Citizen

Chapter seven - Ethan

Hey y'all! So as some of you know, I've decided to add in one chapter each from the POV of Ethan and James. This is both to add some depth to their characters, foreshadow some of the events of the book, and pave the way for more of them in the sequel.

If you like this, I'll leave it and post James' chapter as well. If not, I'll delete it. Simple as that.

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Storm clouds rumbled overhead as rain fell in thick sheets, drenching the forest and digging deep into the soil surrounding Arabel. The city, however, remained dry. Its towers stayed bright, the stars above it stayed golden, and the river was as calm as ever. From the inside, it looked as though it was nothing more than a peaceful night, but from the outside, the weather dome surrounding it was covered in streaks from the rain, blurring the many lights of the city, and thunder drowned out all other noises.

But just outside the city, ten stories underground, a boy was snoozing, unaware of the strange things happening above him. That is, until his computer began to buzz insistently, like a fly against a window. With a start, he jumped in his seat, knocking the mishmash of silver he'd been working on to the floor. Despite its weight and strange size, the object bounced as if it was a round rubber ball, and each time it hit the floor there was a menacing crack.

Scrambling to his feet, the boy chased after it, tugging his coat around him to cover the shirt underneath; it was black, short sleeved and emblazoned with a right angle and the words 'Yes, I'm Always Right' – not exactly appropriate attire for someone of his status. But it was the only cool thing the Enforcers had brought back from their mission to the outside, and he simply couldn't let it be destroyed with the rest of the junk.

Scooping the contraption into his arms, the boy dove back towards his seat, and let it slide across the cold concrete, before skidding to a stop in front of his desk. Settling the object on the glass surface, he waved his hand in front of the computer, and in seconds it came to life. The name 'Ethan Thomas' popped up briefly, but was quickly replaced by a blurry female's face. He patted around the desk for his glasses and put them on quickly. Kyra, he thought with a frown. Being one of his best citizens, Ethan rarely had to check up on Kyra, meaning he knew next to nothing about her. But six years of watching out for her had taught Ethan a thing or two. It was strange that she was up this late, and even stranger that she had no intention of going to sleep. Like usual she had already taken off her bracelet, but that didn't explain why her energy levels were full to the max.

Despite his confusion, Ethan tapped on her face and watched as a list of thoughts popped up. It said exactly what she was thinking, but Ethan – who didn't really enjoy invading her privacy - summarised it into a few short words, the ones he selected being 'mother, get, out.' Ethan let out a soft snort and leaned back in his seat, getting ready for the angrier thoughts to come.

With a yawn, Ethan pressed the speaker button on the side of his desk and walked into the centre of the room to stretch. Despite having extra privileges such as television and unhealthy foods, the Controllers still had the same sized bedrooms as regular citizens, and almost the exact same furniture. Next to the entrance was his wardrobe, and though it was small, it mainly consisted of white coats and inappropriate shirts from the outside that his mother disapproved of. Across from the desk was his bed, next to that a door that led to his bathroom, and on the far wall there was a glass bookshelf, full to the brim of the most colourful knickknacks Ethan could find to brighten up the dull, grey room.

Ethan stopped his pacing as Kyra's thoughts went onto a new topic: the Vinctures. His computer let out a beep, alerting him to the rise in her emotional instability. That single thought split and branched off into even angrier ones, each more rage filled than the last. It was as though all of her anger had been stored up for one moment, and now she had finally let it out. Ethan knew it was wrong to listen, and felt his shoulders droop under the weight of his guilt for every second he didn't turn off his computer, but his curiosity was too much for him. The Citizens were so different, so unique - it was interesting to see how they lived.