Hellbound

Chapter One

"Your father has been called into work, he'll be back for dinner" mum says as she avoids eye contact and puts the carrots away in the fridge.

"He's been busy lately" I reply back and watch her facial expressions.

Her face turns stone cold at the mention of him being busy "you know he works hard for us" she says. I nod back, ending the conversation.

Neither of my parents met their Darlings, making the transition into Platonics easier as they didn't have the existing bond with another. They both found out at twenty-two when they went to the church and looked in the book of lovers.

The book contains everyone and their Darling along with if their Darling is still alive. Mum and dads Darlings had both died before they'd reached their teens, it was then the government paired mum and dad together as Platonics for eternity.

"When did you want to go to the church?" mum questions, breaking the silence within the kitchen. She has always been eager to find out who my Darling is, more eager than me.

I keep pushing it back, convinced my Darling is dead, there's no other reason as to why I haven't met him. Even though I knew that, I dreaded seeing his name erased and replaced with West's in the book.

"I don't know, mum" I puff out a breath that blows my hair out of my eyes.

"We need to find out, Poppy. You'll be too old soon" she tells me. I've heard it a million times. I only have until the end of my twenty second year before mine and my Darlings names disappear from the book, making room for the younger generations.

"Even if he's passed, you still have West. Being Platonics isn't that bad" she says. I say nothing, knowing she's lying through her teeth. If divorce were legal she would have left years ago.

Mum and dad did the bare minimum of what the government expected of them. They had one child and worked respectable jobs that benefitted the government. Everything benefitted the government.

The yelling from next door starts up again, having only ended in the early hours of this morning. Mr and Mrs Tom are another set of Platonics. They're even worse than mum and dad. They would have no problem physically harming each other if it meant escaping their marriage.

"Right" mum claps her hands together as a loud crash can be from though the wall by the Tom's "what do you want for dinner?"

*

"Poppy! West's here!" I hear mum call from the kitchen, the greetings between West and mum can be heard from my room.

"Coming!" I call back. My wet hair sticks to the skin of my back as I walk around in a bra, searching for a shirt after showering. I catch a glimpse of my brand that lies over my heart, the white half-moon symbol visible from across the room. It itches when I think about someone else having the other half, the possibility of them being alive unlikely.

It's gone from view as I pull a shirt over my head before grabbing my bag and walking out to the kitchen.

"Hey" I smile at West as he leans on the kitchen counter talking to mum while she kneads dough. He stands up when I gain his attention.

"Hey, ready to go?" he asks. A smile shows on his face but his eyes hold the sadness that hadn't left since the passing of his Darling, Katie.

"Bye mum, be home later" I bid her goodbye with a wave over the shoulder as we head in the direction of the front door.

"Don't be too late, big day tomorrow!" she calls after us. I ignore her and hope West hadn't heard her, but I should've known better with my luck.

"What's happening tomorrow?" he questions, hands in the pockets of his jeans as he kicks random objects along the footpath.

I hike my bag up further on my shoulders. "She wants me to check the book before I'm too old" I mumble. A pair of Darlings pass us, their two children riding on bikes in front of them as the they walk hand in hand. My brand heats in jealously, knowing I'll most likely never have that.

"Why? He's dead" West bluntly replies, I flinch at the word but do my best to cover it up.

"Well we don't know that" I argue. It's silent for a moment as West thinks about my response. His shoes drag along the floor, kicking a stone.

"He's dead, Poppy. You would've found him otherwise" I don't reply, knowing it's most likely true, my heart not wanting it to be.

We walk in silence as the kids in the adjacent park play, their squeals ringing in my ears.

"At least I've got you" I shove my shoulder into his, a smirk pulling at his lips as he shoves me back.

I'm glad the government made West my Platonic. He's someone I already know and I'm comfortable with, he's a good guy. There might actually be a chance for us to have somewhat of a decent relationship, the typical Platonic relationship not applying to us.

There's only one problem. I have no feelings towards West whatsoever, nothing besides friendship. I can only hope some kind of attraction grows as we grow closer, especially sexually. The government expects for couples, Darlings or not, to reproduce during their late twenties, the prime of a persons reproductive system.

I just don't know if I can do that.