SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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THE comforting warmth of the morning sun enveloped the camp, filling the delinquents with bounding energy. It made them feel invincible, as if they were on top of the world - a world that now belonged to them.
Leaning against a rotting tree stump, Vivienne waited patiently outside the drop-ship as instructed by the self-appointed leader. What exactly she was waiting for, she wasn't sure. Most likely just his next order. However, she figured that if it meant her and Charlotte were a priority when food was finally acquired, she didn't mind the wait.
Atom, another boy who hung on Bellamy's every word and was given similar orders to stay put, stood at arm's length from Vivienne and,every so often, his gaze would wander to her figure- his mind filled with questions.
"So," the curly-haired boy started, "What did you get locked up for?" Atom asked, turning his head to get a proper look at the girl beside him.
Vivienne met his gaze, a curious smirk tugging at his lips. She scoffed, shaking her head with a light smile.
"Oh, come on," Atom groaned, taking a few steps towards her, giving her his full attention. "The daughter of Council member Marcus Kane..." he taunted, his smirk never fading. "...must've done something good."
"It was nothing interesting, just a petty crime," Vivienne lied through her teeth, hoping he wasn't perceptive enough to notice the way she chewed the inside of her cheek or the way her eyes couldn't quite meet his.
Atom's eyes narrowed, skeptical of Vivienne's claim of a petty crime. But before he could respond, something more intriguing caught his attention. Or rather, someone did.
"Where did you get the clothes?" he asked, abandoning Vivienne to jog and catch up with Wells, who passed by carrying a heap of clothes and two pairs of scuffed boots in his arms.
"Just buried the two kids who died during the landing," Wells explained, subtly tightening his grip around the clothes
Suddenly, the image of the lifeless eyes staring up at her flooded Vivienne's mind, and all the anxiety she felt on the drop-ship returned, a sickly acid growing in her stomach. She couldn't help but let her thoughts wander to his life before all this. Did his parents know he was sent down? Did they know he's dead? Were they aware they'd never see their son again?
A cold shiver ran down Vivienne's spine, pulling her from her trance-like state just as Bellamy passed by. He now stood at Viv's side, wearing nothing but his dark cargo trousers and filthy leather boots, leaving the top half of his toned body bare and dripping in sweat. After the downpour last night, all traces of gel had been washed away from the older boy's hair, and it now fell into loose curls across his forehead, sticking to his skin.
