And in this chapter we have...

Not much to be honest. A little insight on an oddity of one of the main characters, and I'm basically introducing the two of them. shrugs That's it. XD Not a very exciting chapter, but in the next one there will be plot development!

Chapter 2

The sky was crisp and clear, the air cool and sweet, and the grass green from the recent watering the sky had provided. A brilliant golden sun rose high above the treetops of a distant grove, while the deep pool of water in front of a short girl of 9 or 10 reflected the sun in all its grandeur. The girl took a deep breath of the clean air, it filling her lungs the way peace filled the rest of her. In the distance, raising over the grove of trees, a large winged creature appeared, long wings extended as it soared over a thermal, and a long, whip like tail lashing back and forth as the creature raised it's beak like mouth to utter a screech…..

Which sounded very much like the girl's brother trying to get her attention. The girl jolted out of her day dream, and coughed out the smog riddled city air that she'd so willingly taken into her system. Around her, instead of the pristine setting, there was her neighborhood. On any other day, it would have been dismal and undesirable, but today especially it was a poor substitute for the world that had to exist somewhere, if not in only the girl's mind.

"Daydreaming again?" the dark haired girl's elder sibling asked with a sigh. "You know that's going to get you killed one of these days.

"The Media have yet to learn to read minds," the girl informed him curtly, brown eyes blinking away the remnants of the scene from her daydreams.

"I suppose," the brother replied with a sigh. "Just be careful okay? Honestly, when you start in on your fantasies you're dead to the world."

Though it didn't really sound like it, the brother, Aaron, really did love his sister. It was because of this that he didn't approve of her dreams, especially when she lapsed into one at a random moment, like she had here when they were walking down the cracked sidewalk; he cared for her safety. The short girl had just suddenly stopped with a look of rapture on her face, and Aaron had gone several more steps before realizing he was leaving her behind.

"Come on Elle, we'd better get home before someone decides we've been standing out here to long," Aaron said with a sigh.

'Elle' was short for Elisha, and on any other day the girl would have curtly informed Aaron that that was her name and she wanted to be called Elisha. Elisha gave one more huff to expel the smog from her lungs, then took the light breaths all Citizens did when they were outside as she scampered after Aaron, who had since started down the sidewalk again. Elisha was struck by the urge to tug a lock of Aaron's inch-too-long red hair, but decided against it with a grimace. Aaron was already set on edge today, something that had happened in School, or so Elisha guessed.

The two soon came upon a run down old apartment building, and Aaron produced a key from his pocket, using it to unlock the front door. He stepped inside what could have been called a hovel a century ago, but was now a fairly middle class home. The paint was peeling everywhere, and there were stains on the walls everywhere except where the wallpaper border near the ceiling had once been. There was a loveseat in front of a television set that; both looked like they'd seen better days, with the loveseat's fabric being faded and mottled with patches, and the TV covered with dirt and grime. It was almost impossible NOT to have some sort of filth on your belongings, that was just the way things were and that was just what was expected.

In a room to the left there was a kitchen, where dirty dishes had piled up in the sink; neither siblings liked washing them. Because of this, flies gathered there and buzzed over the remnants of yesterday's meals, and a forlorn looking flyswatter was resting on the table. On the small, fold out table, there was no tablecloth to speak of, and there were almost as many dishes piled there as in the sink.

"Elle-" Aaron began, but when he saw the look Elisha was giving him, he added the "isha" before continuing. "Elisha, you need to go to bed, we stayed out a little later than we should have tonight."

"I suppose so…" Elisha said reluctantly. "Do you have School tomorrow?"

"Yes, I do," Aaron said with a nod. Elisha's face fell, and Aaron sighed. "I have to go to school Mondays through Fridays remember? What day is it today?"

"Thursday."

"So one more day of school before I get to spend a full day with you," Aaron said with a decisive nod.

"D'you think it'll come faster if I sleep harder?" Elisha asked with a slight frown.

"Er….. Well you never know, maybe," Aaron said with a shrug. Elisha grinned and darted off to the small bedroom the siblings shared, and quickly staked her claim on half of the bed. Aaron returned the grin, then walked back into the living room to study. He pulled a heavy book called "A Citizen's Loyalty to the Government", and began to read on the loveseat.