Fiction

The future was bleak for Martin Abarough. He sat in his vile apartment, emptily staring at the raindrops streak down the dirty window, listening to what he could of an NPR broadcast from his broken radio.

The stickers on the lamp posts that don’t go away. That is God. Embedded in my scalp under my hair where I can not see, there is God.

 Through the knotweed. Down the ladder made of tree roots. Up onto the big rock. By the river.  I stand, mud on my ankle and cuts on my knees. The sun sits just barely above the trees as the sweat sits just above my brow.

Tears slipped quietly 

Down her face, hair 

Messily tied back into 

The lowest of low ponytails, and 

Perfectly manicured nails just begun 

I turned heat creeping up onto my face “for what?” I said gruffly 

Kael grinned “yeah why should we?” 

She turned to Elias “you didn’t tell them?” 

He shrugged “you never said when”

They all looked at each other Iker was getting cocky for her discovery. 

Ezra packed her spray paints already, and her black gloves had teal and pink stains. 

“I hate you” Neo choked “mother should too. But she doesn’t” he gasped for air. Unable to breathe “I don’t understand that” 

His father looked down “because she knows—“ 

Ten years later. present day November 6th 2026

Neo stepped into the kitchen, just turned thirteen. His mother was drinking her coffee, looking at the door.

“Mother, give up. Soon isn’t a time. It never was” 

Juniper was struggling to stay awake, but as soon as Thorne closed his textbook she snapped awake. 

Knowing that the time to leave was coming. 

The doors opened and fifth years trailed in. 

Kael’s head snapped back “find something funny about his name do you?” 

 Juniper burst out into giggles “but Jeremiah? Really?” 

Living in the 20th century means everything is online. The way students complete their assignments is the way careers are shaped. Being a teen growing up in the digital age means that everything we know and love is online.

Chapter 2