Broken Youth

Chapter 1

~ Chapter One ~

••Megan••

I shook my head not believing what I was reading. The City were always making up crap about some sort of paranormal activity. This time it was 'Blood-sucking teenagers kill young girl'. No doubt about it, those pictures were real- the girl, Madison, who lives opposite me was lying in the street- looking dead, looking without blood. I know she's dead- the funerals today, but I'm not going, I can't. I can't handle any more death; not after Mum and Dad. Oh, and in the corner you could see a tall, slim male in a hoodie staring at the girl. But how likely is it that vampires exist? How many books have you read that have been scientifically proven?

Sighing, I folded the paper and dropped it back on the coffee table, ignoring the voice in the back of my head telling me it wasn't a trick. I haven't time to worry about things that don't exist. My life, with people and things that do exist, is busy enough without the government telling me what's real and what isn't, when quite frankly, it's impossible for them to live. It's fiction gone terribly wrong. As usual, the 6 o clock news were droning on about the strange turn of events in the past few weeks. I have to say- that is something paranormal.

The weather was, as usual, warm (with of course the occasional down pour, but that's being so far North) and breezy like all September days. But all of a sudden, as if it were being controlled, it changed. Thunder storms, lashing rain, bitterly cold wind and air that feels as though snow should be occupying it but it isn't. It was like walking out into the North Pole- getting up early for work and going home while it was still light didn't seem so inviting any more. The need to stay indoors and keep warm was bigger and the risk of going out in the cold for a stroll became less and less. The biggest question being asked right now is: What has caused this abnormal weather change? But the question I am asking is: Why isn't there snow when the temperature is below 0 and why isn't there lightening when there is thunder? It's like two lovers have been ripped apart by something unimaginable. Like an invisible wall has been built between them- now they are separate. It's horrible.

After remaining on the couch for another half an hour, staring at the television, wondering what the hell was wrong with the world, my coat and boots became incredibly interesting. The gale force winds had calmed down, and rain was no longer smashing the windows in a deafening manner. I always take walks. It's weird, recently all I've been doing in my time off is walking. (Rain or no rain, I suppose). I guess I would be the one to notice anything strange, but if I'm tied up in something, then I wouldn't notice anything. That's why I keep walking, to notice things, but all I end up doing is walking in circles hoping the answer will just pop into my head. I'm getting distracted.

I slipped on my big, warm waking boots and grabbed my denim jacket, shoving it on over my hoodie and the several other layers I had on. Not bothering to lock the house- nothing ever happens round here. Harrogate is located in the North East of England. The City (down South, close to the sea but far away enough to have a river and mountains surrounding it), controls us, but they call it 'looking after us'. A load of shit that is- we have set TV channels so we don't see anything they don't want us to see, specific jobs in a similar area according to where we live and boundaries- I'll go over that later.

Every county has an allocated job area (for example all the jobs in our county are to do with the Arts- so music, dance, singing, textiles, art or product design.), and obviously housing, education and a president is provided. The president's house is right at the top of a hill, supposedly so he can 'see over the entire county' (which he obviously can't do), in the Capital- Leeds. Which isn't far from Harrogate but still a good journey. Housing in our town isn't bad, but there aren't enough; every now and then you see the occasional homeless person- it's horrible to see. Education is better. Nearly every child goes to school, university/collage or boarding house (which isn't a boarding house, just a posh school for the extra smart kids). After you've turned 17, you have to work- no exceptions. So because I'm 19, I've been working for 2 years at the local dance school (which really is where you go to be a professional dancer- or as professional as you can be in this world!), and it pays the bills so I would have to say it's fun. It is really, I'd love to be on the stage one day, so it's good for experience.