AFTERGLOW

Book One - Dissonant

Natascha just moved away and finds herself in a school with a peculiar method of education.


My name is Natascha Desire. I'm incredibly plain-looking, and I hate my too big brown eyes. My half-shave hair is long and spiky, but has a nice, soft texture to it.

It was a lukewarm, dark rainy day. Good. I'm far too pale to enjoy the sun. The sky behind the black clouds was salmon-pink, the first streaks of light dawning through the thick rainy clouds.

I used to live in Miami, but since my mother remarried I simply decided to move half a continent away to Minnewaukan, North Dakota, to live with my estranged dad, Miles, who I tolerate at best. Mom said it was okay for me to stay in Miami with her and my stepfather, but deep down I knew I needed to give her some privacy and she knows it, too.

It was the first day of school (I'm seventeen, but people tell me I'm more mature). Our school, Periwinkle High, was well-known for their special methods, installed by Professor Whiskrad. He was an odd one, always walking around wearing masks and conducting weird social and behavioural experiments.

Periwinkle Students were separated into five different groups, called Bases, based on personality.

The bases were: Seed, where the friendly people go. Spike, where the cool people go. Petal, where the smart people go. Root, where the honest people go. Poison, where the shady people go.

I was hoping I ended up in Spike, because I'm brave and adventurous and I love wearing black. I wish Fyron, my childhood friend, didn't want to go to Root, because I have a crush on him. But the instructor at Spike, Hilton, is regarded as the most handsome guy in town and I also have a crush on him. I sighed deeply, lamenting all those hot guys in my life.

We had to do a personality quiz on the first day, which I was doing right now.

I was in my private chambers taking the test when, suddenly, a masked thug broke into the room! I reacted quickly, jumping on top of him and immobilizing him.

"Stop! You can't do this!" I said.

He pulled a gun and pointed at me.

"No! Why are you doing this?!" I cried.

Instinctively, I was already making up a smart escape plan on the back of my mind.

"Be honest with yourself! Is this correct?"

He pulled the trigger and I died.