Irregular (A Dystopian Novel)

Chapter 1

I watched as the guard slipped on my handcuffs, and then shoved me out of the testing room. The metal floor was cold against my bare feet, but I ignored the discomfort. I raised my head and immediately got lost in my thoughts. I had to make sure that I was confirmed Regular for the sake of my life and that of my family's.

Another guard grabbed my shoulder tightly and shoved me into one of the male cells. I fell to the ground, ripping one of the knees of my jeans, and grunted as I felt the sting of the fresh cut. If I had been able to hop to my feet, I would've given that guy a nice slam to the nose.

I hate how they treat us like prisoners. We are just supposed to take the test to confirm us as Irregular or Regular, then leave the next day. They handcuff us and lock us up in cold cells because they're scared. Scared that an Irregular will escape and start a rebellion. Then, the Exousia's little plan would fail, which is exactly what I want to happen.

I rolled over onto my back and jumped up, my calves and abs doing most of the work. I guess working at that stupid factory paid off after all. In return for no sleep and the endless hours of working, starving half the time, I'd put on some serious muscle! I'm glad I don't have to worry about work anymore. Well, as long as I pass. I sat down on the cot and frowned; I am so ready to get out of here.

"Hey kid, you ready for your evaluation?" A guard yelled through the bars of my cell a few hours later.

I looked up and sighed. "Yeah." 

I stood up and walked out of the cell, happy to leave it behind. I walked down the dark hallway once again, looking around to take in my surroundings. As we turned the corner, I noticed that we'd walked into the women's wing. 

As I passed by slowly, I noticed one girl in particular in Cell seventy-six, this girl was not like the others. In the previous seventy-five cells, the girls were sleeping, crying or winking at me. But number seventy-six isn't doing any of those things. Instead, I see beads of sweat dripping down her forehead and long, brown, wavy hair falls across her face. Her small fingers work quickly as she wraps a piece of what seems to be leather around an object. She was totally oblivious to my presence. I watched her for another few seconds before peeling my eyes away and following the guards. What in the world was she doing?

Moments later, the hall of women ended and I was once again shoved into another room. I sat down in a metal chair placed in a dull white room. I looked in front of me to find a woman staring back at me with dark eyes, blonde-white hair tied up in a bun, and a scar running down from the corner of her mouth to her chin. I have seen her portrait before in posters around The Link, the part of the nation I was born in.

She was The Advisor. Naturally I grinned at her, though my mind couldn't help but think of a couple different ways to kill her. She returned the smile. "Good day Mr. Winslow, we have your test results." I raised my eyebrows, indicating that I was ready for the answer. With a larger smile she said, "congratulations. You have been confirmed Regular."

I smiled with happiness, wanting to yell out a loud "yes!", but settling for a slight nod. I stood up, thanked her for her time, and made my way to the door with the guards following behind me. The moment I turned my back, my face broke out in a grin. I did it; I tricked the system.

I quickened my steps as I walked down the hallway once again. My hands were numb from the chains, but I was too excited to think about the pain. The guards started to walk faster to catch up with me, which I found amusing.

As I walked past the other cells again, I glanced over at Cell 76 once more. She was still working with the leather, her hair now pushed to the other side of her head. I could see her face now, her perfect complexion, her cute button nose. Wow, this girl was adorable.

The guard led me back to my cell, then shoved me inside harshly. Gosh, why did I have to be treated like a sack of potatoes? "You'll be leaving tomorrow evening, boy." The guard yelled behind him as he walked away. 

I sat down on my bed and looked around. I'd finally be leaving tomorrow. I'll get to go home, I'll be able to support my family. I laid down on my cot and cuddled my chained hands to my chest, then fell asleep.

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Alright! Let me know what you guys think of Chapter One! Comments and Votes are always lovely! Thank you for reading, now don't let me stop you! Go check out Chapter 2 :) ---------------------->