Hold Me Close

Chapter One.

I was born into a world of desire and greed, one that longs for love but must stray from its touch. I turned sixteen last March and I wanted nothing more then to be touched, to feel my mothers hand hold mine as my father laid the cake down onto the table before kissing my cheek, but they wouldn't dare do this knowing it could kill us all and even if it did not, the goverment would, that was the downfall to the year 3012. The year of depression.

"They're risking alot" his voice whispered into my ear, I could feel the warmth of his breath dance along my cheek, it was soothing, "what are you talking about Chris?", I gave my best friend the look before following his gaze down into a black alley. The old lampost that sat between the bookstore and cafe gave off enough light to see a boy and girl no older then me hiding in the shadows, his hand ran down her cheek as her lit up eyes stared into his. "Tell no one" I sighed, and I knew he wouldn't, there were many people that would inform the police for a reasonable price but not Chris, he knew when and when not to open his mouth, that's what I liked the most about him.

"You know I wont" he smiled revealing his straight teeth, after two years of braces he finally got his idea of perfect teeth, "do you ever wonder what it feels like?" he let out a loud breath of air, "all the time" I looked straight to him and then to his hand, it was slowly moving towards mine, and how badly I wanted his fingers to trace mine, I wanted to feel what it was like to be touched, or held in embrace. I looked around the street and my eyes abruptly stopped on an overweight man whose eyes stared at us as if they were shooting daggers towards us, "don't" I whispered , "we're being watched". That was a week ago. I haven't seen Chris since.

Rumours say he was caught holding hands with a girl from out of town, others say he was having a heated moment with a girl in his room and the police busted in and took him, but I knew the truth, the cold truth that my best friend was taken for attempting to touch my hand. "Do you think he's dead, I mean, would they keep him in a holding cell or would they kill him straight out" a tall girl with green hair whispered, she was in the year above me and was standing at a collection of lockers with another girl, I knew her as Liz but she didn't really know me, Liz's friend nuged her when she seen me, but it was to late I already knew they were talking about Chris, but I couldn't say my thoughts differed from theirs, I wondered about the same thing, but I wanted to believe that somewhere out there, he was still alive. 

"I'm sorry" Liz blushed, I nodded and continued through the loud crowd. We had to wear plastic covers over the skin that showed through our clothes and they itched like hell, but it was the only thing they could cook up to help us survive public school, and I wanted nothing more then to tear it off and touch everyone, I wanted to find Chris, to find him alive, even if that meant being taken.

"Can Ann Hayes please report to the principles office immediacy" the super attendants voice rang through the speakers causing everyone to look at me, a lot of "ohh" came from the boys who stood in large groups pretending they were to cool to do work, or even try, it was completely idiotic sometimes, but each to their own I guess.

The first bell went off announcing the first class, soon the halls became empty and all that remained were the echo of my shoes. My mind racked up many ideas as to what the principle would want with me, no doubt it was something to do with Chris. As I neared the main office the sound of loud and heavy footsteps ran through the halls, to say my heart began to race would be an understatement, it felt like a sun had burned out in my chest and a new one began to take its place, I felt the burning in my throat, I felt like something bad was going to happen, something really bad.