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Chapter 7

The rest of that morning passed by in a blur. By lunch, I finally had enough. I went to the office and made up some lie about cramps and the nurse let me have the rest of the day off.

I got in my car and drove to the library. I couldn't go home. I couldn't face it just yet. 

I selected the book closest to me and sat down at a desk. The library was huge, but barely anyone used it anymore. Book had gone out of fashion long ago and after the war, only a few libraries were still standing. Most people just read eBooks on their memory chips or iwatches.

I opened the book and started reading, desperately trying to block out any thoughts about my dad. The book was about a young girl who was taken away from her parents by the government during world war III. They implanted the first ever memory chip prototype into her brain, but it was too much for her and she lost control. The girl tried to kill everyone around her. In the end, they deactivated the chip and the girl died.

I don't have a memory chip yet. You're not allowed them until after trial, so you can't cheat. I doubt I'll ever get one though- they're too expensive.

I closed the book and let it sink in for a moment. This world constantly finds new ways to disgust me. The solar flares, the war, the experimentation camps...

The population has nearly halved in the last century, but still the world is ridiculously overpopulated. That's why the trials take place every year.

  I decided that I couldn't read anymore and put the book back. I checked my watch- 1 missed call from my mum and 8 messages from Clara. I didn't want to go back to reality yet. I turned the watch off and headed back to my car. It was just starting to get dark. The world seemed almost peaceful and this time of day. Almost.

  A horrifying scream pierced through the air. I turned around. It was coming from inside the dimly-lit library. My legs suddenly felt weak.

"Help!" 

My heart was pounding. I was only a few meters away from my car now. I could make a run for it.

"Please..." 

Suddenly I was racing towards the library, barely aware of what I was doing.

 There was a van parked outside the library. I figured that the van belonged to whoever was in the library. Without thinking, I grabbed a piece of glass from the side of the road and slashed one of the tires. That would buy me some time at least. I crept around the side of the building and peeked through one of the windows. Inside the library, there were two men in hoods. One was pointing a gun at the woman, who I presumed was the librarian. The other was turfing through the books, leaving them sprawled everywhere. The library seemed like a bit of an odd place to rob. There was nothing to steal.

I watched closely as the second man seemed to find what he was looking for and shove it in his pocket. I didn't manage to get a good look at it before the man nodded at his accomplice and they both ran towards the van. Towards me.

"****!" What do I do?!"

If I tried to run back to my car, they would definitely see me. I shuffled along the wall, trying to stay hidden. The men rushed into their van and turned the engine on. 

I sucked in my breath.

The door swung back open and one of the men got out. He had his hood down now and I could just about make out what he looked like. He was young. Very young. Probably only 15 or 16, but his face was covered in scars. He circled the van until he came across the slashed tire.

"Aaron! Get back here!"

Aaron was about the same age, with sandy blond hair and striking eyes- the kind that most girls would obsess over.

Clearly annoyed, he proceeded to get out of the van and stomp over to his accomplice.

"Someone's slashed the bloody tire!"

"I can see that!"

"What are we supposed to do?!"

"If anyone catches us, we'll be killed for sure. This will take too long to fix. We've got to make a run for it."

The boys put their hoods back up and ran off. I let out a sigh of relief. I waited a few moments and then sprinted back to my car, opened the door and sank into my front seat. My hands were shaking. I grabbed the wheel and drove off as fast as I could, not looking back.