Life of the past

Chapter 1

The sun was bright on the last day of summer the wind brushing the grass. I was laying down staring at the sun. I sighed my summer wasn't really eventful. I was really excited to see my friends again in the community. Sure maybe we didn't get as much freedom as the summer but they don't allow you to bring friends with you. I got up I was wearing my summer clothes. A bright orange shirt with the symbol of my sector on it. It was the symbol of peace the olive branch. The sector I spend the summer in was where my Grandmother lives they had a lion symbol for courage because they had sent the most people to fight in World War 6 the last of the world wars before they started the Community's. "Jessica! Time to Pack" My dad yelled from the doorway of the circular house. I got up and brushed off some of the artificial grass that clung to my clothes. I was about to walk into my Grandmother's house when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. In the woods..No one's supposed to be out there. I walked inside before curiosity got the best of me. I looked around the house it was small compared to ours. After Grandfather had died they moved Grandmother to a smaller house so they could move a different couple into her house. It had dull colors not the bright colors we have back home. The only reason that is is because they want to remind them that their life is dull without anyone. I walked up clean stairs looks like someone recently cleaned them. I walked up hanging on the railing to keep my balance. I walked into the short hallway with 4 doors. One for Grandmother. One for Mother and Father. And one for my older brother Jaxson. The smallest one was for me. I walked in it was just a mattress with dull sheets and a dull white pillowcase. I was really tired of this dull house and my dull boring Grandmother. I picked up my hover-case from the small closet and picked up my bright clothing folded it to the correct folding position it gave just enough room to put in the one item I got to bring from home. It was my journal. It was leather bind with silk thread and my name written across the top with a knife that's what my grandfather told me atleast. The thing is we're not supposed to have anything sharp no age are you allowed to have a knife but I never questioned it. Then the movement in the woods came back to me. It was probably just the wind. I closed my hover-case and went down stairs. The Air-Train was due in 15 minutes we might have to run. If the overseers saw us we might have a suspension from our sector. My Family came downstairs at that moment. My mom took one look and said "Go, go, go we need to get on the Air-Train before it leaves!" We hurried to get our bright shoes on. We went out of the house with our hover-cases behind us. I was behind everyone as we moved to the Air-Train stop. We moved through the dull sector. This whole sector had dull houses ranging from old people to young people. It was whoever didn't have anyone left lived in this sector. In every community there was a sector like Grandmother's. Dull and boring. It's very unproductive in the community when they could be doing something to help. I looked at the back of my mother's curly red hair. Then at her clothes at the age of 18 you get your maturity clothes. Mine was 2 years from now, jaxson has his in 4 months. My mother's maturity clothes were not the important kind. She had a flowery bright red shirt with the collar of the shirt above her neck bone. Her shorts went down past her thighs and were a light blue. Her shoes were white with a flower on top. On the other hand my father's messy black hair on the top of his head with contrasting form his maturity clothes. A bright green meaning important, he was one of the overseers in our sector. Not a super important one though. His shorts were a little different from my mothers they went down past his knees and they were a little bit of green at the bottom of the dark brown pants the rest of the way and they had pockets which only some of us dream of having in our clothes but they are too cautious with us putting things we are not supposed to have in them. He had brown shoes the same color as his pants with ties. My brother had a dark blue shirt which means after he matures he will become an overseer but since his is darker he will become a more important one. He's becoming a scientist. We were all so proud of him for accomplishing his goal. My mom doesn't have a job but she did before she used to weed and tend gardens for everyone in the sector to earn money for us children. I sighed, running to catch up to them. We got to the Air-Train Station just on time. As we walked in I saw that it was empty not unusual since we have to leave a day earlier than everyone else here because our sector is so far away. As we walked through the station I looked at the mold on the walls wondering why they don't keep the station sanitary. I looked up at the Telascreen as it displayed the prince giving an announcement about politics. Ever other girl in the provinces would be going head over heels for him. Provinces all over the world loved him but me, nah, i'm not really a prince person. "Air-Train for Olavin Sector Arrival in 60 seconds" the woman over the speakers pronounced. When we got to the moldy area of the Air-Train station area our Air-Train is supposed to be. we plopped down on the chairs out of breath. I