Fear the Demons

I - Transfers

Author's Note: Hello and welcome to everyone who cared to pick this story up; thanks. I really do hope it's worth the read for what it is so far. I'm new to Wattpad, but not new to writing as I've recently decided to make the shift from FanFiction to writing up my own worlds and for that I am very excited. First of all, I'm planning to give this story weekly updates for a change of pace and I welcome all kinds of feedback, both positive and negative (negative meaning helpful critiques, not random rage flames). Okay, I'm done with my ramblings for now! Thanks again for the visit and have a nice read :)

According to the government, the Testing Division, the Ground Division, and pretty much everyone who has ever had to ride this metal death trap, it's perfectly safe. The logical part of me knows this is true. We are surrounded by blinding lights on 24/7, the tunnel is fortified with nearly everything-proof layers of concrete, and the train moves fast enough so that even if they did manage to break in it would be a chase. But that doesn't stop me from sitting in mute terror as our ride speeds along impassively, the quiet hum of machinery the only sound filling our silent car. Next to me, my sister Ada continues to scrutinize over the files junking up her tablet screen, managing to completely ignore the tense atmosphere in the process.

She's always like that whenever it comes to job qualifications - understandable of course, but no less frustrating. Where we end up working for the rest of our lives after graduation is determined by the final grade averages in each subject; that and a final evaluation will lead to our ultimate assignment. It isn't just a job though, not really. It determines rank in society: everything from living quarters to spouses comes out as a result of our school years. But I try not to think about it too much. I get decent grades and pay attention in class when I need to - that alone should rank me above the bottom-feeders' divisions, and that's good enough for me.

Ada, however, is a different story. More than anything in this world, more than even life itself I think, she wants to be a Scholar. It's a high goal to reach, I'll give her that much. Scholars fall amongst the more prestigious members of society, perched up on their high horse and prime accomodations knowing they earned it by being the best. It may be a difficult place to end up, but I genuinely think if anyone can climb to the top of the ladder it's Ada. She's certainly smart enough and she wants it more than anyone I've ever met, she could get there. The only problem is I'd likely never see her again. Me, I'll never be a Scholar. I just don't have the gift for it I guess, and I definitely don't qualify for government. We'd be in different classes, different "breeds" as some call it, and associating with opposing ranks is contemptible.

Not illegal exactly... just unheard of. It's taught that in some of the religions of old, families stood on loyalty and bloodline was everything, but no concept could be more alien here. Neither of us know who our father is, as he was relocated to North before I was born, and our mother was always too occupied working away at the morgue to be an attentive parent. This didn't phase us growing up however, in fact our situation is fairly common at our home in Central. As the largest and most heavily populated of the three underground cities we know of, there tends to be more of a reliance on class shares than parent hand-outs. Truth be told, if babies were born smart Ada easily could've cared for the both of us by simply living off the government's shares. That's what's happening now anyways.

When the news first came that we were to be carted off to another city overnight, I didn't really believe it. Up until today, I've lived in the same four walls, slept in the same bed, walked the same halls, and worked in the same classroom every single day of my seventeen years. It's the only thing I know. Rumor had been spreading for awhile that the government was planning another relocation, but that's all I regarded it as: a rumor. People back home find it funny to spread lies around the school for the fun of it, getting people all riled up and scared for nothing. The government's doing this, the government's doing that. It was always with some kind of jab at authority, which I find frankly rediculous. They usually came from the lower class kids who never saw their always working parents and went home to a cramped flat every night, muttering curses under their breath.