Dystopia (Dystopia Trilogy Book 1)

Chapter 1

Note: This is the 1rst chapter out of 20. Each Friday a new chapter will be posted. However, if you wish to read it now, it can be purchased on Amazon, B&N, iBookstore, Kobo, and Smashwords.

Dana dumped the open suitcase on the bed and piled clothes inside it. She and her sister, Lina, raced through the room, cramming what they could into the medium sized, brown grip.

“Hurry!” their father yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

Banging resounded downstairs as gloved fists pounded the front door.

Dana snapped the suitcase closed and handed it to her sister. Just as they reached the door to the hallway, uniformed officers burst into their room knocking her to the floor. The suitcase flew across the space and crashed into the far wall, opening and spilling its contents.

An iron fist gripped Dana’s forearm and scanned the chip implanted in it. Another scanned Lina’s. “Her,” he said, pointing to Dana’s sister.

Armed men seized Lina and dragged her out of the room amidst the screams and shouts of the family. Dana lunged for her sister. One of the officers thrust her aside. She banged her head on the table and collapsed to the floor unconscious, as her sister kicked and screamed.

Dana woke up. Sweat covered her skin, making her pajamas and blanket cling to her. Slowly, she realized that she had been dreaming and over five years had passed since her sister was taken for failure to report to Wing 16 of the Hospital.

Dana glanced at the empty bed in the room, her sister’s bed. Dawn poked through the curtains.

Screams echoed from outside. Carefully, Dana looked out her window, and across the way, she watched as armed officers entered her neighbor’s house. They hauled out a man who struggled profusely to get away. His wife screamed and cried as she pleaded for them to let him go. No wonder I had the dream.

“Don’t get involved,” she repeated to herself.

“Dana, you’re going to be late,” her mother called from the bottom of the stairs.

She glanced at her clock and realized that once again she was late for school and this was career assignment day. Quickly, Dana tossed off the covers and threw on some clothes. She darted down the stairs. She paused when she passed the living room. The television was tuned into the only government approved talk show with Mr. Halloway.

He smiled that charismatic smile of his as he interviewed the First Councilman of the western region: Donald Humphries. Dana listened momentarily as they talked about the resistance.

“Dana.”

“Sorry, mom.” Dana ran out the door after giving her mother a kiss. No time for breakfast.

Dana briefly stopped and glanced at her neighbor’s house as the man was shoved inside a van. One of the officers glanced in her direction. Hurriedly, she looked away and walked toward the bus stop for the first bus into the city.

She stared at her lap the entire ride, sinking into her seat. No need to draw attention. Two officers sat in the row in front of her. Dana’s pulse throbbed like it always did when she came into contact with them. The least infraction meant being arrested, or worse. She fiddled with her fingers as she anxiously awaited her stop.

The bus lurched. Dana’s already nauseous stomach did a whirl as it threatened to upchuck on her. When her stop neared, she pressed the button and jumped off, relieved to be out of its confined atmosphere.

Dana raced through the pristine streets of the city, her feet pounding on the marbled sidewalks. She scrambled up a bunch of stairs. Late again! Ignoring the pain in her side, Dana ran faster as she headed to the school, her jet black hair billowing behind her.