Shoreline - Act I - Part I

8/13/2019 Shoreline - Act I - Part I

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Wayne Degan 128,351 Words337 French StBangor, ME [email protected]

SHORELINEa novel byWayne Degan


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Degan / Shoreline / 2

Letter from Alex

My name is Alex Greyson and I was twenty-seven years old the first time I saw the sky.

Chances are you have never heard of me, but you will, cause Im the son of a bitch thats going

to change it all

Massive.Infinite.Free.These are the best words I can use to describe seeing the topside for

the first time. The sky went on so far I never felt so small and insignificant in my life. All my lifeI had been so frightened of the topside, expecting to be thrust into a dry wasteland where

carnivorous creatures would slaughter us if we didn't die of hunger or thirst first. I found out

only half of that was true as there is no creature capable of worst deeds than man.

I was born into PRESERVE THREE under the Greyson name. Pre-war, My family came

from a long line of inherited wealth and social stature as well as having a multi-gold medalist

boxing Olympian as a great grandfather on my mothers side(Im told this was important at the

time) I have seen pictures of my great grandfather Edwin when he was topside and we kind of

look alike actually.

But everyone was rich until they went underground, They couldn't just let everyone in of

course. We called it P-Day, in schooling, but I have heard others call it something far less neat

and compact. I have learned, as you will soon, about what really happened in that short period

of time when mans darkest hour was upon them and millions were left to die on the surface.


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Our history books say it was 2043 when the doors sealed on the four preserves in North

America. Designed to house one point eight million people each preserve was a massive

undertaking. The intent was to have many more than four but I'm told that need preceded

necessity; The need to continue the human race. Biological threats,drones and classless warfare

ravaged the planet but The history books in PRESERVE THREE told us that Russia launching

they're nukes was the final blow to the twelve year war that had already decimated the planet.

Word of mouth told down through family members in the quiet and privacy of thier home say

it was the U.S.A who started it with China, or vice versa and something about oil but I rarelylistened or paid attention to who cast the first stone. What does it matter bickering over the

details? The end result was the same.

Stretching thousands of miles through the earths crust PRESERVE THREE was one of four

built in a monumental decision in 2013 that an escape plan may be necessary with drastic

environmental change constantly ravaging the planet years. Space travel had become more of a

novelty and wasn't seen as a realistic option so they dug.

Built as fully self sustaining habitat, the PRESERVES were designed to keep the human race

alive and comfortable until it was safe to return to the surface after the dust settled. How fitting

mankind's greatest accomplishment was a sanctuary for its misdoings.Some saw it as a

cleansing and a chance at a perfect life is what many hoped for seeing as how only those with

impressive characteristics like intelligence or athleticism or the most popular characteristics,

Money.

Each PRESERVE was built identical and separated into four massive areas,or districts as we

called them,east,west upper and south. The ceilings stretched nearly a mile tall and after twenty

five years of living there I still hadn't seen everything, everything was accessible by a tram or


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motorized walkways or elevated platforms and from each hall it branched into homes and

structures.

Jaded we lived our lives unknowing and fearing the topside. People grew comfortable and lazy

with the pleasures and ease of the preserve. It was six years prior to my exile they allowed access

to the surface for those that wanted to go. It was a one way trip though and that was reserved

for loners and murders and people we didn't want there. And yeah, there was murder, there

was alot of crime which goes to prove that no matter how many great people you get together

here is gonna be some bad eggs. But I had no choice, Despite what my friends said I had nochoice and I'm glad I did it because now you are reading this and are one step closer to freedom

and so am I.

Its so funny seeing it from the outside. Ya know? I mean, you ever felt so sure about

yourself in argument and that your points were absolutely valid only to realize later that you

had no clue at all? Oh what fools we've been, If only they knew. Scared bastards.They will soon,

I just need you to keep going.


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PART I


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Alex


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I dreamed I was a birdReally? What kind of bird was it?A hawk.I couldn't find any mice to eat but I could fly.

1

Alex bolted upright from his nightmare. Sweating and pantinghis hazel eyes darted back and forth quickly analyzing his

surroundings. Grey walls that had no doubt been a pristine whitehundreds of years ago. Concrete floor, one door and no windows.A tattered green blanket and old brown pillow was all thatseparated Alex from the cold chipped concrete floor. Looking atthe brown color of the pillow Alex could not determine if it wasits intended color or just stained from years of age.Alex realized two things. One; he had no clue where he was orhow he got here. Two; His leg hurt. Bad.

Alex let out a barely audible cry in pain from his dry anddamaged throat. A jolt of sharp pain shot like a lightning bolt

from his leg to his brain creating splashes of bright color infront of his eyes.

Oh shit, itsbad Alex cackled between wheezing breaths.Alex placed his palm on the ground to support himself and roseslowly to a sitting position. Dry dirt fell from his hair andinto his eyelashes.

His pack was missing. Shit.

The only sense of home he had known for the past year was that

blue backpack. Everything he owned rested in that pack; it hadbeen his lifeline on the topside. A large rip in Alexstatteredand greasy blue carpenter pants ran from his boot all the wayabove his knee. Strips of blood stained rags wrapped around hisleg just below the knee poked through the tear in his pants.Noticing the red and brown dried blood stains on the tatteredblanket in which he lied on, Alex knew this indicated he hadbeen here for at least a day or two, and bleeding.


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Alex's ears rang loudly and tunnel vision set in as he triednot to vomit. He knew he was in bad shape, but he was alive.The room was about ten feet by fifteen feet or so; the white

paint that adorned the walls had faded to moldy yellow fromyears of decay. Brown spots speckled throughout the wall wherethe wood poked through the chipped and flaked away paint. Therewas no window and Alex Began to consider that he may be aprisoner.Placing one hand on the wall for support, Alex managed to get

in a standing upright position only long enough to fallimmediately back down onto the tattered blanket. Rising to hisfeet a bit more slowly, Alex felt an intense cramping in hisstomach and before he could steady himself, he was vomiting onhis shoes and the floor."Ker-PLASH" Like a bucket of water being dumped on the floorAlexsstomach wrenched as he spilled his guts onto the concretefloor. The smell was disgusting but through his dizzy vision, hecould see no blood, and he had clearly been drinking a fairamount of water from the looks of it and also what appeared tobe beans.

