City of Flames (ON HOLD)

Chapter one

Prologue

Ash and smoke surround me as I watch silently from behind a tree. Dozens of houses are luminated as soft embers emerge from the windows and figures squirm around trying to put out the enormous flame that engulfs each house into a fiery inferno as it spreads. There are screams surrounding me and I clutch my hands tighter around my ears in a futile attempt to ignore the horrendous sounds. All I can hear are the echoes of their blood-curdling screams inside my head. I join in, silently hoping I can drown them out with my own screams of agony. My face gets wet with tears until I open my eyes. My brother is running towards me, shouting something at me that I can't quite understand yet. He grabs my hands that are gripped at my ears. I'm in shock and can't move. The only thing I see is the smoke coming from the burning houses and my brother pleading me something with grief-stricken eyes. I am frozen. Then something hits my cheek in an icy slap. My vision and thoughts clear and my brother clutches my shoulders again.

"J-j-jeremy-" I manage to croak. My brother gathers me in a tight embrace.

"I thought I lost you, too, " He chokes out. I shake my head slightly.

"Never." I whisper to him as I stand. Jeremy gets up along with me. "What are we going to do, Addie?" He says shakily. I stare at the what remains of our home. Nothing but cinders are left. "We have to find another home, Jeremiah." I run towards the smoldering remains, hoping I can find any family other than me and my brother left.

Chapter one

I wake up panting. Sweat trickles down my forehead and neck as I sit up. I close my eyes and try to concentrate on regulating my breathing. Just a dream. I tell myself. A nightmare, more like it.

“Addie?” I hear the door slide open. It’s my twin brother, Jeremy.

“Yeah?” I call out to the figure leaning against my door. He pokes his head out sheepishly.

“Another nightmare?” My lips tighten in a thin line.

“Yeah, Jer, just another nightmare.” I sigh heavily as he enters my room and sits beside me on the edge of my bed.

“You’ve been having more nightmares than usual,” He gives me a worried look and I close my eyes.

“I’ll be better. Besides, tomorrow I’ll finally get my work position. Isis says I might be assigned as one of the peace officers, or an official like mom was,” I tell him excitedly with a reassuring smile. The worried look on his face doesn’t go away, and my smile fades.

“I’m still worried, you know. That many nightmares a week isn’t a good sign.”

I take a deep breath and tell him, “Jeremiah, I am fine,” in a stern tone. His bright golden eyes burn into mine, as if he’s trying to see exactly what my nightmares are about.

“Besides, they’re gone now and I’m pretty tired.” I yawn to try to convince him of my exhaustion, which isn’t hard since it’s the middle of the night. He doesn’t seem convinced, though. So I decide to change the topic.

 “My Revelation is next month, and so is yours.” I say thoughtfully.

Jeremy’s face softens, but there’s a hint of resentment in it.

“Why are the Revelations even necessary?”

The Revelations was a system built by the remaining nations to avoid being underpopulated, which was a big problem after the Great War. In school, they taught us that the nations before The Union called it World War IV. It was complete chaos. Whole countries were overpowered and taken over by autocratic, insane leaders. Along with most of the soldiers who went to fight never came back. Either they were held prisoners, or were killed. There was only a staggering forty-five percent of the human population left. But soon after the war, the nations that survived came up with came up with a method to pair up their citizens and ensure that humanity wouldn’t go extinct, and called them The Revelations. They usually take place a few weeks before or after anyone turns eighteen, in mid-October, but lucky for me and Jeremy, our birthday is the exact day of the Revelation.