The Sky Grows Brighter Every Day

Edited by AmieJ9

Chapter 1, Part 1

September 2100

When Anastasia got to school that evening the cause of death was obvious. He had a burn mark all around his body and the smell of smoke was still in the air. He had died from Global Warming.

"Hiya Mattie, what's wrong? It was only another death, they are regular occurrences now anyway," Anastasia sighed and looked pointedly at the floor where their teacher had been found dead that past week.

"Nothing, I just think they ought to be able to do something about that sort of thing now that all, that boy was a student at our school and now he is dead.” Mattie looked down as a tear trickled down her face.

"Well, I am sure the scientists are working on something," Anastasia shrugged.

"Why don't you care?" Mattie wailed. "You seem so indifferent."

"I'm not indifferent, but why should I care, I'm alright, I don't have a family to worry about so yeah why should I even bother caring about people who I don't even know?"

Mattie sniffed and glared at her. "Because it's basic human decency."

"Face it. None of us have any human left in us after The War, we can pretend all we like but really we are all fakes," Anastasia hissed quietly, even though it was unlikely anyone would be able to hear over the noise of the cafeteria, you never know who could be listening.

“Stop talking like that, you are such a cold-hearted cow, you wouldn’t know the meaning of the word compassion if it hit you on the nose.” Mattie grabbed her bag and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Anastasia sighed and leant back on her chair, all around her, her friends and classmates were going about living their lives as if there was nothing abnormal about their lives. She snorted in disdain; her great grandmother told her stories about how she used to go out in the day and the sun was warm and pleasant on her skin, and how they used to use electricity for everything from cars to lights.  Anastasia looked at the candle lit cafeteria and shook her head; her Grandmother must be going soft in the head. How could life have ever been like that so carefree and happy?

She heard a slight cough next to her, and turned her head slowly at who was disturbing her.

“Umm sorry am I interrupting… or something?” a quiet voice asked.

Anastasia shook her head and looked up at the figure towering over her. “Sorry but who are you? I can’t see that well in this light.” She gestured around the room.

The person sat down and their face came into focus. Anastasia blinked out of surprise. He was a Latino.

“I-I didn’t think there were any Latino’s left… after The War.”

He smiled ruefully, whoever he was. “Well, I got lucky my family and myself managed to hide in a underground cavern, we were so deep underground that we hardly felt the bombs at all. I was only two years old at the time so I barely remember this.”

She nodded as she took all this in. “I was only one when The War hit… it killed my entire family, to this day no one knows how I survived.”

He looked taken back. “I’m… well… I’m sorry.”

“The War wasn’t your fault, was it? Besides, I don’t even remember them, I don’t even have pictures it would be like missing people you have never even met.” She shrugged, and grinned at the expression on his face a cross between horror and admiration. She was used to that, every time she mentioned that about her parents, people were disgusted that she could feel that way about her birth parents but also filled with a kind of admiration that she could feel that way and was willing to admit it.

The boy shook his head and held out his hand. “Anyway, I’m Adam and I need your help.”

“Why would I help you? I don’t know you and you don’t know me.” She began to get up and walk away.

Behind her she heard the tall boy scramble to his feet and begin to follow her. “No… wait… please listen… just for a moment.”

The thought hit her so suddenly that she almost fell over. She wheeled around. “Wait a minute, you say your family were… hidden in an underground cavern right?” She glanced around the cafeteria and made sure no one was listening. “So you were safe from… the poison?”

“Yes, that is what I have been trying to tell you, but not in those words as you never know who might be listening.” He also glanced around the room, suddenly wary of everything. “Come here.” He pulled her into a dark corner and began to whisper into her ear.

“My family are the last pure humans, but we need help with something… help that only and outsider can give us.”

“When you say help… you don’t need my organs or anything like that do you?” Anastasia looked fearfully at the stranger she hardly knew anything about who was asking for help.

“Well not exactly, but we do need to run some tests… we think the Government are lying about something and we need to know what it is, but don’t worry they won’t hurt. In fact they will running the exact same tests on me.”

“Lying about what?” Anastasia looked into his eyes and saw they were truthful, he meant what he said. They wouldn't hurt her.

“Well, after The War, the Government used examinations to put something into everyone’s bodies, so that when they step outside the sun burns them up, because we have noticed that the sun hasn’t actually moved in the past eighty-two years. It hasn’t moved at all, so we think the Government don’t want people stepping outside because of some reason… but to find out more we need you.”

Anastasia looked at him. “Just to be clear, I won’t get hurt at all?”

“That’s right, and actually I know all about you. Your name is Anastasia, you are 16 years old and I knew exactly what had happened to your parents. The reaction you saw back then was acting but we need you so I was told to infiltrate the school to find you,” Adam whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her ear and she almost giggled.

She stood up straight and told him her answer.