Oh god I hope those are beans.Alex thought to himselfHowlong have I been here?

Hello? Alex managed to utter. Alex felt as if he hadswallowed a thousand needles from dehydration and then swalloweda healthy serving of battery acid from getting sick.

No reply.Alex gripped the wall with his palms to keep himself steady as

he stumbled and wavered towards the door. The handle to the doorfelt gritty from some sort of filth or grime residue. Uponcloser inspection, it was dried blood, most likely his own.Pushing the door open Alex let out another Hello? but it

only came out as a low whisper.No reply.The door opened smoothly on the hinges, which Alex found oddconsidering the age. The adjoining room was only slightly largerthan the previous one.Concrete floor, chipped and corroded by time stretched to meet

the faded paint over the wood paneling walls.


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Even if this was a home once.. it was still a shithole Alex

thought to himself.The remains of a half burnt sofa sat in the corner to Alex's

left with a large charcoal black stain in the floor where the

couch had burned.Looks like someone had stopped that fire Alex thought.The char surrounding the burn area appeared old and had nosmell. Whatever damage had been done here, for whatever reason,had been some time ago. Rusted springs and framing wire juttedwildly from the Grey and purple corroded fabric of the remainsof the sofa.To the right was a small kitchen of sorts. A sink, a counter

and an empty spot where a small refrigerator used to sit thatwas now just four small rectangular rust and grease stains wherethe legs of the appliance had been. The floor was entirely

concrete except for the small kitchen area, which had smalllinoleum tiles that had once been colored beige or white, Alexcouldn't tell with the age. Several of the tiles were missingleaving only the white sanded down concrete beneath exposed injagged sections.A wooden door directly across from him appeared to lead

outside, A small crack of sunlight beaming from underneath andaround the frame of the door gave this away. To the left of thedoor hung a tattered maroon blanket that covered the only windowin the room. The sunlight through the maroon blanket gave aneerie red glow to the room.Alex stared into the room in a daze he was unable to break for

a few moments. Dust and dirt particles floated along where thesun filtered through until they reached the edge of the sunbeamand disappeared into the unilluminated sections of the room.Ive seen worse Alex joked to himself.

This is true. He had only been topside a little more than ayear and already he felt he had aged and weathered several moreyears than his current age of thirty-two.There were no other rooms adjoining to this as far as Alexcould tell, and he appeared alone.Alex reached to the faucet resting over the dirty metal sink

and gave one of the knobs a turn. Alex had no expectations ofthe faucet producing water and was quite surprised when itshowed signs of life.

KA-KA-KA-KAAAAAAAA The faucet and piping made a largescraping sound as orange thick water came from the lips of the


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faucet for a minute or so before becoming slightly less dirtyand running yellowish clear.Alex drank greedily of the water, knowing that it could make

him very sick, especially on an empty stomach. Forcing himself

to stop drinking, Alex thought about the last time he had seenrunning water. He could not even remember if he had seen runningwater since he left the Preserve. Alex felt like he had drunk alarge bottle of whiskey and was extremely hungover. His headthrobbed and pounded as he tried to recollect how he had arrivedin this place.Wiping the pungent water droplets from his face Alex once

again used his hand to guide himself along the wall to thecovered window. With barely enough strength to lift the blanketcovering the window Alex slid in between it and the windowitself.

Holy shit, thats bright Alex thought as the light burst intohis pupils. The light blasted through his eyes and felt like itwent right to the part of his brain that hurt the most. After afew moments, Alexs eyes adjusted and he could see the lay ofthe land outside this shack. Short greenish brown grassstretched several hundred yards to a small pond, with a thickdense forest lying just beyond that. To the right a small redbuilding with a pointed roof sat directly in between the pond amuch larger warehouse style building. The small red building wasmost likely a pump-house and the warehouse style buildingappeared to have no door, only grey mortar brick rising to meeta shear metal roof. The sun was shining brightly and hanginghigh in the sky and Alex could not see any distinguishingfeatures or other structures on the property.Reaching for the doorknob Alex gave it a gentle turn and pulledthe door open easily. Stepping through the doorway into the warmsun, Alex could smell the rich grass and pollen in the air. Thisis something Alex never grew tired of, the warm breeze on hisface, the sounds of the birds and the vastness of the sky. Neverending and no enclosures, the blue sky seemed to go on forever.The grass and dirt crunched beneath Alex's feet until he haltedsuddenly and grew extremely dizzy. Trying to catch himselfbefore falling face forward, Alex crumpled to his knees and was

quickly reminded how severely injured his leg was as white andmulti-colored spots danced in front of Alex's eyes. Releasing asmall yelp from his throat, Alex pitched forward onto a barepatch of gravel and dirt. The world spun and slowly dwindledinto to darkness. For a brief moment Alex thought about Natalieand Fulton and if he would ever see them again.


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IIItsfunny how things happen.

How one small moment in time can snowball and changeeverything you know about someone or something. How something assimple as taking too long in the shower could prevent you frommeeting that special someone at the store by five minutes andcreating the story that you will tell your children's childrenfor years to come. Something as simple as not tying your shoestightly enough could ultimately lead to your death that day bygetting them caught in machinery or tripping over them intooncoming traffic.Itsfunny how it only takes a few seconds and your life

drastically changes in unfathomable ways.Floating through unconsciousness Alex dreamed of the dayeverything changed.He and Natalie were walking through the east district park,holding hands and enjoying the plant life. Natalie loved tospend time with plant life and Alex often found her at therecreational greenhouse where Mr.Strozynski worked. Alex wouldwalk and listen to Natalie as she pointed at the differentflowers and ferns, explaining them in detail. This didntparticularly interest Alex but he loved to hear Natalie talkabout this. She would get so excited and motion with her handswildly as she grinned from ear to ear. Alex loved the way she

would giggle when she got too excited and would cover her mouthwith her left hand slightly to hide her teeth and goofy smile.

