The Diamond Spy

Ch.1 Temptation

Before you read on, just a small request for you to read it alternatively for free on the Radish Fiction app instead because I'm trying to boost the reads on that app. On Radish it's called Frankincense City [Vol.1], my username is CSW1995, display name C. Swallow.

Up to you which app you prefer to continue reading it on :) Radish has no ads between chapters which is a bit smoother.

Enjoy!

•'¯'•. . .•'¯'•

Temptation

I wake up with my head spinning. I roll out of bed and I hit the floor, throwing up my guts into the bucket just next to my bedside table.

It was the vaccine handed out by the government making me feel woozy and dizzy. After emptying my guts, my hands search the floor for my clothes as I usually slept naked to reduce the number of outfits I ruined with my sharp as all hell nails and hair. Soft fabric meets my trembling palms and I pull up the already half shredded black pants in a swift jerk. I find my broken over sized blue shirt and chuck that on too.

Groaning, I stand up and wisp my tawny hair over my shoulders as I stumble to the mirror.

I smile at myself in the reflection, smugly. I give myself a wink.

"You did it," I speak to myself, "You landed yourself a job, give yourself a pat on the back... carefully," I chuckle as I do just that.

My morning daze only lasts so long before I'm in a rush to get out of my oh so accommodating bedroom. It was a small, tiny box. After my parents kicked me out, I was at least eligible for government care.

Heh. Well, I was only eligible if I had no where else to go. Since most of my relatives were all dead – um, yeah... I had no where else to go. And, of course, as long as I took the SD vaccine every night and trialled jobs until I found a permanent position – I could stay here.

I open the only window I have, about the size of my hand and I breathe in the burnt air from the forever dark clouded city.

Mmmm, yes, Frankincense City - FC for short. Or Frank. Whatever you preferred.

It was the only city in the New World – that was from the Old World.

Old World as in before the earth was bombed with Spanky Dust. Yes, Spanky Dust.

It gave people powers. Only problem was – it killed 85% of those who came into contact with it.

15% survived.

Those who weren't caught in Spanky Dust stayed out of Frankincense. Those who were touched by it and survived, lived here.

Why Frankincense City? Well, it stunk here, usually of burning chemicals, burning buildings, and, wait for it... people who harboured the power to seep gas at will. There was a surprising amount of people who could do that. Not to mention, according to the rest of the world, we were all Frankensteins. Sometimes people didn't mutate powers, sometimes they mutated extra body parts. Imagine having two assholes and taking two shits?

Frankincense was the perfect name.

Who really cared, anyway? None of the one million people living here had anywhere else to go. It didn't matter what the city was called.

We were permanently stuck here, until one of the vaccines actually worked and cured us. So far 3 different vaccines had failed.

This was the 4th attempt at curing everyone. Most people just refused to take it now. Although if you openly refused you were at danger of being labelled a Misfit. Most people pretended to take it, just for legal checks.