Worlds Apart

Chapter One - Juliette

        In a world where there's two worlds, things get pretty weird.

        My name is Juliette Mason, and this is my story. My family and I live in the place known as Arcadia.Since my sister has already been Paired, and moved out, I live with only my mother and father, Jenny and David. Kelly, my 22 year old sister, lives with her husband, Marcus, and child, Christopher.

        The Outsiders are poisoned. My mother always reminds me.

        You should never have to meet one. my father reassures.

        They are bad people.  Says Kelly.

        And so I believe. I believe that the Outsiders are cruel, evil, bad monsters who destroy lives, and care about nothing other than themselves. They're animals. The Outsiders live beyond the gate surrounding Arcadia, in The Waste. I can only hope I never have to encounter one, unless on a job. But if I find myself in their midst, I have been told and reminded what to do every day: Call for help. Alert anyone nearby, and call the Protectors immediately. Run, and don't ever look back.

        Each year in school, we have what we call Outsider Safety Week. Basically the teachers tell us everything they know about the Outsiders. "This will help you to spot one easier, so we can keep our streets safer for everyone."

        I have been lucky enough to never see or hear of an attack, but my parents told me a story once. They said it was terrifying. People scrambling to stock up on canned foods and non-perishables. Rushing home to keep safe with loved ones. I can only imagine the terror.

        They tell us that if caught by one, it's almost definite that you will not make it out. No one knows quite what they'll do to you, but no one is stupid enough to find out. Either you've never met one so you can only assume, or you don't live to tell what happens.

        Outsider Safety Week, otherwise known as OSW,  is one of the rare occasions when anyone ever talks about them. But it is for the protection of everyone, so they must. They must let us know what they are like. We need to know what they look like, how they act, how they talk, how they move, where they live, what they eat. Everything. We must know everything possible about them, so we can easily identify one roaming the streets. If one ever got into Arcadia, then we know what to do. "There are patrols that search the streets day and night, looking out for the safety of our community" they tell us.

        When I think of the Outsiders, I worry that I don't have as much hatred toward them as I should. Although I know I should never feel this, I sometimes feel bad for them. Maybe they had good reasons for attacking, and rebelling. But I know there is no reason for me to think that way. They are wrong and I should think  

        My thoughts on the Outsiders are confusing. I sometimes think that they are the most vile, and repulsive creatures ever to walk the earth. Whereas other times, I feel that they are just misunderstood, and they have reasonable explanations as to why they act the way they do. I won't take my chances. I will never deliver supplies, and I will never meet one. And that is that. It has been settled.

        In exactly 9 days, I will turn 16 and become an Elder. This is when I will be Paired and sent to live in an assigned house with my match. The way they do things in Arcadia are very particular and by the book. But it is good. It works. This way there is no confusion or disruption of any kind. Everyone knows where they are supposed to be, and what they are supposed to be doing. And although they are very strict, it's alright, because it is for our own protection. They only do what they do to keep us safe. I like it this way. Everything is organized and orderly. You walk a certain way, talk a certain way, act a certain way, and think a certain way. Everything is chosen for us, thus there is no hassle or worry. Arcadia is my home, and I wouldn't ever trade it for anything.