Aletheia

Chapter 1: Claire

THE GIRL SCREAMED IN DELIGHT FOR her older sister. She giggled and turned back to the Tree. The tree's rings contained the endless history of the past. It stood tall at the center of the town square, the only tree in sight, surrounded by buildings, besides a spouting, dancing fountain.

Her sister, Claire, jumped out from behind her and started tickling her. The little girl screamed in delight, her dark black hair flew through the air as she writhed on the ground. Claire grinned, her smile spreading across her slightly puffy cheeks. Her short brown hair tossed around her in delicate waves, sky blue eyes gleaming with a mischievous air.

A piercing sound reached their ears, echoing through the entirety of the city, shouts of a riot drifted up from the side streets. Claire stopped tickling her little sister, Ebony, a look of concern flooding her previously carefree face. They both held their breaths as the chaos made its way towards them. The governor appeared on the steps to the main building, his gray eyes stared out over the growing crowd of people, he lifted his hands up, trying to get them to silence. Slowly, the shouts turned into a low murmur.

Claire moved closer, her stumpy short legs not helping her see over the newfound crowd of people. She couldn't imagine how little her 9 year old sister Ebony could see. Claire bent down and lifted her sister up onto her shoulder to see over the people's heads. Ebony's head now poked out at the same height as all the other adults, with Claire at the size of most of the other teenagers.

Governor Krette began, "My dear citizens, we all know why we don't go outside the city walls. We put these walls up to protect you! Imagine if the great beasts of the outside got in. These walls are here for the greater good, and for this we need your cooperation," with that he was finished and stepped back.

More shouts rose up, Claire reached up and held her little sister's hand, Ebony looked down at her, her eyes glistening and scared. Claire squeezed her hand trying to give her the smallest feeling of comfort.

Gasps rose up from the crowd as the Protectors came in escorting a boy. He looked about Claire's age-18-with bright green eyes and wild brown hair. Soot and dirt covered his savage looking face, a slight grin was spread across his lips. He wore ash gray pants and a loose, indigo peasants shirt, the strings at the top barely tied. The Protectors pushed him into the prison building and closed the gates behind them. The crowd went wild with screams and protests, their questions being thrown away in the wind.

There was someone new in the city.

~

"All I am saying is that this kid could be dangerous," Claire's mom said as she ladled the messy porridge into Claire's bowl.

Claire stared ahead, her eyes going in and out of focus, "And all I said was maybe you should give the kid a chance, who knows what his story is or where he came from. Maybe he's one of us. Remember the kids who left the city like 10 years ago and never came back? What if he's one of us!"

"One of you, or one of us?" her little sister Ebony snickered, lifting her spoon to her mouth. Her eyes stayed on the porridge as if waiting for it to move, giving her an excuse to refuse to eat it. Claire groaned. Ever since they found out Claire was the next Keeper of history they wouldn't let it go, as if it made her special. She was different but not what she would consider special.

"I am just 'reading' the rings of the great tree. I'm basically the head librarian and I have to read the biggest, oldest, dustiest book to all the kids at bedtime," Claire said, rolling her eyes. She wasn't exaggerating, well maybe a little, that was the dumbed down version of what she had to do. What she had to do for the rest of her life...