• “LOWERS”


    The roar of the engines was deafening the smell of the gas fumes nauseating and still I worked on. It was what I had to do and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be the one to pay, my father would be. He had been the one who had got me the job. It wasn’t the best job, but at least it was work and that was something hard to find here in the Lowers.

    LOWERS, the poor slum like regions of the metropolitan cities of our oh so wonderful future, what a joke that was. Equality they had said, like that would ever happen. Where was the equality of a sixteen year old girl working in a auto garage while pretending to be a boy so that she wouldn’t be raped or sold into the sex trade? Yeah real equal. That’s why Mixie Starlin no longer existed and a Max Starlin had took her place.

    “Can’t choose whom your born to“. That’s what my mother told me the day I asked why the UPPERS had a prettier city, I was 7 at the time. The UPPERS where the rich, the well off, the people with needed skills. They have everything; food, clean water, nice homes. What do we have? A place on a floor and a roof over our heads if were lucky.

    The squeal of tires jolted me back to reality and I jumped out of the way of a speeding van. A few of the older guys cursed at the guy in the van, giving him hell. I ran a dirty grease covered hand through my short spiky blonde hair, I needed a bath anyways, and sighed. Things seemed to get worse everyday incidents like this didn’t help with the tension.

    “Max?” someone touched my shoulder as they said my boy-name. I turned to face the owner of the voice.

    The voice belonged to Camry, a boy worker only a few years older than me, eight-teen years old if I recalled correctly. He was short for his age, barely six feet tall and he had sapphire blue eyes that seemed to shine. His hair was dark brown and short, shorter than mine, almost a brush cut. He was wearing dirty, ripped and stained oversized overalls, much like my own except his were blue, mine were grey.

    “Max?” he asked again, “ Are you done for the day?” He looked concerned, he had probably seen me almost get hit by the car.

    “ Yeah, I am.” I nodded casually, trying to act more masculine. I couldn’t slip up and let anyone know I was a girl.

    “How bout we walk over to the Nines together little bro?” Camry asked, referring to me in his normal manner.

    Nines was the district we lived. Camry lived on the worse side, I was luckier. My parents had gotten an old restaurant on the side closest to the wall separating the LOWERS and the UPPERS. We lived there along with half a dozen friends and family. Being close to the wall meant more military patrols and that meant less violence and attacks, but it didn’t mean they still didn’t happen.

    “Yah sure why not.” With that we left the dirty noisy garage.

    We walked in silence, listening to the ever present sound of screams and gunshots. I moved so I was slightly closer to Camry, I felt safer there. He smiled and patted me on the head. It was the last time I ever saw him smile.

    A deafening boom rang out from behind us ad I saw Camry mouth the word “bomb”. Dust and debris flew past us ripping our clothes and cutting our skin. Camry grabbed my hand and started dragging me along as people ran screaming by.

    I saw the building start to fall, tried to warn him, but I couldn’t do anything. I watched in horror as Camry realized what was happening and pushed me away. A piece of crumbling brick and cement fell free, hitting Camry in the back. It was like slow motion, watching the old grey stone building fall towards him as he lay there helpless. I couldn’t let it happen, not to Camry, It just couldn’t. So I broke the rules. I used my powers. I felt the psychic energy surge through my veins as I unleashed all my power, throwing my arms up in the air, holding an invisible wall trying desperately to keep the building off Camry’s motionless body.

    The shockwave from the psychic blast sent dust and debris spiralling into the air. The air around me hissed and crackled with flashes of blue energy. I had to save Camry, even if it meant being discovered as a psychic.

    “Camry!” I screamed, “Camry!” tears streaked my dust covered face. I heard a weak groan.

    “Max? Max? Are you okay?” the words sounded forced but at least they were Camry’s. He gasped for air, making a strange gurgling noise.

    The pressure of the building was starting to be too strong and I knew I couldn’t hold it up much longer. “Camry, can you move?” There was no answer. Panic filled me. “Camry!”

    “ Max, its no use, “ Camry choked on the words, “ I can’t feel my back and its really hard to breathe.” Camry started to cough violently. “Go get help, I’ll be fine.”

    I knew he was trying to make it easier for me, but we both knew he was dying. The gurgling sound every time he took a breath was from a punctured lung, he was already drowning in his own blood. I fought back the wave of tears that threatened to overtake me.

    “Max. Max. Mixie!” I looked up in alarm, “ Mixie go! Leave now!” yelled Camry.

    I gasped, “But how?” How did he know my real name?

    “ Mixie, go, now. Do it for me. “ pleaded Camry, “ I know I never told you I knew but your father made me promise not to tell you that I knew. He wanted me to make sure you were safe. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you till now. Now please go!”

    I flinched as he yelled.” I can’t Camry, if I go you’ll die!” My powers were the only thing keeping him from being crushed. I heard shouts behind me and screams then gunshots.

    “Run!” yelled Camry.

    That was the last thing I heard as I felt my powers give way and the building fell, crushing Camry. I dropped to my knees, sobbing, oblivious to everything around me. I heard shouting then felt a sting on my back, then there was nothing. Everything as I knew was about to change.








    New Beginnings


    My mother had always told me that I had to hide my special powers or the bad people from the Uppers would come and take me away. I never used my powers, not once after she told me that until the day Camry died. I should have listened to my mother, maybe then I wouldn’t be a prisoner.

    The amount of power I had used trying to save Camry had caught the attention of the Uppers Royal Guard, a military group that trained and used psychics as they saw fit. After I let the building drop they tranquilized me and took me back with them to the Uppers. Now I was at their training camp, prisoner 337590. It was tattooed on my wrist so I wouldn’t forget.