Inside, Pt. 1 Read online

  INSIDE

  Part 1

  by Kyra Anderson

  For information on future works, please visit:

  www.kjamidon.com

  Copyright © 2014 by K.J. Amidon

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher

  Website: www.kjamidon.com

  Published by K.J. Amidon

  ISBN: 978-0-9832280-6-6

  Cover Art by K.J. Amidon

  Printed in the United States

  Author’s Note

  Welcome! Inside is a novel broken up into three parts in order to be easily digested by and affordable to you, the reader.

  This story is not for the faint of heart or easily-offended. There are themes and elements in this novel that are meant to provoke intense and often unpleasant emotions. This is a part of experiencing this storyline. Like all writers, I ask that you suspend your knowledge of your reality and step into the world created in these pages. Please remember that this is a work of fiction!

  Considering the incredible length of this book, I decided to split the book into three (almost) equal parts. All parts of Inside are approximately the same length, but this is not a series. This is one continuous novel. Parts Two and Three will not recap everything that occurred in this book other than a quick synopsis in my note at the beginning. Part Two picks up on Chapter Thirty-Four and continues where the end of this books leaves off.

  Prepare yourself to enter the dark and twisted world inside the Commission of the People and follow Lily Sandover as she fights to keep her freedom and her sanity from the clutches of Dana Christenson.

  Chapter One

  I guess things could always be worse.

  There were worse things in life than having to move away from my birth city. For instance, our country could still be locked in civil war, and we could have foreign powers still imposing on us, poisoning us with money that did not hold the same value. The crime rate in our country could have been higher, too.

  But, it wasn’t.

  I still had to move away from everything I had ever known.

  My father was running for the position of Official Regulator of the Western Region. It was obvious from the start that he had the favor of the people. He had spent over three months travelling the region, making connections with those who would be working under him if he was elected.

  I came from a long line of politicians. My paternal grandfather had even run for Leader of America a few decades previous. He wasn’t the strong leader everyone needed at the time. Despite the fact that the Second Revolution had been over for two decades at the time he ran, and he had seen the carnage of the revolts, he did not have what it took to keep the former United States on the mend from the bloody civil war.

  Because of this background, it only made sense that my father would be a politician. As with most government officials, he started on the West Region Regulation Force, keeping the peace in the Western Region of America and enforcing the codes set by Central and The Commission of the People—offices founded on the tail of the Second Revolution. After he had worked on the Regulation Force and climbed to the top, he met my mother, a filing secretary at the time. They married and had me after obtaining their Child Rearing Permit—which was granted the allotted five-year waiting period.

  Seventeen years later, there I was, Lily Sandover, knowing that my father was going to become the Official Regulator of the Western Region and, therefore, become the reason my family would uproot.

  On the day of the decision, I went to school as usual, thinking of the friends I would miss when our family moved since Official Regulators were required to live in Central.

  I met with my friends Diane and Marcie outside the front gate of our school. Knowing I was dreading the day, they tried to cheer me up.

  “Think about it this way, at least you can get away from Mrs. Carnke now,” Marcie laughed, referring to our brutal and foul-smelling biology teacher.

  “Oh, wonderful.” I rolled my eyes. “With my luck, she has a twin in Central.”

  “Nothing’s official, yet,” Diane reminded me.

  There was a sense of dread about leaving my old life. I never found any interest in politics—after all, corrupt politics were the reason for the Second Revolution. Politics made things complicated and filled with fear. But with my family so heavily involved in the tiers of Central, I knew I was expected to follow in their footsteps and become an active member of Central society when we moved.

  The Second Revolution had been over for seven decades, but the country was still caught up in the glory of the reform. All anyone could talk about was what their fathers died for, the brighter world they fought tirelessly to obtain, and how we, as the next generation, needed to continue the legacy of our forefathers and push the country to success.

  As I ate lunch with my friends, another friend, Mary, ran over, terrified about her history test in thirty short minutes.

  “Quick, help me,” she said breathlessly. “Thomas Ankell led the Purging of Washington with the Children of America after the government massacred which university rally?”

  “Reform or Rebel Rally, which marched down the west coast and were massacred on their way to Stanford University, which started the Second Revolution and led to Washington being burned to the ground,” I answered. My father had drilled me on major events of the Second Revolution before I was even able to pronounce most of the words, let alone grasp their meaning.

  “And Ankell went into hiding…when?”

  “2031, when the True New World group attacked Central to try and overthrow him,” Diane answered. “The True New World group was crushed when the Commission of the People was first organized.”

  “Right,” Mary said. “And the Commission was started by Ankell’s right hand man, Bryant…Matthews?”

  “Morris,” I corrected.

  “Why do I keep wanting to say Matthews?” Mary groaned, rolling her eyes. “Okay, Bryant Morris. Now, the study guide says know the first three courses the Commission of the People started in the first twenty days…” She looked at us. “…help?”