Known as the more artsy section of Preserve Three, the eastdistrict had a more historic and topside feel unlike the upperdistrict where he and Natalie resided which was far more modern,comforting and sterile. Spanning 230 miles, the easterndistricts eclectic shops and its beautiful central park gave itits historic feel. Main Street ran all the way through to theedge of the eastern district where the rock walls were as smoothas marble. Shops lined up and down Main Street and suburban

style homes stretched out on the blocks nearby to that. Somepeople called this area old town, but most just refered to it asthe east district.

Natalie loved to come here. Alex knew this and enjoyed cominghere with Natalie. They had been friends since birth. Both fromthe upper district where the more prominent members of the


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preserve resided, they were educated together and playedtogether. His first kiss had been with Natalie when he was ten.

They had always been close and dated off and on again over the

years but it never seemed to work. Alex was feeling that thingshad changed as they had grown older and the past two months theyhad grown closer than ever.Leaving the park, Natalie and Alex walked hand in hand throughthe red brick and tan mortar market area.Why are theshops all spelled like S-H-O-P-P-E-S? Alex asked.Because, thats what they did in old towns and historic areas

on the topside Natalie replied Although I think there is more

to it than that.Hey, you know what would be fun? Alex asked rhetoricallySwimmingHmm, that does sound fun but I didn't bring a bathing suit

Natalie repliedBefore Alex could respond, Natalie quickly spoke up And yes, Ineed oneAlex smiled Well I personally think you would look betterwithout one. Im just sayinNatalie laid her head on Alex's shoulder and made the Shoosh

symbol by placing her index finger against her soft bubblegumpink lips. The two walked hand in hand away from the districtand off to the walking path to the outside of the lowerdistrict.You want to walk? Natalie askedIt will take us an hour or two, but sure, Ive got nothingplanned other than meeting Fulton later for video gamesNerd Natalie saidLets just make sure we take the northernmost walkway, thecrime has gotten pretty bad near the southern gate.Whatever you want handsome Natalie replied


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Alex and Natalie both walked forward, not knowing that the nexthour would change their lives and everyone and everything theyknew and loved drastically.

IIITheres dirt in my teethIt was the first thought in Alex's mind as he drifted back to

consciousness. He had passed out face first into the rough grassand soil in front of him. Reality came crashing back in asickeningly dizzy barrage of physical pain that shot throughouthis body. The most prevalent being the throbbing pain in his

lower right leg where every pulse beat of blood through hisveins felt like a vice grip was crushing his muscle.Rolling over and rising to a sitting position took a fewmoments, but seemed less painful than when he awoke earlier. Hisleg had begun bleeding again, but not badly and appeared to beclotting and scabbing already. Most likely from when he fell.Alex placed his index finger in between his lips and gums and

made a scraping motion across his upper and lower teeth toremove the dirt from his mouth. He had tried to keep his teethin as good condition as possible since he hit topside, nodentists up here, at least not any he would like to visit."Phew, Pchoo!" Alex spit out the remainder of dirt and small

pieces of rock that had ended up further back in his mouth andexamined his surroundings once more.It was a beautiful day out, the sun hung high in the sky and

spread warmth across the green and lush landscape. The breezehad a slight chill that would most likely cool the air asevening arrived. The small pond about five hundred yards infront of Alex reminded him of the one that he and the rest ofhis friends had found when they first left the preserve and cametopside. Itsalso the place where he and his friends had gottena harsh dose of reality and what could be expected living on thetopside.

The immediate landscape around him did seem fairly wellmaintained and Alex still questioned whether he was a prisonerhere or perhaps he had just been lucky and stumbled across thisland.

Alexs head felt slightly better, which was surprising given

that he had just fallen face first into dirt and gravel. He wasused to waking up in pain, it had been one clusterfuck after


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another up here. Continuing to scan scanning his surroundings,Alex saw no sign of anyone else or immediate threats, this waslucky given his wounded condition.Rising to his feet took one or two tries, but once he regained

his stature, the dizzying wave of nausea came back and hit likea punch to the gut. Proceeding with caution as now was not atime to be caught off guard by scavengers of any sort Alex beganmaking his way to the larger building adjacent to the one he hadjust exited. It was about two hundred feet away but to Alex itlooked like two hundred miles.The green and brown grass crunching under the long worn thin

soles of Alex's busted boots, Alex stumbled and swayed until hewas within arms reach of the building. He extended his sun-burntand freckled arms out towards the grey mortar brick side of thebuilding and just barely caught himself. Gripping the rough yet

smooth mortar brick Alex turned himself around and placed hisback to the wall. Sliding down slowly until he was sitting onhis hindquarters, Alex stretched his legs out flat in thecrunchy brown grass. Gasping for breath Alex felt winded, whichwas not normal by any means. His cardio had increaseddramatically since living in the wilds of the topside. He wasrunning, climbing, jumping or fleeing over several miles ofterrain a day since they hit topside. You always had to be alertand running on the surface, those that stood still ended updoing so permanently.Ribs broken too, thatsprobably why I'm breathing so shittyAlex thought to himself.

