Creators by Nicole Ciacchella

Author:Nicole Ciacchella
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Young adult/new adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic
Publisher: Sweenix Rising Books
Published: 2013-01-14T23:00:00+00:00

Unrest

A wave of sound hit Liang as he stepped from the house. Glancing at the sky, he wondered if they were about to be hit by another patch of wild, unpredictable weather, but the morning was surprisingly clear and the temperature was rather mild.

"Morris, what is that?" Liang asked.

His assistant shrugged. "I don't know. We'd better get going."

Liang nodded curtly and followed Morris to the car. "Still doing all right, Les?" Liang asked his driver.

"Fine, sir, thank you for asking," Les replied, starting the car. "I trust you and your sister are well?"

"We are, thanks to you."

"It was nothing, sir."

"We owe our safety to your quick thinking."

Les acknowledged the compliment by meeting Liang's eyes in the rearview mirror and nodding before guiding the car down the long driveway. The mature oaks lining the path cast shadows over the car, and Liang glanced outside at the skeletal branches clawing at the sky. Quickly, he averted his eyes. He couldn't stand the sight of those trees.

"Why don't you cut them down?" Mei had asked him in exasperation, after witnessing this reaction dozens of times.

But he wouldn't cut them down, regardless of how much they reminded him of his own failures. His favorite picture of his grandfather hung over the fireplace in his study, depicting a young man leaning against a sleek sports car, the magnificent trees forming a canopy of leafy green branches. It sickened him to think of how much things had changed since his grandfather had been young.

They arrived at Sylvie's house at five minutes before six to find that everyone else was already there. The butler opened the door for Liang and Morris, bowing low and leading them toward Sylvie's office, but long before they reached it, Liang could hear raised voices coming from behind the closed doors. Exchanging a surprised glance with Morris, Liang looked over at the butler, but the man's expression was completely blank and placid. Liang wondered how long it had taken him to perfect such a look, if he'd practiced it in a mirror until he got it just right.

"…should have thought of this sooner! And now—" Ishani's angry voice projected clearly into the hallway as the butler reached for the door handles.

"Shh! What's happening now?" Myles asked. Liang was stunned. No one ever shushed Ishani.

The butler opened the door and Liang and Morris stepped inside, but no one acknowledged their presence. Their attention was fixed on the large monitor hanging across from Sylvie's desk, and Liang, bemused, examined their faces. Myles's and Ishani's were twisted in unease. Sylvie methodically gnawed off her nails. Liang watched in morbid fascination as she slowly devoured the bright red nail on her ring finger. She'd already chewed off every nail except the one on her pinkie. The other Creators all stared at the screen open-mouthed, and Liang suddenly became conscious that the sound coming from the screen was remarkably similar to the sound he'd heard when he'd stepped outside.

"Holy shit," Morris whispered. Surprised, Liang glanced at his assistant's stricken face before turning his attention to the monitors.

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