Chapter 1#

   The frost looked harmless. Like a peaceful blanket of sugar over the plain of shacks and the few dormant trees that stood alone, dotting the stretch of land the in habitants called, 'The Beach'. "It'll be fine" Bluren had thought "I'll bike fast". Quickly gathering her things, she set out at 4am to go to work. She began to peddle, but her bike's gears moved slowly at first. It was as of all it wanted to do was stay asleep, like her. It took several minutes for her to realize that she could barely feel her fingers with witch she was gripping the handle bars. She groaned, but peddled faster. 

   Just as she felt that ice was about to seep through her cloths and into her flesh, she arrived at the small corner bakery where she worked. Emi, a girl of sixteen and the owner of the bakery, was lighting lanterns that hung on the edges of the bakery roof. When she saw Bluren, she grinned."Cold enough for you?" She joked "I've had the ovens going, you can warm up in there before you start on the breakfast rolls." Bluren nodded in thanks, and went inside. She didn't know how much more of this she could stand."Sooner or later I will have to break down and buy a new coat" She told herself. Bluren had been saving her money for different parts for a project she had been working on, but enough was enough, she couldn't stand another morning riding her bike, wearing cloths that were meant for the heat of summer.

   Warm air and the smells of bread wafted through the door as she pushed it open. Bluren couldn't help but smile. She put on her apron and made her way to the back of the shop. The other baker, Ciri, was already there. He smiled defiantly. He had got there first that morning and had made a better impression the she. Ciri and Bluren where in competition to be Emi's best employee. Emi was sixteen and would be vanished soon, she had no family, so her shop would be givin to either Ciri or Bluren when she was gone. Bluren turned away to get started on the breakfast rolls she made every morning. With the recipe memorized it did not take Bluren long to have the rolls in the oven. She smiled. They would soon be fresh and hot for early customers. 

   The breakfast rush started at about 6:30am. Customers started wandering in from the streets, lured in by the delishous smells. Emi worked at the counter that morning, through a small window, Bluren could see a boy about her age, fourteen or fifteen, with two little girls, he bought them both breakfast rolls with strawberry preserves."Must be a special occasion" thought Bluren "Those preserves are expensive". 

     At around 9am the rush slowed to where Emi could handle the shop on her own for a while. Ciri and Bluren were givin a break, they could go home, and come back at 11 o'clock to help with the lunch time rush. It was warmer now, and Bluren could peddle easily. The frost from before was melted, and The Beach returned to its normal state. A few feet from the shore, there was a line of small housing quarters. Bluren smiled at the thought of coming home. Inside her own house, was a small table, several cupboards on the walls, a small closed off bathroom, a couch she had found at the trading post nearby, and a bedroom with a bookshelf and an old but, comfortable bed. 

    Bluren let her heavy bag drop to the floor. She sighed as a wave of happiness and relief swept over her. She began to busily clean and de clutter her home. Picking up cloths off the floor and placing the bread she brought home in the cupboards. Bluren sat down and sighed. She thought about how fortunate she really was to have the job and home she did. There were children forced out of their houses every day if they couldn't pay what it took to live in one. The sun had gone out a couple times this month without notice, only for a minute, but it still panicked everyone. If the sun went out or broke or something, the farmers wouldn't be able to grow things, which would domino into big disaster.

   Then there were her projects. They gave her worry and happiness, but rarely satisfaction. Bluren opened her eyes and they glided to her clutterd work table. Gears and springs of all sorts lay in boxes on the table. She then got up and sat down at the table. She picked up her current project, a pinch of sadness in her stomach. The circuit board was missing a peice. Such a waist of an idea She thought. Bluren would never say she had failed, though, because once when she was seven and still in school, she read a book which Albert Einstine said: "In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater then your fear of failure." . "I haven't failed yet." She thought, encouraged by the quote, " I just need that piece.".

