Prologue
We were ruled by fear. Literally. They told us it was good for us. That by knowing our fears, they could keep us safe from them, and allow us to live warm, comfortable lives. The Superior would protect us. That’s why we had the Readings every year.
The Readings was an event where all of the people from The Nation gathered to have their fears “read”. I wasn’t sure exactly how it worked. What I did know was everyone was supposed to go to their designated Town Square. Citizens 10 and over separated into their correct age groups. One by one, the Superior Police Force, or SPF, would lead us into Town Hall, where we would be handed over to our designated Reader. We would then be given a shot, filled with a clear liquid. I don’t know what it was, only that it was meant to make sure the Reading went safely. The Reader would lead us over to a chair, give us medicine to make us sleep.
It was when we were knocked out they Read our fears. When we woke up, the information would be downloaded on to a computer.
We would then be lead out. After The Reading was over, the Readers would download the information onto a disk, and label it with the Town name. They would then return to the Capital, heavily protected by the SPF, and the information would finally be turned over to the Superior.
They told us the Readings were necessary for our safety.
And for 15 years, I believed them.
YOU ARE READING
The Unreadables
Teen Fiction15 year old Eric Haywood lives in a country ruled by fear. Literally. Every year the Superior, equivalent of a king, orders the Readings, a mandatory event where peoples fears are "read." They say its for their protection, so the Superior can keep t...