Alex stared at his legs in the grass; the blue carpenter pantsended in tatters and barely met his busted boots. The leatherbeat to hell and the soles were nearly gone but they had lastedand served their purpose. His left leg had stopped bleeding butthe rags appeared disgusting, there were combinations of yellowand green stains dotted across the bloodstains on the rag andAlex knew that a infection on the surface could be a deathsentence. Alex knew he needed to take a good look at it but hewas truly frightened at what he might see, but after taking a

few deep breaths he began removing the small strips of ragswrapped around his leg. Before he could see the damage done Alexwas hit with a terrible odor.Oh god Alex thought it is infectedRemoving the remaining strips away Alex saw a wound about 6inches across that was not as bad as he initially thought, thebad part was that it was surrounded and filled with small


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pockets of yellow and green pus that was oozing down his legfreely.Sitting there for a moment staring at his wound Alex's lower lipbegan to tremble slightly .Then Alex did something he had not

done since he was a small child. He sat and he cried. He criedheavily and in between wheezing breaths and snot bubbles fromhis nose he mumbled repeatedly to himselfIts not that badIts not that badIts not that badIts not that badIts not that badIts not that badIts not that badIts not that bad

IV

Alex sat mumbling and sobbing softly to himself, head hangingbetween his arms as they rested on his knees. His tears droppingfrom his face and disappearing into the dry soil. Alex had apretty good clue already that he had a nasty infection, but hedid not think it would be that bad. There was nothing to fightinfection on the topside, at least nothing he had seen. Livingin the preserve he had taken everything for granted, now hewould do anything for a small antibiotic.

Goddammit Alex said to himself bitterly Ive done my best to

keep us alive, how could this happen?

Butwas that enough? Alex thought to himself Was my bestenough? Clearly notAlex felt inner hatred and self-loathing grip him comfortably.Alex was so intent on his emotional self-destruction and eyes

filled with pity tears that he had not noticed a large shadowhad approached from his side.

Boy, if you cantsee an old man like me coming I don't knowhow yourestill alive spoke a deep and crackled old voice fromAlex's right.Surprised, Alex lifted his head and wiped his eyes to see alarge Caucasian man with reddish blond curly hair leaning


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against the corner of the building. Alex noticed the man wasclean-shaven which was somewhat rare up on the surface; his eyeswere a piercing light blue that had most likely been much a muchdeeper blue in his younger years. He would appear quite

intimidating if it was not for his friendly face and demeanor.Wiping his hands clean on a soiled rag and then placing thesoiled rag in the back pocket of his faded blue jeans he took alarge breath, crossed his arms, and stared at Alex withoutsaying a word.Im hurt is all Alex could manage to sayWell no shit son, I'm the one that bandaged you up, and that

leg is no joke The man said gruffly. Seeing Alex's quizzicallook the man continued.

I put you up in that old shed over there The man said pointing

tried to feed you too, you managed to eat a few beans and some

hog but you was acting like and ass and you threw up on my niceclean overalls the man said pointing to a brown stain on his

overalls that had been washed a few times but still remained.

I'm sorry Alex said trying to rise to his feetSlow down man The man said placing his hand under Alex's

shoulder and helping him to his feet. The stranger was a bigfellow, Alex guessed he weighed over two-fifty and was at leastsix foot two. Now whatsyour name boy?Alex Alex repliedWell Alex, can I trust you? I mean, if I bring you into my home

you ain't gonna do anything stupid are you? The stranger said.Alex shook his head side to side as he rose to his feet andleaned against the side of the building. The building felt warmfrom the sunlight as he leaned against it, it felt good.Don't steal anything, don't go anywhere yourenot supposed to

and you ask my permission for anything, clear? the mansaidsternly.Alex noddedGood extending his hand in a handshake towards Alex the names

Bo, Cmon, I bet your hungry as hellAlex did not have to say a word, the grumbling of his stomachanswered for him. Doing his best to maintain his composure Alexstood straight from the wall and walked forward and stumbled


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slightly before catching himself. Vince reached back to help himbut Alex raised his right hand to signal he was fine.I got it Alex said attempting to stand tall and straight. At

only 510,Alex wasn't a midget but he felt like one standingnext to Bo.Following Bo around the corner of the building they stepped

from the grass onto a five-foot concrete square section that ranflush with the building. The siding was made of a dull greymetal here rather than the grey mortar brick that ran around thebase of the rest of the building. Bo looked back at Alex andbeyond into the distance cautiously before reaching into hisfront overall pocket and produced a tarnished brass keyring withseveral keys of various colors and began rummaging through them.After a few moments Bo located the key he had been looking for

and placed it into a small keyhole that Alex had not evennoticed was there. Shaking the key back and forth and mutteringa few obscenities under his breath until it turned with aresounding CLUNK.

There we go Bo said as he pulled from the key ring backwards

and the dull grey metal parted where it met the chalky mortarrevealing a large door No matter how many times I oil the damn

lock, it always sticks.No doorknob? Alex askedYeah Bo said as he stepped through the doorway and into the

dark I pulled it off and sanded it down a year or two ago, you

canteven tell itsa door and thatsa good thing out hereEntering the doorway, Alex's stomach grumbled loudly at thefaint smell of spicy and sweet food cooking somewhere in thebuilding filled his nostrils. The smell reminded him of the porkpatties his dad used to make back in the preserve when he wasyoung. The room appeared quite smaller than Alex had anticipatedfor such a large building. Twenty feet by twenty feet or so, theroom was a perfect square except for a small five-foot enclosedwall section with a window in it. There were no outside windowsbut there was a door in the room directly across from where they

had entered.

The once cheery yellow wall color had turned to a whitish grayover time but still appeared to be thick and sturdy despite itsage. The floor was composed of the same linoleum tile that hadbeen in the shed where Alex had first found himself, but thistile was in far better condition.


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No furniture rested in the room other than a wooden chair in thecorner, which had a thick black overcoat draped around the top.The chair sat on a tattered burgundy rug, which had many smallmud stains from the several pairs of black and brown boots

resting in the corner.Bo rustled around in the dark until he found a switch and theroom was illuminated.

Whoa Alex thought as he tried to hide his surprise workinglights and power?This was a lobby Bo said interrupting Alexsthoughts as heshut the door behind them and secured three large bolt locksthat lined down the door.

