The System

Chapter 1 - Hershell

My name is Alannah. Everyone calls me Ally though. I've lived in a small town called Hershell for as long as I can remember.

It's more of village considering there's 34 houses, a small school combining primary and secondary school and an extremely tall building slap bang in the middle of the town that functions as our community centre. We call it the Centrum.

The Centrum is the most important building in Hershell. I've always wondered why the building was so big. Then again it does have the police station, hospital, school, banks, clothing stores, grocers, restaurants, a gym and other important things a town needs. Heck it even has an asylum.
Normal people like me are only allowed on the first few floors. The floors high above are for the important people like the government officials.

Our town has a population of 195. This number hasn't changed for more than 5 years. I don't remember much from more than 5 years ago.

The people in the town seem content with life. Why wouldn't they be, considering we live a peaceful, stress-free life. After 10 years of basic schooling we get to choose a job around the town or we get chosen to work in the Centrum.

Only a few get chosen to work in the Centrum and join the officials but from what I have seen everyone is happy with their jobs regardless of where they work.

Everyone works for a good sum of money per month which we use for luxuries because all our needs, like food and medicine, are given to us by the government. We've always lived peacefully. Free of violence and tyranny.

But I have always had a gut feeling that there's more to it than we know. That's why I'm so determined to excel in school and become part of the select few to work in the higher floors of the Centrum.

Today is the last day of the month. This means we have to go to the Centrum for our monthly community meeting and to collect our food and health essentials for the month ahead.

I live alone since I turned 17 because living with my aunt Sam and her 3 children became a little too suffocating. I never knew my parents. Apparently they died just after I was born. Aunt Sam always said I'm too mature for my age. I guess that's why she wasn't surprised when I told her I was moving out into my parent's old house just up the street.

All she said was "Okay". That's all! But Aunt Sam was never a critical person so even getting a simple 'Okay' from her was all the acceptance I needed. She even helped me to move and forced her 3 bratlings to help as well.

The house is the only thing I have left of what belonged to my parents. Its just 3 houses away from Aunt Sam's which makes easy for her to check up on me every once in a while. She insists it necessary because I'm 17 and until I turn 18 'you're technically not an adult' as she always says. The house opposite mine is empty.

I grab the remote and surf through the channels until I decide Fashion Police is the perfect way to pass time between now and the meeting about an hour away.

I wouldn't even go if it wasn't for the fact that my fridge is almost empty. I will officially go crazy if I have to spend another day without chocolate! That means joining old lady Whitney in the asylum. I also need to get my attendance stamp from the meeting to avoid any trouble later.

I open my eyes and realize I dozed off a while ago. I have 5 minutes to change and get to the Centrum. I'm going to be late.

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A/N: Hey guys if you're reading my story please give me feedback. Good or bad. I'm a new writer so I'd appreciate your opinions. =D

Also what do you guys think of the storyline??

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