"The Elite: Prologue 3" by Joanne Barnden

Novena 8502

      Zandra walked into Chestir quietly. There was no need to announce her presence yet. She had never understood these impulses to do things that she had no intention of doing. The last time she had done something impulsive, it had cost her a lot. It had cost her the one thing that she had thought that she couldn’t afford to lose - her life.

      She sighed. There was just no pleasing some people. Compulsions were all very well, but she always preferred them when they were going to amount to something good, rather than something that was going to bring stress and discomfort.

      But then, that wasn’t her lot in life. The latest colony of Thirteens was no where near where they were supposed to be, she knew that she alone couldn’t put the ways and means to get to Ishkka in their heads, as much as she would love to. They had to think of that themselves. But, Chestir was not the place for them, that was for certain, and they were fitting in way too well. They needed something to shake them up, send them on their way to the other side of the desert formations.

      Zandra bit her lip as she stood outside the gates of the colony. Silly people they were too. No guards of any kind were outside those gates, she supposed that they were trying not to be too much like their parents, but this was a bit too much. There are some times when that sort of wish left them open for all sorts of things.

      Namely, her. Zandra Kayne. Daughter of Ra Vei Nei Kayne, the personal helper of his presence, the leader of the colony, Thers Azn. Circa Novena 529. A convicted criminal, a executed criminal. Who knew what she would get up to in the colony?

      Zandra waited just outside the colony for a long time. Until the next morning in fact, when some of the youngest members were coming out for school. She smiled resignedly. Unfortunately, this was going to be too easy. Way too easy.

      She fell in beside one of the girls. “Hello.”

      “Alexandra!” the girl exclaimed in surprise.

      “I prefer to be called Zandra actually.” Zandra replied, unable to keep her brain from shouting, BINGO! She was in.

*

      The sound of shattering glass. Of screams and cries. There was really no escape, bar the forbidden. Escape- oh please, escape.

      “What the hell?” -so Chester was sober now? A fine time to sober up. He must be out of the car- I can’t see him. I doubt very much that Chester had managed to put his seatbelt on when he’d changed places with a drunk Mandy. Mandy must be out of the car too- there’s no sign of her. At least none that I can see, and I can’t see much at all.

      “Leith? LEITH!” Chester- getting frantic. Why? I try to turn towards Chester, but don’t really manage it.

      “GET OUT OF THE CAR!” still Chester. But Chester I can’t move... Chester, I can’t speak...! Chester, what’s going on?

      “Chester! Get Leith out of the car!” now that was Mandy- she must be painfully sober too. Not much fun. But why do I need to get out of the car? It’s nice and warm in here.... Hands are grabbing me... pulling me... hey, what the hell’s going on?

      This isn’t the car- this is grass... cold wet grass. Hey! It was nice and warm in the car- funny, I can feel the heat from here... can you feel it too, Alex?

      “Mandy? Is Alex out of the car?” Chester still sounds stressed, I wonder what’s bothering him? I wonder whether it’s the same thing that was bothering Alex yesterday... Alex.

      “Alex can take care of herself.” Mandy’s angry- why... then, she never liked Alex.

      WHAT WAS THAT? It sounded like an explosion.... nah, I must yes be dreaming... are we in a movie theatre?

      “At least we got Leith out before it blew....” Mandy sounds relieved.. because no one found out about her cheating on that last exam...?

      Is that Chester crying? “Mandy, Alex was in there when it blew.... Oh gods, NO!”

      I must share this joke with Alex... ALEX??

      Leith sat up suddenly, sweating. That dream again. He hated it so much. The night she died. The night they all had died in some way.