Octavius

Chapter One

I didn't want to leave, I was cozy. I lived a comfortable life; I knew everyone in town, I did the same routine every day, it was a plain life and that's just how I liked it. Now I find myself on an adventure neither planned nor wanted.

My name is Oakley Henderson, I am what a normal eighteen year old teenager, with the normal motivations, or lack there of. My height works against me because my limbs seem to have a mind of their own, though people just call me clumsy. I have mop of untameable curly golden locks that sit atop my head. I am told the only distinguishable thing about me is my bright green eyes. One thing people should know about me is, I am not good with the unknown. If I could I would want to know the ending of my story before actually began, I read the ending of every book before I start it so I know what to expect. I am the type of person who wants to know how and when they died, and what their future holds. My friends keep telling me that I am "uptight", that I need to loosen up and just need to live everyday on the edge, but I can't; simply because I'm terrified, petrified even of the unknown.

I had my whole life planned out; where I would go to college, how many kids I would have, their names, even where I would have my wedding. Presuming I actually find a girlfriend.. or perhaps a boyfriend. Now all I feel is my world is clouded by fire and smog, the unknown rolling like billowing smoke over my ever so clear future.

The town I am from is a small quaint village of sorts called West Prairie. And like every other town, village, and city in the country, we in West Prairie were getting ready for the big sweep as everyone took to calling it. The mayor spending money originally intended for the school, excessively decorating the town trying to make it look presentable to be on TV for when the news vans, reporters, and what not come in to watch the big event.

The sweep is when government testers come from their big fancy facility and test the blood of all the eighteen year olds, the purpose of this is to distinguish those with "the gene" and take them. In other words on the thirty first of every December the few who are discovered with the gene will be swept away from their family, friends, and homes. Be brought to a facility unknown to anyone who is not there, where they will be trained to fight and protect us mundane people from a "evil force" as I like to say. Though no one besides the government officials and those with the gene know what exactly we are being protected from.

The gene they are looking for is called Octavius. It's a gene that can change the world and "protect us" so the government says. Protect us from what? Im not entirely sure. The gene its self can be found only when a person turns eighteen and essentially from what we are told is people with this gene have super human intelligence, strength, senses, and even advanced gifts. I don't get why the government cant just say they have powers like a wizard or a meta human because essentially thats what they are. The government takes those with the gene to the specialized facility where they help them harbour their abilities and train them how to use it. What they use those with the Octavius gene is still unknown, I do know they are put on a pedestal and paraded around. Every year the government puts on a show I like to call it, where the Octavia "gift" us with their talents to prove to people around the Country we are being kept safe and protected. The show is a series of challenges and tasks the Octavia are put through, all would be a death sentence to the average human. But I guess if you have super strength and powers; controlling fire and water, moving buildings with your mind, and fighting a mutated wolf like beast would be easy. What I would like to know is; if the government can cook up a mutated wolf, what else can they do?

Some wish, hope, and prey that they have the gene. Perhaps it is because of the stardom one gets when they have the gene. The media has taken it upon themselves to dub people the Octavius gene, The Octavia. Since its discovery fifty years ago only a hundred or so have ever been tested positive for the gene. Personally I would be fine if no more were to ever be discovered; the Octavia are self centred people who expect the world to bow at their feet like we are insignificant to them, well in my opinion anyway.