A World Divided

Prologue 1

The year 2034

Hunter Garcia

     "I said, I don't want you looking into that," Mom grabs the military pamphlets out of my hand and tosses them in the trashcan next to the counter, "I told you I am not letting you get drafted in a war that's not worth fighting. They're just going to send you to your grave." She leaned on the counter and looked at me the same way she looked at Dad before he left. 

     "I want to help him, he said I work as a doctor, attending to battle wounds. I wouldn't be fighting. Just helping." I looked at her, she had a concerned look like she was more worried than upset.

     "I can't have you being sent off to whatever country were fighting now. Channel 55 says there are only a few countries left that aren't participating, and even those are funding other countries and sending food." She looked at the photo of Dad of the fridge and walked over to grab it. "You may not end up in the same place as your dad. You could be alone, in a world you don't know", she put the photo back on the fridge, "I know I can't stop you, just like I couldn't stop him, but can you at least think about it a little longer."

     "Mom it might be now or never. Everyone is talking about how the 1% are selling their companies and all of their property. The richest people from all over the world have each started disappearing, and how everyone thinks that they're planning something." I tried speaking to her with concern, but she just seemed distracted. 

     "That is exactly why you shouldn't go Hunter. What if they are planning something." She slowly walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder. "What if you get caught in the crossfire. Those people don't care about the soldiers that fight for them, they only care about the other side losing."

     "Ok, mom, I'll think about it for a little longer." I spoke softly. She smiled, and handed me a stack of 4 plates that were in the cabinet. "What is this for?" I asked.

     "Well, if your going off to war I'm gonna at least make you do some chores first." She smiled, "now go set the table." I smiled, and she laughed as I walked into the dining room and started putting the plates down on the table. She says that we still have to set a plate down for dad so that way we won't forget to when he gets home. A loud ring from the doorbell shook through the house with a beautiful symphonic ring. 

     "I'll get it, I bet that's Holly!" I yelled out. Holly's been my girlfriend for three years now with our fourth anniversary coming in a few months. Her father never approved of me and my family, said we didn't have enough money to support his daughter. That I wasn't a man because of it. Even pointed a gun at me one time.

     "I can't wait to hear about her family vacation to that private island she was talking about." My mom shouted from the kitchen, I walked into the living room and opened the door and locked eyes with the ocean pearls of her eyes, and her hair was freshly cut, probably got it done at the island, it was short and curly just barely longer than her shoulders, with her glowing blonde looking almost white in the lighting.

     "So, are you gonna let me in or just keep staring at me?" I laughed at got out of the way so she could walk into the house, and the closed the door behind her and escorted her into the dining room, where mom already had the food laid out on the table waiting for everyone to make their plates. "Wow Mrs. G this looks amazing," she said. My mom scrunched her nose and smiled. Holly and my moms relationship was really close, after Holly lost her mom a few years back my mom started stepping in and helping her. 

     We sat down next to each other and started loading our plates and stuffing our faces. I looked over at Holly and she was just picking at her food and she was quivering her lips as though she was about to cry. Her bright blue eyes started filling with water, until she saw me looking at her and she changed expressions immediately, smiling and started eating her food. "How was the private island?" Mom asked.

     Her frown came back, "It was ok, we went out to eat at this place that was floating mid air. We got to see the waves of the ocean flow over the island as we ate it was beautiful." 

     "Wow, that sounds lovely. I heard that someone discovered how to levitate whole buildings before, just didn't believe it, I guess." Mom sounds exited, like the world was advancing and she couldn't wait. I look back over to Holly and she just had her had held down, it wasn't like her.

     After supper was finished, we all rinsed off our plates and placed them in the dishwasher so mom wouldn't have to do as much. Then me and Holly went upstairs, but not before mom shouted, "You better not close that door!" We both laughed and walked upstairs and into my room and sat on the futon.

     "Hey, I know it may not be any of my business but is everything ok. You seemed off at the table. Like you were going to cry and then all the sudden you were fine again." She looked down and started fiddling her fingers and her eyes started watering again.

     "It's bad. Really bad." She whispered softly, "I don't know what I'm suppose to do. The vacation to the private island wasn't just a vacation to my dad. He wants to live there." A tear streamed down her face and fell to her lap. I grabbed her hand. 

     "But you live in your own apartment. You could just stay here." I questioned.

     "It's more complicated than that. My dad sold his company, his vacation house, his cars, everything." She looked at me. Staring into my eye as if the world was ending, "The island has set levitation features so any on it gets sent to the sky when the day comes. The restaurant I was talking about was a demonstration explaining to everyone how it works. The 1% plans on leaving the ground, and letting us fend for ourselves. My dad included, and he wants me to join him. He said if I don't he'll-" She paused and just started crying. As if she was holding the whole world on her shoulders and she just ran out of strength.

     "Hey it's ok. It's ok." I scooted closer to her and held her in my arms. "It's gonna be ok."

     "He said he would kill you if I didn't. So I'd have no reason to stay." Everything fell silent. Felt like my heart stopped beating, and my lungs stopped breathing. 

     "Holly, it's ok. Every thing is going to be ok." I held back tears. This crazy bastard would kill me, just to be with his daughter. I understand it. He would do anything to protect her the way he couldn't protect her mother.  

     "We leave in a week." She sat up and grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled out two small circle pucks, "These are long distance holographic communicators. We'll use them to talk to each other, ok." She managed to pull out a soft smile. "Maybe, we can try long distance." I grabbed the communicator and gave her a soft hug.

     "Long distance with you is better then being murdered. So I'll take it." We laughed, and I could feel her breath starting to slow down and her anxiety starting to release.