breathed in and out to calm my breathing so the overseers wouldn't know we had been running. I heard the rest of my family doing the same. Once we had calmed our breathing enough we stood up and smoothed out our bright summer clothes. We walked very professional to the railing that would open when the Air-Train stopped and was prepared for boarding. We all stood there quiet, waiting for the Air-Train. He was silent enough to hear slime or something slip down the walls. A cold rush of air came from the tunnel. I bent over the railing just a little to get a better look. The Air-Train was approaching. It's Bland black and white colors smeared. The front battered from impacts with fast braking. My family stood holding onto the railing tight knuckles turning white. We learned from the first time using this Air-Train that it will knock you off balance from its brakes and its informal to be a clutz. As the Air-Train approached closer and closer the air get colder and colder. I could see the Air-Train better now it had purple and red patches on the train to keep it from falling apart all together that got me thinking. Why don't they just build a better Air-Train? But I shrugged off the question it's impolite to ask questions when we know we will get the answers at some point. It was close enough now where I could see the small chipped areas of paint. I couldn't see the interior through the windows quite yet even though the windows are tinted it's easy to see how un-modern this Air-Train is. It's one of the first versions of Air-Trains to be created. Anyway when it came to a stop in front of us I was the first to step on. I looked around there was the normal table or 2, 2 sets of Windows in the back, the female assistant that smelled of green tea and peppermint, a couple couches that were ripped and torn from old age, a door in the back probably leading to the bedrooms, and the one disgustingly gross bathroom to the left of all chaos of couches. The wallpaper with peeling off the walls in some places, the steel door that lead to bedrooms was rusted, the female assistant had a bored look her face as she told us to go to our rooms in back. I looked at her then back at my family with a disgusted look on my face they shrugged back. I stepped carefully toward the door afraid that if I stepped in the wrong places the carpet would fall out from underneath me. Once I got to the rusted door without any complications I put my hand on the door handle disgusted at how sticky it was and flung it open. It revealed 5 doors. Since my family were the only ones on the Air-Train we decided to each have our own rooms expect my Mother and Father who would be sharing one. And let me tell you are they huge! Well, okay, compared to the room I've been staying in all summer it's humongous. This room didn't smell as bad as the socializing area had been in smelled more of a cleaning product rather than a garbage can. The wallpaper look slightly newer than the wallpaper. The window outside was directly above the bed. It had a dresser and a desk and that was it. Pretty simple while at the same time disgusting the way it looked. With the wood on the desk soggy form what water? The dresser had a sticky substance on it and the drawers were practically falling out. The bed was better.... But it creaked with every movement I made. The window didn't close all the way so the fresh cold chilling air rushed onto me making a shiver erupt making goosebumps form on my arms. I sighed knowing I had to sleep like this tonight. I felt the Air-Train lurch toward knocking me off the bed and rolling to the wall. I could already feel a bruise forming on my right hip. I growled already frustrated with this Air-Train. I controlled my anger calming my breathing. I ran a hand through my smooth messed up hair. Looking around I walked to the door. I slowly turned the handle the sticky substance making me speed up the process as I went to open up into the hallway I heard a shuffling noise behind me. I froze up my whole body trembling from whatever was behind me. I very very slowly turned my head to peek behind me. I automatically noticed the rat hanging out of one of the loose drawers of my dresser. It was definitely informal to scream so I swung my head around at full speed almost whacking my head on the worn door. I yanked at the handle but it just came out of the door. I held the handle looking at it bewildered. I gulped holding up the door handle for defense against the small rat but when I turned around I couldn't see it. Fright took over me I swing myself in every direction. The tiny rodent was nowhere in sight. Then I heard it scuttle across the floor. I felt it clawing at the side of my orange shoes. I slide my foot to side on the squishy carpet trying to get my foot away from the rat. I was truly terrified of the rodent but I pushed that thought deep down inside. It followed my foot as it slide across the squishy carpet. I was tired of being formal. I position my foot and swing it back a foot off the carpet and smashed it down. I heard the crunch of bones as my foot collided with the rat and it flew through the air past the creaky old bed and out the stuck window. I did a little happy dance waving my arms around me then realization hit me. I bent my elbow having my hand in my face now. I looked at the door handle, I weighed it in my hands. I put the door handle on the old creaky bed and as expected