  “Did you study at all?”

  “No. I tried, but I had a huge chemistry project and I totally forgot about this test!” Mary whimpered.

  “That’s what you get for slipping out of class to go to the lab,” I teased.

  “I’m sorry, I’m trying to do well in that field!” Mary defended.

  “Are you sure it has nothing to do with Mr. Hyatt?” Diane leered, causing everyone to chuckle at the thought of our serious, but attractive, chemistry professor.

  “No!” Mary gasped. “Please, just help me.”

  “Okay,” I started, “think about it this way, what is the motto of the Commission of the People?”

  “To preserve the rights, humanity, and well-being of the people of America,” Mary recited.

  “Exactly. First, The Preservation of the American Life, where the Commission purged the country of everyone who was not a citizen and whose family had been brought here as slaves, illegal immigrants, or expatriates, as well as any others that the Commission deemed ‘undesirable.’ Second, The Humanities Course. What did that one do?”

  “That was when the Commission evaluated the country and determined the regions, as well as the rebuilding of whatever had been destroyed in the Second Revolution.”

  “Good, and the third? Think about the motto.”

  “The…Well-Being and…Country Conservation Course?” Mary said hesitantly.

  “Yes.”

  “And that was when the walls were placed on the
north and south borders and the American Foreigners Regulations were enacted,” Mary completed. “Okay, I think I can remember that. The guide also says know all aspects of Ankell’s death. I know that he died when he was about sixty, which was about thirty years ago, from a heart attack. When Ankell died, Bryant Matt-Morris appointed the first position of Leader to Hank Fannen, right?”

  “Right, and Central became solidified as the new capital,” Marcie concluded.

  “Also, remember that some of the Old Enthusiasts started a rumor that Bryant Morris killed Ankell. But there was never any proof, so people were quick to turn against the Old Enthusiasts,” Carrie added.

  “Right,” Mary said. “And the last part says our essay question is going to be to give a brief summary of the role of the Commission of the People.”

  “That should be easy. The Commission of the People regulates the Regulation Forces of the different regions,” I answered. “They are sure to monitor the well-being of everyone in the country and act as the active intermediary between the people of the regions and Central. They keep the country running smoothly. Currently, the Commission of the People is headed by Dana Christenson.”

  “The most powerful man in the entire country other than Leader Simon,” Marcie added with a nod, “and no one has ever seen his face.”

  “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” Diane whispered, raising her eyebrows. “Why is he in hiding?”

  “Maybe he’s really smart and powerful and everything, but he’s hideous,” Mary suggested with a teasing laugh.

  Quizzing Mary brought my attention back to my family situation with laser focus. I was happy for my father, of course. He had worked very hard to get where he was and he deserved the promotion. I was only being selfish by not wanting to move.

  Even though I lived in the biggest city on the coast of the Western Region, my school felt very small with everyone wishing me luck, as though I was the one running for the position. Teachers caught me after class and encouraged me, saying that my father would most certainly get the position.

  Marcie, Mary, Diane, Sonya, and I walked home together after school. We lived in the same neighborhood and even though it was a thirty-minute walk, none of us could drive—the driving age was twenty-one, four long years away.

  “Mary, how did the test go?” Diane teased. “Did you remember Bryant Matthews?”

  “I remembered Bryant Morris,” Mary chuckled. She turned to me. “Thanks, Lily,” she smiled, “I would have been dead without you.”

  “You’re welcome,” I grinned. Mary’s face dropped, seeing my forced expression.

  “You worried about your dad?”

  “No, not really,” I admitted. “I just don’t want to leave. I don’t want to go to Central and go to school with the children of other politicians.”

  “It won’t be so bad,” Sonya assured. “Maybe you’ll even find a boyfriend.”

  “Oh, yes,” I groaned. “It’s so nice to know I have to move away completely to find a boyfriend.”

  “Well, I think everyone in the city remembers how you broke Tommy Barker’s nose and two years ago.”

  “He grabbed my ass,” I defended quickly, “what was I supposed to do?”

  “Oh, he deserved it,” Diane agreed. “But now everyone is afraid of you. Tommy was a big guy. He changed schools because of you!”

  Gossip about other students entertained us on the walk home, including talking about a pregnant classmate who was facing the sentence of abortion and a three-thousand dollar fine for conceiving a child not approved by a Child Rearing License.

  The pregnancy laws were put in place by the Commission of the People in the 2035 Family Preservation Law. The Commission of the People was adamant about keeping families together. Marriage was only allowed after the age of twenty-five and after a required two-year engagement period, lowering divorce rates dramatically. Divorces were looked down upon by society. Children from broken homes were treated very differently and were often considered unstable. Unfortunately, this lead to high suicide rates among broken-home children. The Child Rearing License was meant to eliminate the possibility of children living in unstable environments. The five-year waiting period allowed for the couple to prove economic stability, ability to raise a child as a proper member of society, and mental security for good parenting.

