Chapter 1
The light of the flames climbed higher into the sky every second. The pungent smell of the smoke stung her nose as she climbed to the rooftops of the houses. The building was on fire and it had nothing to do with Ellie Casper who looked upon the sight of the building alive with the crackling fire which wasn’t a strange sight to see; at least two empty buildings were set ablaze as a warning for all those who lived in the District A.
Ellie perched on the steel rooftop, looking for a clear path to escape back home. She ducked down as a jeep on patrol drove down the bumpy street below her; they wouldn’t be able to see her but she didn’t want to take any chances. Being caught past curfew was bad news and Ellie, who slipped past them every night, didn’t want that to happen. She had experienced a few months ago, a man being dragged to the ground and shot after he was caught on the streets during the night.
Reams, the name that the people in the run-down city called them, patrolled the streets every other day while other Reams stood guard by the gates. They were always on the look for--something. Nobody knew what they wanted and why they were here. Three and a half years ago, a large group attacked the city- they spoke Russian and, over the sound of the explosions and sound of firearms being shot and screams, kept shouting for something, nobody knew what and that resulted in the Reams getting angry which didn’t help anything. Only made things worse.
Ellie Casper jumped down to a lower part of the roofs and pushed her bag away from her side and began to shimmy down the face of the building.
Atlanta was the name of the city before the attack and it thrived with civilians, food, water and freedom. They lived well with jobs, education, shops and life. But now? Now it was dark and filled with death. Food ran low and only two working wells which provided water and less than two hundred civilians now lived. Jobs, shops and schools were long forgotten and life flickered like a dying flame. Nobody was allowed to leave. The Reams who patrolled the borders each day and night didn’t spare blood or even a life of those who tried to leave. The harbour wasn’t patrolled as often but they took away the abilities of boat making.
The girl landed swiftly on the pavement and quickly turned into the alleyway that sat between two empty buildings. Ellie Casper lived just a little further into the city where it was more run down and abandoned. She fixed her hood, pulling it further over her forehead and lid into the empty building- knowing that it was safer to travel like that. The only bad news was that at any moment, with any sudden movement could cause the building to collapse.
Ellie continued through the dark building, carefully feeling her way around. She didn’t dare turn on her flashlight as the bright light would attract unwanted attention and her lighter was too precious to waste, so she travelled in darkness- only noise would get her caught if she was reckless.
Her father took refuge with her and her older brother, Drake, in an abandoned small block of apartments when the Reams first attacked three and a half years ago after their home was destroyed near the outer city. Six months went by when her father was shot while Drake and Ellie were out trading the little fish they had left for tins of beans, later returning to the sight of a struggle and blood smeared all across the wall and their father lying nearly lifeless in the middle of the floor. Ellie could still feel her heart being ripped out of her chest when her eyes lay upon her father as her brother rushed forward and cradled his limp body. After their father drew his last breath and they took his body and buried in the harbour, and not a month later, Drake disappeared one night- leaving Ellie all alone. Three years later, she still waits for her brother to walk through the door. Drake was probably dead, the chances of that were high but that small flicker of hope still lived inside of her but it was dying out- fast.
For the 14 year old, Ellie adapted pretty quickly to surviving by herself. Peaceful living didn’t exist in the District A- fights would break out each day over food or water or clothes. It was hard but normal. Keeping your head down and agreeing when or if questioned kept you safer than being stubborn and reckless.
Ellie lifted herself up through a hole in the wall and jumped down to the ground below, the light of the fire growing behind her, gave her little light. Enough to expose herself. It lit up the street ahead of her and she located a small alleyway between two buildings which the one on the left had a hole in the wall that gave a passage deeper into the city and around the corner, just past the gates was her home. Ellie crouched down just in time as a patrol jeep passed her.
Holding her breath, Ellie looked carefully around before sprinting across the road. The second she touched the cold bricks of the building sent an instant flood of safety taking over the feeling of fright she had as she ran across the road. Sucking in her breath, Ellie crawled in the darkness along the side of the wall- arms outstretched to find the hole that was covered by a few pieces of damp wood.
Ellie had mapped out the positions of the Reams- times they changed and the order they moved. Nothing was off the cuff, always in order. Over the years, she had drawn the whole city’s system on the back pages of an old notebook she used for school. She also colour coded the groups- red, blue and black. All with their own regiments and information.
Ellie Casper climbed under her boarded-up front door and pushed back the create that covered the hole. It was dark and cold but safe. Ellie carefully stepped up the steps, avoiding the weak parts, that lead up to the landing and to the only livable room which she used as her bedroom, kitchen and living room all rolled into one- even though she only used the bed as she disappeared for many hours during the day. Shutting and bolting the door behind her, she threw her bag on the floor and collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep take over her body.