it creaked very annoyingly as I but the handle down. I turned around looking at the door the hole where the door handle was was very visible. I'll just tell one of the assistants. I crossed the floor in less than 3 strides. I put my fingers gently through the hole knowing there would be splinters from the wood poking through its spot. I pulled and the door creaked open revealing the hallway. I walked into the musty smelling hallway. I scrunched up my nose when the smell hit. As I walked down the hallway toward the social area, I recomposed myself into formal position. I pushed a little bit onto the rusty steel door it simultaneously opened to an empty social area. I peeked my head a little out into the area. No one.. I could now feel the sticky blood from the splinters dripping down my fingers but I ignored it. "Hello?" I tried hoping to find someone. No one answered. I sighed and walked in. I saw the wallpaper had come down the walls even more since 10 minutes ago. the carpet flooring looked slightly cleaner like one of the cleaning works got up and cleaned. I chuckled at that thought. I looked around again the door to the conductors area was slightly opened. I hesitated before pushing it open. The steel form the door was also rusted but not as rusty. "Hello? Anyone there?" I tried once again. This time getting a response. It came from one of the rooms to the left. The wooden door that was way better looking than mine swung open. A girl around 23 stepped out. Maybe 6'1". She had shining mahogany bark colored hair. She had the brightest smile I have ever seen and it was only half-hearted. She had small rounded glasses with white ends. Her eyes looked pitch black with splotches of brown. "What are you doing back here?" She asked. Her left eyebrow rose in question. "I was just wondering if someone could um.. Fix my door handle it came out trying to open it" I said laughing awkwardly at the end. She nodded to my splintered fingers "That where you got those nasty splinters?" She asked again. I nodded quickly. "Alright I will have someone get right to it, In the meantime you might wanna get those fingers get cleaned up. Then she just went back into the door she came out of. Right before I left I looked at the rest of the corridor. 3 doors made out of birch wood perhaps. The 2 doors on the right perhaps redwood. I looked more closely at the doors each one had a symbol perhaps their sector. One had a loin another had a spiral, 2 of them had scales.. that means they are from the governing sector. The right side had a steel door too no rust indicated on the door either. Probably to the cockpit. I turned around the door was still opened but when I looked into the social area I saw my older brother jaxson there sitting on a worn couch reading his favorite book. The Alchemyst. Not a surprise considering he loved science. I strode one step then remembered to shut the door. I turned back around and slowly started to close the door so Jaxson wouldn't notice. It was so close then BAM it slammed making me jump a foot into the air. I could feel Jaxons's eyes on me. I nervously laughed turning around rubbing the back of my neck. He gave me a questioning look but thank the lord he didn't push it. I quickly slipped into the bathroom that was right next to the steel door. When I got in I looked around the bathroom. It smelled of Air Freshener but still couldn't cover up the smell of disposed people junk. I looked at the small toilet in the corner with flies swarming it to the sink that had mold on it. No way on earth was I using this..Oh well, I opened the medicine cabinet. Medicine, Drugs, more medicine, first aid, AHA! Tweezers. I grabbed them putting them aside. I looked farther into it, Medicine, Syringes I shivered at the thought of using them, gauze, tape, needle and thread, JACKPOT! I pulled out a whole packet full of the perfect sized bandaids probably a centimeter by a centimeter. I turned the nozzle on the sink and to my surprise clean clear water came out. I picked up the tweezers and put it to the first splinter on my pointer finger. I picked out not 1,2, or 3 but 4 splinters made out of the worn door. Next I went to the more bloodier finger my middle finger. Again i pulled out not 1,2,3,4,5, or 6 but 8 SPLINTERS! Okay so i'm not going to detail but it hurt like heck. It was like pulling stitches out when your skin's still sore. I put my 2 fingers under the cold water instantly making it sting but i kept them under until they were clean. I took out 12 tiny winy bandaids from the box. I carefully applied the tiny bandaids to each spot where a splinter once was. Once I was done I throw every band aid package away. I put the box away in the medicine cabinet along with the tweezers. I walked back into the social area feeling like a brand new pair of fingers were placed onto my hand. I shut the door slowly behind me. I squinted my eyes at the tinted windows of the Air-Train. The sunset was amazing. The pink mixed with the orange making a salmon color. The lightness of the sky was contrasting from the red at the top. It was a beautiful sight. My head started to sting then it slipped away. I felt-felt so relaxed..I felt like I was going to fall asleep here and now. I slowly trudge back to my room ignoring the rusted metal door and the squishy carpet. I collapsed onto the bed my eyes shutting but not before I heard the huge creak of the bed from my body weight.