Zone Zero (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 3

"Hey little sister, Uncle James sent me to come and get you. We are having a special dinner for your birthday." Logan is relaxing on my bed throwing a ball up into the air just to catch it again when I enter my room.

I was hoping to have a quiet night by myself and maybe read a book but if Uncle James asks for you, you have to drop whatever you're doing and go.

"Fine," I sigh, "I'll get dressed and meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

My brother Logan and I share a small double storey townhouse that only has two bedrooms and a study. My eldest brother Logan got the largest room and then Declyn got the next biggest room while I got the shoebox of a study which only just fits a bed. Logan has said before that I can move into Declyn's room if I want to but I feel it is still too soon. Besides, what if he finds a way back to us?

I dress as quick as possible and meet Logan downstairs and we walk together to the town hall where all members of the UN reside. Although the town hall is on constant guard we are let straight in due to Uncle James's pulling power and the fact that everyone inside the zone knows exactly who we are. That has always been a bit of a problem for me since my mouth has a constant habit of getting me into trouble.

Stepping into the foyer I look over at Logan and he smiles back at me with one of his most sincere grins. Although there is 6 years between us, he has always treated me the same as he did Declyn and since losing our parents, he chose to step up and take on the task of raising us. I am forever grateful to Logan for that.

I look around and take in the enormity of the foyer with its original hanging artwork covering the walls. This is one of the few places that has been kept the same since the fall of the zones with the exception of the upstairs being completely transformed into a residence for those of importance and their families. The entire town hall is now Zone Two's very own version of the white house.

"Logan, Evette, you're here!"

I hear his voice before I see his face but I know what to expect; a military general's uniform being escorted by his faithful personal assistant, Jonesy.

I turn and smile because I am right.

Uncle James crosses the foyer and holds me to him for a moment in an awkward kind of embrace before letting me go and moving on to Logan.

"Happy Birthday dear Evette. 21 already." His voice betrays the words he speaks since I know that he is neither happy and I am not dear to him.

"Come, we shall dine here tonight. Just us three."

He leads us to a small room with a round table set for three and urges us to sit. I search Logan's face for some sort of emotion but it appears he is giving nothing away so I turn my attention to the artwork on the walls.

Logan has never seen our Uncle in the same light that I do. He has always trusted and believed in our darling Uncle while I see him for the snake he truly is. But at least the perks of being related to him means that I can come and go from the Town Hall as often as I like. When I was younger I would come just to look at the paintings from a world now lost. Even now when I visit, I still find myself more interested in the artwork than the actual conversation.

Some famous pieces were rescued during the fall and whilst others lie locked away in vaults, they display some proudly along the walls. I find myself drawn to the surrealist works of Salvador Dali as they hang prominently with the entire wall to themselves. Two paintings stand tall by each other's side as the last existing works of Dali known to man. I have read about Dali and seen pictures of his others work and I shed a mental tear knowing that the two that were saved were by far not his best pieces.