Thatsa lot of locks Alex said ignoring Bo

Yeah, I lock it with the key when I go outside and when I'minside I bolt em all, might as wellBo saidWhere did you get them? Alex askedThey were already here when we found the place fortunately Bo

said as he double checked all the locks before removing hisboots and placing them in the cornerYourea curious sonofagunain't ya?

Just being cautious Alex replied as he began removing hisboots as wellI hear that, you gotta be round here Bo replied as he watched

Alex remove his boots with a painful grimace on his face.

That waswhere the secretaries used to sit over there Bo saidpointing to the corner where a small window and chair sat.Sec-ret-ory? Alex repeated

Yeah!You know, hot little dame with a skirt? Typing on a - BO trailed off as he could see Alex was looking around at theroom and clearly not listening.What was this place? Alex saidWas? Bo replied sharply I think you mean IS, because its

still here


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Yeah, I meant, well Alex replied tripping on his words you

know, what it used to be before you were here?

Ah, there you go asking a goodquestion finally Bo repliedIllshow you around after dinner, I imagine your starving.Alex nodded as his stomach rumbled at the sound of food.Follow me, smells like Missy is almost done with dinner Bo

said motioning with his hands towards the door adjacent to theone they entered But first we gonna have to get you cleaned up

and maybe we can get a good look at that legAlex winced at the mention of his leg. Even standing straight uphe could smell the odd odor his leg was making, he was no first

aid expert but he knew that a wound should never stink.Opening the door in front of them, Bo made a motion for Alex togo first. The hall cast odd shadows due to it being such a longnarrow enclosed space and the dim lighting. At the end of thehallway was another day and next to it and each side were twoother doors.

Alright, this way Bo said as he led Alex to the end of the

hallway. The hallway was no more than one hundred feet but everystep felt excruciating to Alex as his leg burned and itched frominfection.Bo pulled on the door at the end of the hallway and seemedsurprised it didn't budge.Dammit Missy Bo muttered as he rapped on the metal door loudly

MISSY! HEY MISSY OPEN UP!A faint click was heard before the door opened and Alex was hitwith a wave of delicious smells of food. He almost doubled overfrom the hunger pains. In the doorway stood a dark haired womanwho appeared to be in her early fifties. Small streaks of silverran through her hair as she brushed it from her dark eyes, herlips were plump and pink and appeared very delicate for her ageWell, look who is up and about The woman said sweetlyYeah Bo said sounding annoyed What did I tell you about

locking this door woman?Well you've been gone damn near all day She replied I was

just being safeBo nodded slightly as he ushered Alex from the hallway into aroom that appeared very similar to the one they had first


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entered. The room was a kitchen so to speak. It had smallburners and pots and pans and a small table in the corner withsmall loaves of bread in it. Alex stared at the bread, mouthsalivating.Go on honey Missy said sweetlyAlex stumbled to the table and began shoveling the bread as fasthe could into his mouth. It was delicious. Soft and warm butfirm and crispy on the outside, and the flavor he had nevertasted anything like it.Alright man, slow down Bo said jokingly We gotta plenty to goround but you gonna make yourself sickAlex nodded and immediately felt a bit better.

Here have some water Missy said approaching the table andplacing a small yellow plastic cup of water on the table.Since Bo has no manners She spoke as she gave a side-eye to Bowho remained leaning in the doorway with a subtle grin on hisface The names Melissa, but you can me Missy

Hello, I'm Alex he said in between bites of bread This bread

is delicious

Thank you Alex Missy replied kindlyTurning around Missy made a wave gesture in front her nose toVince indicating that Alex smelled. Vince nodded and smiled andspoke up Alright man, lets get you cleaned up and then we caneatOK Alex said as he reached for the cup of water Missy had

placed on the table. Placing the cup to his lips he noticed thewater had no smell, something he was not used to.As the water slid down his throat he couldn't believe how cleanit tasted. He had not tasted water this clean since he had leftthe preserve.That water Alex said exhaling heavily and wiping droplets ofit from his chin Itsso cleanYeah man Bo replied Ill tell you all about it later, Cmon

Bo stepped towards the table and placed one arm under Alex's andhelped him to his feet and out the door and back into thehallway they come from. This time stepping through the door onthe left.


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Opening the door on the left Alex realized why Bo had beenhelping him walk, there were stairs and quite a few of them.This is going to suck Alex thoughtAfter ten to fifteen minutes of patience Alex was able to make

it to the top of the stairs and saw he had arrived at anotherhallway with several doors on the left and right and one at thefar end in the center. The one in the center had been boardedshut firmly from the looks of it.That last door on the left is the washroom, there is a showerand a sink and a toilet. Bo said Now I don't have any clothes

that would fit ya but Missy tailored a old pair of my pants anda shirt that should fit you for nowThank you Alex said Why are you doing this?What? Vince repliedHelping, no one has helped us at all since we hit topside, allwe've done is run and be hunted. Alex said why are you helping

me?Us? Vince repliedI was with some friends, we were separatedI see, well I couldn't just leave ya how I found ya..didnt havethe heart. Bo paused for a moment before continuing We cantalk all about it at dinner. Now my room is the first door onthe right, thatswhere Ill be, knock when youredone and wewill go eat.

OK said Alex as he limped down the hallway towards thewashroom door.Hey Alex Bo shouted from down the hall

Yeah?Hurry your ass up though, I'm hungry Vince said with a chuckle

as he unlocked his door and went inside.

VThe washroom was modest, but by Alex's current standards this

was nothing short of incredible. A small stand up shower, a


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porcelain sink and toilet sat in the room surrounded by fadedyellow wallpaper. There was a time when Alex showered everydayin a large marble shower with heated stone floors.Dualoscillating shower heads would massage his knotted muscles and

work away all the stress and tensions of the day.But Alex hadlearned that old phrase rang true no matter how cliche it alwayssounded,that you truly never know what you have until its gone.The past year and a half he had showered(when he could) by

rinsing the key body areas(face, armpits, ass and crotch) in astream or clean standing water. The other option was a niftytrick Fulton had thought up after they had gained some decentsupplies from the remains of a yellow and blue ranch home acouple months back. He would gather water in a garbage bag andthen arrange sticks around the campfire in a pyramid fashion,being sure to keep the flames from touching the bag and slightly

warming it. Once the bag was suitably warm it was hung from atree and then the lucky person who showered that night pokedsmall holes in it and rushed to get clean before the water ranout.Ninety percent of the time this was Natalie, but the guys

didn't mind, we rather enjoyed peeing outside and showering instreams when the weather was decent enough.A small pile of folded clothing rested in the corner of thebathroom next to a light green towel, on top of this rested asmall folded piece of paper. Alex picked up the paper andunfolded it.

