Under the Clouds

Chapter 1

I was surrounded in black smoke. I was suffocating, choking on the ash that fell from the black clouds like acid rain. My clothes were covered in soot as I continued down the blackened street, coughing up the polluted oxygen that stuck in the air like thick fog. If a doctor checked me out and looked into my mouth, he'd probably see swollen and red tissue that makes up my throat. Mentally cursing myself for forgetting my oxygen mask at home, I hurried down the charcoal sidewalk, squeezing my way through a crowd of rowdy teenagers as they screamed and hollered at each other over some petty incident. Making my way through the crowd, I briskly walked the few steps to the bus stop, glancing around me at the many skyscrapers that were drenched in black snow. Downtown Indova was the worst part of the city. The pollution was the worst here, always choking someone on the street until they could breathe no more, and they would fall dead onto the black concrete. No one would pay any mind to the victim; he'd either get stepped over or ran over by a car before the Emergency Officials actually came and picked him up. There was no grass on the ground either, or at least, no grass visible to the human eye. The entire ground was hidden in darkness, covered in ash, soot, chemicals, and any other pollutants that are quickly killing Indova's population. The Indova Hospital was overflowing with sick patients, citizens on the verge of death from breathing in toxins and poisoned oxygen.

I grabbed hold of the metal bus stop pole, watching with indifference as the big gray vehicle made its way down the street to me. My mother was in that hospital. Every Monday, before school, I went to visit her, since Mondays were the only days visitors were allowed. Before, we could come and go as we pleased, but with all of the new patients, our time to see our loved ones was limited. I had kissed my mother goodbye and walked out of the hospital, trying to shield my face from the polluted fog that clung to the atmosphere of Indova. I had overslept today and hurried to the hospital, forgetting my oxygen mask on the top of my dresser. Lucky for me, I had felt no dizziness or nausea as I went downtown. Lucky for me, I was still alive and breathing well when the bus came to pick me up so I could go to Central Indova. I boarded the bus and slid my metal key into the slot, hearing the click and watching as the keypad flashed green, signaling me to go find a spot on the bus. I walked down the aisle, nodding and smiling to the passengers before I found an empty spot near the back. I slid into it silently, throwing a glance to the occupant in the seat next to me. He had a black overcoat covering his slumped over body, and the only visible thing on him was his flat, black hair. On the shoulder of his overcoat was a white shield with a golden cross on the inside. Written in black letters inside the thick, horizontal line of the cross was HAIL THE HALLS. I snorted and looked out of the dirty window, watching as the bus drove through the falling ash flakes and sped pass the tall, white skyscrapers and office buildings.

This was the city of Indova, the dirtiest and most toxic place in the Cybrium States. In my history classes, we were taught about the United States of America, a country of three centuries ago that slowly died away due to pollution and violence. About one hundred years ago, though, remaining US citizens were able to team up and build the Cybrium States, with Indova as the capital. Each Cybrium city had its own president, and the president of Indova had been Winston Halls, a fair and just leader of the capital. He had made Indova a green city, full of happiness, life, and health. After his death, his son, Matthew Halls had taken over his place, and he was not as fair as his father. Slowly but surely, Indova had turned into a poisoned city, full of factories, offices, pollution. He had recreated the struggles of the United States, the troubles that eventually led to the country's downfall. Because of Matthew Halls, my mother was in the hospital with lung cancer, and she was slowly decaying away. Matthew Halls had driven my father to insanity, and he had abandoned my family and me, fleeing to Europe and never making his face known again. Matthew Halls had taken away my brother's two year old daughter for missing his payment on his electricity bill by twelve hours.