   At that moment she heard an exceptionally squeaky bicycle coming down the path outside. Blurens little bubble of saddness burst, as she ran to the window. Down the path, She could see a bright green bike, with a girl wearing a dark purple jacket on top of it. Even more notice able then that, however, was the long streak of orange flying out of this girls head. The streak of orange, you could see when she got closer, was the strange girls unruly curls. The green bike swerved next to Blurens house and came to a stop. Bluren opened the door and ran to hug her friend. After they embraced, Bluren said "Tara! I'm glad your here, but how? Don't you have rounds to do?" Tara's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath "I just finished." She panted " Went as fast as I could." Tara was Blurens best friend and worked for the Masters as a deliverer of mail. Her job was demanding and she coverd a lot of ground in one day.

   Bluren was about to ask more, but Tara stopped her. "I have something important for you." She whispered "And it's not mail." Bluren was about to ask what, but Tara stopped her again. "Not here. Inside. This is important." With that she hopped off her bike and the two went inside.

   When Tara was satisfied that the door was sufficiently closed, she turned to Bluren and whispers excitedly "I have the peice to your invention!" 

Preface       

                Bethany's dress. The slippery fabric, the color of the inside of a blue berry. A greenish color, like spring, with pounds of white silk and

beaded  pearls cascading down her back. Bethany's hair has been cut so short that her soft auburn curls don't even brush the back of her neck

anymore. I miss her long hair that would get caught in the gears of her bicycle and make us both late for whatever job we could get our hands

on. She smiles at me sadly and even though this should be a joyful event, I have to fight the lump in my throat from showing on my face.  "If I

could choose..." she starts, but then her voice trails off and tears fill her own eyes, and she looks away.  A painful silence passes and my mind

screams at me to say something.  You'll never see her again! This is your last chance to say good bye, why are you just standing here!

                The trumpet blows. That means it's time for Bethany to leave. She stands up and I run and wrap my arms around her waist. I do cry now,

all the tears that I have held back for years come out all at once on Betta's shoulder. The trumpet blows again. They are getting impatient.

Bethany softens her hold on me, letting me know it's time for her to go. She holds me at shoulder length and stares into my eyes, all trace of

tears from her face gone and replaced with that powerful, brave,  expression she wears when an angry dog crosses her path while cutting

through the alley by our house. "It's time to be brave, Bluren." She whispers. There is a powerful chorus of raps at the door. "I'm coming!" she

calls in a voice to match the expression on her face. She gives me a final kiss on the forehead and I know it's time for me to leave.

                Moments later, I am sitting on a bench in a church-like building waiting for Bethany to come out of the gargantuan double doors in the

back of the of the room. The doors dramatically open and Bethany walks slowly down the aisle, her magnificent dress dragging on the ground

behind her. Her face still looks ready to take on the worst of challenges. Bethany walks slowly, but it seems like seconds before she is on the

small platform standing next to the thin, clear, tube that will take her away forever. A boy about my age opens the door and stale air comes out

in a puff. My heart races as Bethany takes a last defiant look at the crowd in the benches, then she ducks inside the tube and two more boys

come onto the platform. they seal the door to the tube with a red jelly-like glue. My heart pounds, I can't let this happen. I look down and realize

 that I am standing. Run! Get her out of there! I pass by children in benches, they are waving goodbye to Bethany with smiles on their faces. I am

on the platform now, Bethany is still inside, it's not too late, but she looks pale. One boy tries to grab my arm as I run by, but I rip free and slam

into the tube as hard as I can. Again. Again. The tube cracks, but before I can try a third time two of the boys grab me and hold me back. I'm not

strong enough to get past both of them. The third boy is franticly pushing buttons on the side of the tube. Everyone in the benches are shouting

numbers, counting down until Bethany is gone. Five! I bite the boy on my right and he releases my arm-Four!- the other boy is struggling to keep

me back by himself-Three!- the boy with the buttons has his hands on the lever-Two!-  Bethany stares out of the tube at me-One!- with a

sickening screech the lever is brought down and like some sort of black magic Bethany vanishes before everyone's eyes.