I hemmed these clothes up from Bos stuff. Hope it fits. You can put your dirty clothes in thegarbage bag in the corner.There is a toothbrush for you and homemade paste under the sink and I placed soap in theshower. Here are some clean wraps for your legs as well.-Missy

Alex pulled aside the light blue plastic shower curtain andturned the metal knob towards himself to start the water. Afterwaiting a few moments Alex reached his hand in to test the waterand was shocked to find the water gaining warmth. He had notexpected hot water and despite the pain racking his body Alex


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couldn't help grinning ear to ear. Removing his heavily stainedfaded black shirt was easy but getting his boots and pants offwas going to be a painful task. Sitting down on the floor Alexunlaced each boot carefully and placed them next to the toilet.

His socks had been a dull grey color once and now were lightbrown with dark brown stains splotched across them.Alex couldn't tell which stains were mud and filth and which

were dried blood. Wincing from the pain in his ribs Alex removedhis socks and took a deep breath before removing the bandageswrapped around his leg before removing his pants. His pants werenearly shorts at this point due to the ragged slices that ranthrough the fabric that stretched from the top of his boot alwaythe way to his knee in some places.Alex slowly began removing the bandages again and was once

again hit by the ripe smell of his wound. Approaching the last

layer of the bandage Alex realized that it was now stuck to hisleg from the bleeding and clotting earlier and most likely thepus as well. He was going to have to pull it off and he knew itwas going to hurt like hell. Trying carefully and slowly wouldonly make it more painful and excruciating and Alex was anxiousto eat some more of that delicious bread.Fuck it Alex said as he ripped the dirty bandage off in one

quick motion.

Small flecks of blood and lightly splattered against his barechest as Alex uncontrollably screamed

AAAAAAHHHHHH,FUCK!.Throwing the rag down and taking a few deep breaths His leg

was bleeding again but now he had a good look at it. It wasn'tAS bad as he initially thought. The wound was about 5 incheshigh from his shin to his lower knee and 2 inches across. Hecould see his shin bone slightly in a small portion of it. Butthe infection, that was the problem. On the topside there wereno antibiotics that he knew of and his nutrition and healthhadn't exactly been tip top this past year. Alex's thoughts were

interrupted by a loud rapping at the doorYou alright man? Bo shouted through the washroom door.

Yeah, I'm good Alex replied loudly


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Alright, well don't use all that hot water, I still want to get

a shower later too and it takes a couple hours to heat back upBo spoke from the other side of the washroom door.

OK, Thanks Alex replied as he placed his hand on the sink forsupport to raise himself to his feet. After relieveing himselfin the toilet Alex climbed into the shower, being careful to notlet the hot water touch his leg just yet. The water felt amazingand Alex watched all the dirt and grime run from his hair andbody down the small rusted metal drain. Alex picked up the barof soap and cleaned himself thoroughly before approaching hisleg gingerly.

Wincing, Alex cleaned his wound slightly around the edgeswith the lump of soap until it looked fairly clean.The soap wasfragrant and foamed easily and far better than the homemade soap

that Fulton had made in the wild.Stepping out of the shower Alex dried off and picked up theclean white rags that were once a T-shirt and wrapped themaround his leg carefully. Trying on the brown and white flannelshirt and blue jeans Alex was pleasantly surprised how well theclothes fit him.Despite his situation Alex felt pretty goodhaving been cleaned off. After a quick brush of his teeth withthe homemade paste that had a faint cinnamon taste to it, Alexgrabbed his dirty clothes and placed them in the garbage bag inthe corner and exited the washroom. Walking down the hall untilhe reached the last door on the left, Alex gave a small rap onthe door.

Bo opened the door and looked Alex up and let out a smallwhistle between his teeth

Looking good sport! He said Missy did a great job

tailoring that stuff up for you.Shes the best, You need some newboots though for sure, Ill set you up with some. Now lets grabsome grub

Alex nodded and followed Bo through the door heading

downstairs.


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VISitting around the small laminated wood table in the corner

of the makeshift kitchen,Alex and Bo sat quietly and watched asMissy stirred a large pot of sweet and spicy smelling stew. Alexwas still amazed at the level of convenience these two had intheir home. Alex had seen running water only once that he couldrecall since he had been topside and it was thick,brown andcompletely undrinkable.Alex was very curious how they had such agood setup and were able to continue to live so without someonetrying to take it from them,but he chose to keep those questionsto himself for the moment.

Here we go Missy said placing a small wooden basket covered

loosely with a white towel in the center of the table Soups

about doneThanks Bo said as he reached forward and pulled the white

towel back revealing several still steaming bread rolls.Bonoticed Alex eyeing the rolls hungrily and nodded to him andsaid Go on get you one man, just don't fill up, stews gonna be

good.Alex didnt need to be told twice as he reached forward and

grabbed a bread roll and broke it apart. Placing the pieces ofthe bread slowly in his mouth, it took every bit of will not toshove the whole piece in his mouth and swallow like an animal.

The soup smells good. What is it? Alex asked Bo in between

bites of his bread roll.Hog stew basically Bo replied

You say that like its a bad thing Missy said as she set the

large deep pot in the center of the table and then returned witha cup of water for Alex and Vince.

Oh hell no Bo said grinning You know I love your cooking.

