Umbra

Chapter 1

Hello everyone! So I have been working on this with my team for a while now and I decided it was time to publish the first chapter. There will be a lot of work placed into this story and I hope that you guys will remain patient with me because I want to try and give you the best content possible. I have been trying to shift my focus to fantasy because it is what I love the most. I hope you guys enjoy.

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      I walked into the office and pulled off my mask. Tossing it down next to my bag, I looked around out front and sat down. Today was a slow day, not that any other day was much better than this. Thankfully the library was funded by the government because if not, this place would have been out of business a long time ago. "I finished taking out the trash!" I yelled to someone in the back.

      "Excuse me," an older woman asked, walking up to the window. "Do you know where I can find children's books?"

      I looked down at the little girl standing next to her grandmother and smiled. "They're going to be on aisle six, all the way down to the back."

      "It's nice to see young people out working," she commented. "Not many around any more thanks to that gaming contraption." She rolled her eyes and grabbed her granddaughter's hand. "In my day, we didn't rely on techno-lology for entertainment." She began walking away and continued to mutter under her breath.

      I couldn't help but chuckle and grabbed the remote, turning on the monitor for the local news. All my books were sorted, and all the people were tended to, so there was not much else to do. I only wish I was able to escape this world too... even if it was only a game.

      The screen flickered on, and an older gentleman sitting at a table appeared on the screen. His face was grim, and he looked down at his notes before starting his normal announcements.

      "In other news, the environment is taking another harsh blow as recent studies show that air pollution is at an all-time high." The anchorman paused for a moment to release a loud cough, covering his mouth with his hand. "Hospitals are informing locals to be cautious when going out. It is important to remember that some effects of air pollution include the increased risk of sickness..."

      I looked down at my face mask sitting next to my bag and let out a sigh. Grabbing the remote sitting next to me, I quickly changed the channel in hopes of something less depressing. Suddenly a man appeared on the screen, but this time he did not have a grim look on his face. Below his body was an announcement banner that read Gaming Company makes an Announcement. The picture of a familiar face appeared on the screen, and I quickly turned up the volume.

      "Today with us we have the CEO of the famous gaming company called Entice Inc.," the host announced. "Please welcome Mr. Andrew Maelstrom!" The audience applauded as my father's boss walked out onto the stage, waving at the crowd as he made his way over to his seat. He sat down and unbuttoned his jacket, smiling once more at the camera before turning his attention to the host. "Welcome to the show Mr. Maelstrom, it's an honor sitting down with you today."

      "It's nice to be here," Mr. Maelstrom replied. "Thank you for having me on your show."

      "Absolutely," the host went on. "Now I hear that your company has risen to the top of the gaming industry ever since you released your invention called the Immersive Pod, is that true?" The host crossed his legs and sat back in his chair, getting comfortable for the upcoming show.

      "It's true," Mr. Maelstrom said with a wide smile. "Our Immersive Pod was released about a year ago, and because of it, people are able to travel to different worlds within seconds." The crowd gasped in awe as he continued on about the perks of his invention and it made my desire for one grow by the second. I didn't own one because my father told me that I had to earn my pod by working for it. I was raised in a household where grades were more important and receiving an education was a must.