Prologue

My father went to bed hours ago but his voice still echoed through my mind.

"They say there's a million people in that city and not a single soul," he said, a glass of whiskey in one hand, the other pointing to the television.

While he paused to take a sip of his drink, my eyes were transfixed on the opulence of the Capitol. Sweeping shots of the marble streets were populated with colorful crowds of citizens. Close ups of people eating towering desserts, perusing sunlit shops, and strolling down wide avenues under the shade of glimmering metal trees. It was late there too, the sun had set hours ago but the light of the city shined like a diamond in a cradle of rocky mountains.

When he put his glass down he chuckled. "I've been there, walked down those streets, smelt that same sweet air spewing out of vents in the sidewalks. I thought it was heaven, I really did. But it ain't. It ain't real."

"Then what is it then?" I asked.

"A facade, it's all a show." The colors from the screen reflected into his glass and lit up the room. "One day, everyone's gonna figure that out. And for damn sure do not want to be here when the shit hits the fan."


A/N: I will try to keep Author's Notes to a minimum. This prologue is just a snippet of what to come. I plan on uploading chapters as they are finished so by all means feel free to follow this story. -XR