Besides, that hog meat is the best we have had in a while, hewas a big fella and now that we got the freezer up and runninghe will keep for a while too

Missy smiled and poured a ladle full of stew into a darkgreen porcelain bowl and placed it in front of Alex.Small chunksof pink meat floated amongst small vegetables in the red thickstew and the strong smell of spicy tomato filled Alexs nose.


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Missy poured a bowl of the stew and placed it in front of Bobefore pouring a bowl for herself.

I guess it would help if we had silverware Missy said to

herself as she walked a few steps towards the counter and pulledopen a drawer and retrieved three spoons and three red clothnapkins and placed them on the table.

Sitting down Missy suddenly looked distraught Aaaaand I

forgot the water. Missy said placing her small delicate handson the table to rise up.

I got it Bo said as he placed a hand on her shoulder to

remain seated.

Thank you Bo She replied blowing a kiss into the air in his

direction.

Bo rose up from the table and took a few steps towards thesmall white refrigerator and retrieved a clear plastic pitcherof water along with three green cups and returned to the table.Alex watched as he poured the clear water into the green ceramiccup and placed it in front of him. Alex's throat screamed forthe water as he did his best to calmly place the cups to hislips. The water felt cold and refreshing as it rolled down histhroat and restored moisture to his painfully dry throat.

Dig in man Bo said as he took a large spoonful of the stewand placed into his mouth, spilling a small amount on hisoveralls.

The next five minutes were spent in silence as Bo and Missywatched alex eat hungrily until his spoon scraped the last bitsof the stew from the bowl. After finishing his food alex brokethe silence and asked May I have a second glass of the water?

Sure buddy, We got plenty Said Bo not looking up as he

worked his damp napkin back and forth across the small pinkishstains on his overalls that he had accumulated through dinner.

After a long drink of his water Alex placed his cup down onthe table and let out a sigh of contentment.

So Alex Missy said in between spoonfuls of her stew tell

us about yourselfWell Alex said I am from preserve three Alex pausedfor a

moment before continuing I got sent topside about a year and a

half ago with three of my closest friends, Fulton, David andNatalie. We were blinded by how beautiful and expansive


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everything was on the surface that we let our guard down andalmost lost our life the second day on the surface. Since thenwe have just been running,staying hidden and survivng off theland.

Didnt look like you were doing a very good job when I found

you Bo said chuckling

Be nice! Missy said as she slapped Bo playfully on thehand.Bo grinned

Fair enough Alex said smilingWhy did you leave your home? Missy asked

I was given no other option, My friends on the otherhand,wouldn't let me go to the surface alone. Alex said looking

blankly into the distance but Id rather not talk about that ifthats OK.

Of course, of course Missy said I didn't mean to pryNo your fine Alex said as he raised his right hand Just

right now isn't a good time for that story. But I would like totell you about the circumstances that brought me here and thenmaybe you two can tell me a bit about yourself?

Im fine with that Bo said as he stepped up from the table

and walked towards a small cabinet above the stove. Opening thecabinet and reaching in Bo pulled a glass bottle half full ofbrownish liquid and held it high in the air grinning But first,

we have drinks!

Oh lord Missy said playfullyA little social lubricant can turn a stale story into a

compelling one maam Bo said to missy You drink Alex?I do Alex replied Especially under the current

circumstances. I could use a little pick-me up painkillerThere ya go! Bo said chuckling as he filled Alex's cup a

quarter of the way with the powerful smelling liquidAnd wheres mine? Missy said to Bo pouting.


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Im sorry, how could I forget you baby Bo said smiling as he

kissed her on the forehead and poured a small bit of the whiskeyinto her glass. Alex had not been sure at first if they werejust close friends,relatives or lovers, but the kiss on the

forehead seemed to confirm the latter.This was the first bit ofintimacy Alex had seen between the two. Taking a large sip ofthe Whiskey, Alex fought the urge to cough as the strong butsmooth whiskey rolled down his throat sending warmth downwardwhere it spread throughout his insides. It must have been clearin his face how big of a sip he had taken because after he didBo spoke up.

Easy killer, Thats strong stuff.I should know, Made it

myself Bo said proudly Took alot of trial and error but its

the best whiskey youll find in these parts Guaranteed

When Bo said the word guaranteed he separated the syllable'sso it came out sounding like Guar-on-teed. Alex thought Bo hadan odd accent but he really enjoyed hearing him speak in the oddinflection, it was different.

OK Alex said taking another sip of the whiskey and letting

out a small Whew afterwardAfter our day and a hal long journey through the exit tunnel

to the surface we had finally arrived and were shocked to seethings were not at all like we had been taught in our historybooks. We had always been taught that the surface was mostlikely a barren dry wasteland irradiated from nuclear fallout,clearly that was not the case as you guys probably found outwhen you hit the surface too. right?

Bo and Missy looked at each other briefly and Alex continued

Well, needless to say we were shocked as we exited the

tunnel and approached the edge of the mountain we had justclimbed out from and saw lush grass and forests and blue lakesand streams surrounding and running through it. The sounds ofbirds chirping and flying free and not in cages, the fresh smellof the breeze, and the sun.. Alex trailed off for a moment in

daydream before continuing ..The warmth of the sun on my faceand skin. It was so comforting and so different from the sterileand fluorescent place we had grown up in. We saw how they hadtried to emulate environments in the preserve with trees andanimals and small ponds and such but it wasn't the same.

Want another? Bo asked as Alex finished the last of hiswhiskey


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Sure Alex said as he extended his glass to Bo. Bo poured

Alex a bit of a larger serving this time and Alex nodded thankyou as he continued.

Where was I? Oh yeah, We had gotten all wrapped up in how

awesome and alive everything was and we let our guard down andwe almost lost everything the second day we were out. We didn'tlet that happen again though, we practiced fighting and selfdefense around our campfires, Knife techniques, and learned allwe could about surviving from the land. Ha! Man if you could ofseen us the day we came out of that cave. Pale, well groomed andany muscle we had on us was sculpted in a safe and comfortinggym, after that first six months we were totally differentpeople. You are what circumstances make us I suppose.So we made

our way south..

