evanna
The White Guard doesn't see what's coming until I've got him. Those of his pure ranking don't wear masks, or helmets- all they do is stand around in their beautiful, pristine, snow-coloured garb with rifles by their sides- and that makes it incredibly easy for me to get into the Square without being noticed. Julian has equipped me well- the fleece I wear is accompanied by a loose hood, the sides of which rest delicately on my shoulders as I pull it over my head.
My subconscious tells me how long I have to choke him, block his air passageways before the lack of oxygen to his brain is sufficient for him to pass out. As I sneak up behind him, I start thinking about how I won't really care if I brain-damage him.
Another moment and one hand is around his throat in an iron grip. The fingers of my other hand close in on his mouth and pinch his nose shut, gripping his face, blunt nails digging into the flesh on his face. He struggles, obviously, but I wrap my arms around him best I can and hold him to my chest, as though I were a mother lulling her child to sleep.
Victim_
Status: unconscious
The voice comes from my own head, from my mind, and it sounds exactly like mine, except my lips haven't moved a bit. The words just spoken come into my line of vision- I see them, clear as anything, electrically, vividly cerulean. I let the guard go, releasing him from my embrace, gently allowing him to slide to the ground from my arms. I don't take his rifle, although it's tempting. It would be so easy to just take it and gun the President down as she delivers her wonderful speech.
It would be too easy, something tells me.
Of course it would be. Things like these take time- two hundred people is not enough. Not against three million.
I slip in amongst the grey waves of citizens and move along with them, a wolf amongst the sheep, who all obey their one great shepherd- President Diana Malcolm. It takes me minutes to locate Julian and Bernard, but they pretend not to have noticed me as I come to a halt beside them- and I don't take offence, I know why they ignore me.
Silence falls down upon the public. Every head turns to the figure far away, standing on a stone podium shaped in the same rectangular precision as the glass buildings surrounding it. Cast upon the glass of buildings around are screens, projecting the image of President Malcolm's face are everywhere as she prepares herself to speak. I can see a little metal spot that looks like a nano-tick inserted in the center of her throat- no doubt that's the object allowing for the magnification of her voice.
She spreads her arms wide, like wings, as if to show how she can gather us all up, and smiles. It's a nice smile, a white-toothed smile, but underneath that pale lipstick, I know the smile is bittersweet.
"Welcome, citizens of Tetrahmon," she begins. Her plastic smile remains. "Let me begin with saying that, until we find the centerpoint, the absolute epitome of what we can achieve, there will always be faults amongst our community. We, together, must work, together, collectively, in order to eliminate these faults." She pauses dramatically, and the the whole Square holds its breath. Ahead, I can see Julian's jaw clenching and unclenching. Bernard stands stiffly beside his Right Hand, his eyes on Malcolm and nothing else, although I'm not fooled by the admiration that I see on his dark features- beneath it is hate, and little else.
She holds her hands just above her stomach, the smile now turning to a flat line. "The recent events that have been put to light have caused a disruption of some significance within the community. As you all know, the wall is still in construction, although it is our current priority- and here is why. Your safety, dear citizens, is on the top of our list at all times, and something has come in from that Wall and infiltrated this perfect system which we have constructed, within which we have lived and raised our children and nourished them with the purity of Tetrahmon."
Oh, you're so very flattering, I think.
"Two of our soldiers were murdered on and outside the wall from a being- a monster whose origins lie somewhere beyond the Wall." As expected, a buzz of murmurs and terrified whispers circulate around the crowd. The President induces silence by raising her hands. "Have no fear, citizens, for we will find this being before it can cause any further damage.
"Naturally, procedures of caution must be taken, in order to reduce the risk that this infiltrator poses upon our society. White Guards will be set up to patrol the streets, day and night. We hope that you will all understand that they are here to keep the peace, and are not expected to disturb any of your daily routines. They will be here just so that we may have active eyes, ears, and defence all over Tetrahmon.
"The innocent will have nothing to fear.
"Furthermore, we ask of each and every one of you to report anything suspicious to the Governmental Bureau. Depending on what we find out about this attacker, or if they fail to be found, more precautions may have to be taken.
"I trust you, my citizens, to know what is right and what is wrong."
I hear Julian mutter something that vaguely sounds like "oh, fuck," under their breath. Diana Malcolm's plastic smile has returned.
"And as I look down upon you all, I am reminded of this unanimity of this glorious city- of this glorious state, that we, collectively, have achieved and that we, together, will continue to improve as we strive towards our single goal- and that is the complete and full capacity of humanity as it stands today."
A man, presumably her right-hand, steps up, and raises his fist in the air. His voice, too, is magnified, but it doesn't need to be, since all of us join in, creating a torrent of solidarity. "Long live President Malcolm! Long live Tetrahmon! Long live the President!"
I am disgusted.
a/n: thank you all so much for telling me which over I should use, that was extremely helpful :D
but here we go, another chapter of Shiver is up! What did you think? Critique is always appreciated, and so is a thumbs-up if you liked it ^-^
also, what do you think of the graphic I made up there?
thank you all for your support, I'm so grateful for it.
Sarah x