  I wished there were laws about moving with children.

  When I walked through the front door, I was greeted by my cat, Dexter. He mewed and rubbed against my leg, waiting for me, as usual.

  “Hey, Dex.” I stooped to pick him up. “Did you behave today?”

  “Lily?”

  “Hi, Mom!” I replied, following her voice into the dining room. When I looked at the table, I was shocked to see papers spread over the surface, surrounding my mother and her laptop. “What’s all this?”

  “Most of it is for the running,” my mother answered. “Funding papers, mostly…” My mother acted as my father’s manager for his running as Official Regulator.

  “Lily,” my mother smiled, motioning me closer, “what do you think of this house?”

  “Mom…” I groaned. “You’re already looking for houses?”

  “We have to be prepared.”

  “Dad hasn’t even won, yet.”

  “You don’t think he’ll win?” she said in a tone that sounded condescending. I forced a smile, placing my hands on her shoulder and leaning down to kiss her cheek.

  “Of course he’ll win.”

  I went to my room, taking Dex with me. I couldn’t tell my parents how much I dreaded moving. I could never tell them how much I hated politics and the constant reminders of the Second Revolution. I understood its significance, but the way it was talked about made it sound like a religion rather than a historical event.

  I flopped on my bed, snuggling with Dex, pondering the changing direction of my life.

  My father had made it clear that if I didn’t want to work for Central he was not going to force the issue—but he said it with the parental tone that suggested he would be “disappointed” if I didn’t join the political arena.

  I pulled Dex closer.

  I ended up falling asleep and woke when I heard the front door open.

  “Karen? Lily? I’m home!” my father called. I took a few deep breaths, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

  I made my way downstairs, the sinking feeling in my gut starting to consume me. My father was happy. Very happy.

  “There’s my beautiful little girl!” he greeted, hugging me and kissing my cheek.

  “Dad, I’m not so little anymore,” I reminded him.

  “I know,” my dad said, running a hand over my hair. “But you’ll always be my little girl.” He looked between my mother and me. Mom looked expectant.

  “Alright, alright.” My father raised his hands peacefully. “I spoke with Cynthia earlier today and she says that, so far, I’m in the lead.”

  “That’s wonderful! Tom, that’s wonderful!” my mother breathed, ecstatic. She rushed forward, kissing my father. I forced a smile.

  There was no logical reason why I felt such dread at moving away. True, I would be away from my friends and everything I considered comfortable. I also knew that the place I would be moving to would be about nothing other than politics. Even then, there was something frightening about going to the new city—everything inside of me screamed not to go.

  The rest of the evening was spent in the living room. I sat in my own chair with Dex, reading a book on my automated reader while my parents actively watched the coverage on the Western Region Regulation Force appointment.

  I had never had a problem concentrating on the book rather than something going on around me before. Living in a house where there were constant visitors, whether political advisors or other members of the Western Region Regulation Force, had made me able to focus on my homework when there were forty people in the room with me.

  My distraction was caused by worry.

  “And, still holding a stron
g lead from the Regulators in the Western Region, Thomas Sandover appears to be the one who will take the position of Official Regulator for the Western Region. There is still one more hour before we will be able to officially call the race, but with the difference between Sandover and his competitors, it’s going to be difficult for the others to catch up,” the news anchor said.

  I had already known that my father was going to win, but hearing the possibility of the official announcement made my dread worse.

  I set my e-reader aside and curled up in the chair. I watched the screen, uninterested, waiting for the final, official word on my fate.

  * *** *

  It was cold. I shivered and huddled closer to Dexter, opening my eyes. Startled, I straightened immediately. Dexter gave an angry mewl and bounded away. The room was dark. The lights were off and the living room was devoid of my parents.

  There was a cold feeling to the space that was impossible to ignore. I slowly stood, seeing my breath form a cloud in front of my face. It was nearing the middle of the year and summer was in full swing. There was no logical explanation for the chill.

  I entered the kitchen, my feet sliding over the hardwood floor. I jumped at every creak, on edge.

  “Lily…”

  I halted.

  “Who’s there?” I scanned the dark kitchen, seeing no one.

  When there was no response, I tiptoed out of the kitchen to the dining room.

  “Mom?” I called. “Dad?”

  I slipped into every room downstairs, searching for my parents cautiously.

  “Lily…”

  The voice floated to me again. It was not a voice I recognized. It was dark, sinister…cold. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. I could feel his eyes locked on me, watching as I searched my dark home.

  A fear came over me that my parents had left. They had gone to Central without me, leaving me alone in our old house.