, “Janette. She turned herself in, but they did something to her. There isn't even a body left to labor, I heard.” The news hit me like a bullet to the chest. “Janette?” I stutter, trying to get my bearings. “They killed Janette? What kind of peacekeeping is that?” Her face doesn't change as she shuffles through her medicine kit. “We have to do something! They're going to get us next!”

“Stop it! We're going to be fine. I'm not going to have any more of your death or glory attitude around here. We don't need anymore madness.” she suddenly yells. Resisting the urge to say something stupid, I retreat to my memories of the day everything fell into shambles.

I had woken up in a cell the day after he had come to the academy. There were people shoved into every little space possible, and there was almost not enough air for me to breathe. None of the teachers that walked by us even looked our way. Through streams of tears I was pushed around as students were dragged out of the cold room into a chamber. They didn't come back. 

A petite professor had finally come for me, but seemed hurried to get me out. She was so much less professional than the others, and had been silent at orientation. It was like she knew the entire time that something was happening. Blonde locks kept falling into her face as she helped me up. We quickly moved about the hall, stopping at the room where the others had went. When I protested, she silenced me and told me to look through the small window.

Computers ran along the length of the room. A student that had been crying when she had been retrieved was sitting in a chair uncomfortably, and there was a couple wires attached to her head. The muscles in her face were relaxed from whatever they had drugged her with. Typing away on his computer, a man suddenly rose up from his chair and shook her a bit. With a glare that would become all too familiar, a glow emanated from her eyes whenever opened them. “What the-” I started, but again the fair-haired woman had stopped me and whispered, “Mental manipulation as easy as code. They can change up anything for the better, or more importantly for the worse. From what I know it's called Tranquil. What did they tell you when you were dumped off here?”

“They told me I was getting a break from jail.” I confessed, though I didn't know exactly why I were embarrassed. 

She let out a sigh. “Just like I thought. All your friends back there are as good as cattle now. They're taking half of you guys �" the bad ones - and making into servants for the other half, the rich kids on a long holiday. ”

“Why are you telling me this?” he whispered back, trying not to alert any other people that might be patrolling.

“You wouldn't have believed me before, idiot!” she let out a little too loudly. “Look, I'm not exactly at prime mental condition right now. I was just witness to the beginning of an age that will most likely hurry along the end of our world.”

I finally sputtered after a long silence, “Excuse me?”

That's how I met Mary Crest and became a Hound.

My focus snaps back to reality in a heartbeat, and I ask, “Who do we have left, then?”

She takes in a long breath, trying to remember everyone. “We have Lexi, Kira, Dean, Batty, you, and me.”

“They named us the Hounds because we were tearing everything apart, but we're just a pack of puppies now.” I chuckle.

With a plop, I'm down on her lap. “I didn't mean that literally!” I squeal with sarcasm. She starts singing the song that always helps me sleep, which was a bit sad considering I'm 15 already. Melodies echo through the small room, and everyone turns to listen.

Sleep, sleep

My dear knight

Your journey is at end

Beyond the road lies something more

A promise and a friend

In the field of raven's nests

Against a sky of burning pale

A tower reaches up above

And you'll be standing there

Dream, dream

Your kingdom awaits

The king without his sisters

Will open up the gates

I never really think about the lyrics to that song. It sounds like one of the things you told children when they were upset, and in a way it's appropriate. None of the survivors are any older than a normal freshman. Sleep slips over me, and I start to dream of things much more eminent than my kingdom that some are so sure is waiting. What Mary doesn't know is that I'm leaving tonight.

Author's Note

This is my first ever chapter from this series, so it's a bit rusty. Please leave reviews and criticism if you can, I'm always trying to get better. Chapter 2 will come out soon.

Side Note: Need a cover artist for book covers that is willing to lend me a free hand. Just putting it out there.