The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity Read Online Free PDF

cooperative, or risk the consequences of disobedience. The ones
in control held the key to our survival, regardless of whether we wanted them
to or not. Now, the military lurked in the streets, outside homes, and along
stretches of highway. In each territory, they waited for their opportunity to
dispose of unruly civilians. Discarding them would benefit the masses,
increasing law-abiding citizens odds at being selected. As merciless as it was,
our government had counted on it. Everyone did. There wouldn’t be sufficient
resources for all, or enough space within the colonies. And as states divided
into territories, as cities were segregated with twenty-five foot iron walls
surrounded by guards and watch towers, we said goodbye to our old lives. Beyond
the barricades, interstates, through the desert and mountains, the land became
obsolete. As war continued, it grew into a wilderness—a world filled with
abandoned countryside and deserted ghost towns. Off the grid, you were as good
as dead.
    Pharmaceuticals
struggled to keep up with the high demand for drugs. Many places of worship
held special services. Curfews served to ward off crimes. And with a fractional
education system, we learned how to adapt to the end of days. Most of the things
we once took for granted disappeared after the collapse—the indulgence of
shopping, dining, our obsession with technology. To my surprise, it hadn’t been
long before people became numb to it all. I guess after months of choking on
denial, that’s just what happens. You swallow. Now, we had no choice but to accept
that our lives were mere fractions of what we thought they’d be. And soon, only
a handful of us would survive within the depths of the earth—a vision that
continued to haunt my dreams.
      
    ♦  ♦  ♦
     
    I
rushed in and out of the house that day, dragging the boxes from my room,
wincing at the lingering ache in my leg. Memories from the crash still returned
at random, reminding me of the impact. Carelessly, I kicked the heavy box
forward, pushing it to the edge of the stairway in frustration before sluggishly
forcing myself down on the top step to tend to the pain. I leaned my head
against the cool wall while the tears came. Depression had been a constant
struggle in the months after the news, but it wasn’t a trick that the chemicals
in my brain played on me. This was how I should’ve felt. In fact, it was how
many of us felt upon knowing our lives were ending. No surprise. There was no
use fighting it anymore.
    I
wrestled the bags of clothing into the trunk of my mother’s old, rusty car. As
I dried my tears, gravel crunched under the weight of tires approaching along
the driveway behind me. Without looking, I scurried back into the house to hide
the mess I created. I hoped my tidiness would soften the blow when she found
out my intentions. But it was Evan who paid me an unexpected visit, which was
even worse.
    I
peered at him from my bedroom window as he got out of the old, red jeep. Clenching
my eyes shut, I took a deep breath, knowing how difficult it would be to face
him, to tell him. And after the thud of slow footsteps on the porch came a loud
knock on the front door. Now, I had no choice but to confront him. I hesitated
down the stairs, trying to appear as casual as possible as he stood before me,
his worried glance indicating his suspicion.
    “Hey.”
He looked around behind me, denying the emotion that wanted desperately to show
through. “I figured I’d drop by to see if you were… alright.” He swallowed in
worry.
    “I
was just cleaning up,” I said, finding comfort in knowing it was only half a
lie, trying to sound calm. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
    “Can
I come in?” he asked. I hesitated before pulling the creaky porch door open for
him. With the squeal of its rusty hinges, I prayed he didn’t notice anything
out of the ordinary. “Listen, it’s been a month since you’ve left this house.
Are you okay?”
    “If
I