Ascension

Chapter One

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Earth is not okay. There's no denying it.

No matter how many times they try to convince us that Earth is going to be fine, I know deep down that it's not. Our planet is on the verge of obliteration, and there is nothing that we can do to stop it.

The schoolteachers lie, telling us that The Scientists are on the verge of discovering The Solution to save our planet from its imminent mass destruction. The Council lies, telling us to stay calm because there is nothing to worry about. They are blind, unable to face the harsh reality that our planet can and will die. And yes, most people believe them. But there are some, like my family and me, who know the terrible truth of what lays ahead.

The omnipresent, acrid odor of charred ashes fills my nose every day on my walk to school and back, a constant reminder of the deteriorating state Earth is in. Fires are a commonplace now, and deaths from The Fever are increasingly prevalent by the day.

The Fever.

That's what we call the wicked virus that has begun to wipe out the human population. Although its name may not suggest danger, it is a slow-growing virus; one that gradually yet painfully kills its host. No one quite knows how it started, but everyone knows that it is highly dangerous and contagious. Even the top Doctors have tried and failed to cure The Infected.

The Fever hasn't reached my city yet. But at the alarming rate that it is spreading across the country, it's bound to arrive.

Amidst the raging fires and extreme heat, the people in my city try to continue living their normal lives. For the adults; work, sleep, repeat. For the children; school, sleep, repeat. The repetition and monotony of daily life seems to comfort some. But on lines of everyone's faces, you can see trepidation etched into them. No one talks about it, but deep down, everyone knows that time is ticking and that one day, not too far in the future, time will run out.

Not everyone has to suffer, though. And by not everyone, I mean the rich. The rich and wealthy are able to afford "STARLINE", the Council's new, cutting-edge program to send families into outer space on a state-of-the-art spaceship to some sort of "paradise" planet out on the far stretches of our galaxy. I've seen its advertisements and posters so many times that I could probably repeat the "STARLINE" propaganda if you asked me too.

"A new tomorrow begins today..."

Hah, a new tomorrow begins today only for those who are able to pay the hefty price that comes with it. A price that my family could never even think of being able to pay in their wildest dreams.

And so, like the many others who are unable to afford "STARLINE", my family and I continue to live our lives grounded here on Earth, hopelessly gazing up into the sky and wishing that we could afford to be up there too.

"Lina!"

I jump, having been snapped out of my daydream.

"Lina, are you paying attention?"

I look to the front of the classroom to see Mrs. Bradshaw staring at me, her amber, hawk-like eyes boring into mine like daggers. It doesn't help that the whole class is staring at me too.

"Yes, sorry ma'am," I murmur quietly, my cheeks burning bright red.

The rest of the school day is a complete blur. I honestly don't know how I function because throughout the entire day, I cannot stop thinking about one sole person.