Why south? Missy asked and immediately followed with I'm

sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you.Oh no, its fine Alex said raising his right hand My friend

Fulton suggested we head as far south as we could go because thewinters where we were could be quite rough.They called the areaBlue Ridge and it used to be Georgia..I mean I guess it stillis..but..I don't know Alex trailed off and realized he felt a

bit disoriented. The whiskey had taken the pain from his leg andprovided a comforting warmth at the cost of loss of perception.Smart guy Bo said

He is a smart guy Alex said nodding Smartest guy Ive ever

known, me and Fulton had been friends since we were little kids.Well we hit some bumps in the road after stealing some suppliesfrom some scavengers..

Scavengers? Bo asked cocking his head to the side slightlyYeah just a broad name we gave to any rough crew of people

topside or gang that basically runs around causing anarchy and

taking what they want whenever they can at any cost.Bo nodded his head and rolled two fingers in the air forward

in a circular motion indicating for Alex to continueBut thats what you get when the surface is filled with

nothing but criminals that have been exiled to the surface.Whats funny is they wont let people leave on their own becausethey say its a death sentence, so now all you got up here is


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criminals running around in paradise fucking it up for everyoneelse. But yeah, so we attempted to steal a few supplies from alarge group of scavengers and some old man they were holdingprisoner told us he had a key to a boat and there was an island

off the coast where he lived and if we got him out of there hewould take us there. We thought it was bullshit but Fult tookthe key anyway. Several days later we found a safe place to staybut the scavangers we stole the key from came looking andwell..we are lucky to be alive.

So no boat huh? Bo said as Missy picked up the pot of stew

and the dishes and placed them in the sink before returning tohear the rest of Alexs story.

Actually there was Alex said We came across it by luck

and took it out onto the water and too a beach....although mymemory gets hazy after that..we were on a beach and then therewas a gunshot and well..I think we wrecked the boat and thatshow I ended up here

Wait, Gunshot?Bo said suddenly Like, real guns?As real as they get I imagine, sounded like a tree cracking

but louder,like I said its a bit hazy but im sure it will comeback to me. So now I just want to find my friends.

Bo and Missy just stared intentlyWell, when I found ya you had come at least a half a mile or

so from the shore. I was down at the coast trying to catch ussome dinner and had a good bit of luck. On the walk back me andChester-

Alex cocked his head to the side slightly and squinted hiseyes Chester?

Oh you haven't met chester yet, Hes our puppy Missy said

as she finished the last of her drink without a wince.Well, he ain't a puppy now more Missy Bo said Just in case

you haven't noticed.Hell always be a puppy to me! said Missy

Rolling his eyes Bo continued We keep Chester out back on a

line during the day and bring him in at night.You Like dogsAlex?


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I do Alex replied swallowing the last of his whiskey.Alright, well we will go grab him later and Ill show you the

rest of the place after drinksWell its going to be dark soon Missy said as she rose from

the table and began running water in the sink to clean thedishes.

Hell if it weren't for chester I wouldn't of found you.Wegot about half a mile back from fishing off the shore, Chesterstarted sniffing pretty heavy and led me over to a big ol set ofbushes. I was standing right there and I still couldn't see whatthe hell he was barking at so I dropped down to ma knee andlooked under the bush and there you were wedged in amongst the

branches bleeding and busted up. That was good damn hiding tooboy, I still got great eyesight and I couldn't see you when Iwas 2 feet from you.Bo raised his glass slightly, Alex raisedhis in return

But I could see you was hurt pretty bad, you had done bled

out all around the bush. I tried yelling at you and waking youup but you were out. Now, normally I would have just left youthere, being the way things are up here and all Bo said aswaved his hand in a circular motion around himself to indicatethe world you gotta look out for yourself and those close to

you, because theyll cut you and bleed ya where you stand for a

scrapAlex nodded

But for some reason you reminded me of our Daniel and I just

couldn't leave ya there to die. Bo saidThe way Bo said Daniel Alex didnt think now was a

appropriate time to ask who that was.

So I put you up in the old shed over there and Missy heretried to bandage you the best she could and treat your leg with

creamI have a herbal remedy that takes the infection out Missy

piped in but you had a nasty fever as wellYeah, you been in and out for four days Id say Bo saidFour days? Alex said louder than he meant to, The alcohol

had taken effect and he was feeling a bit loose.I need to find


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my friends Alex said gaining his composure I have to, they

are all I got and im the reason why were here in the firstplace.

There was a silence until Alex said By no means am I asking

for help, you've been very hospitable, more so than anyone Ivemet topside and you have done more than enough

Well Alex, you can stay here until your all healed up, but I

cant be of much more help than that. Bo said Missy here will

give you some of her cut cream for your leg. We got a empty roomin the office hall up there I can put you up in

Thank you so much Alex said kindly So which preserve did

you guys come from? I heard there was at least five in the USAand more than thirty around the world.

Bo and Missy exchanged glances and Bo said We didnt

Suddenly confused Alex's brow furrowed What do you mean?I mean we came from Liberty Hold Bo saidAlex still looked very confused I don't know what that

means

Missy returned to the table and looked to Bo and said He

doesn't knowBo continued Alex, I'm not sure what you were told but back

on P-Day when those lucky enough to hide underground did so.What they didn't know is they were being herded like cattle awayfrom humanity.Many of the preserves collapsed because theyweren't finished and some think they were intentionally riggedto fail.But some stayed on top because they knew the truth.

I still don't understand Alex saidAlex Missy said Many thought the privileged were sent

underground to survive..and thats not the case..you were sent togo away and die or leave the surface. You see, Humanity became

overpopulated, thats why everything looks fine up here and thetrees still grow and the water is not poisonousthere were nowbombs. It was a rouse for those truly in power to start anew.The selected four hundred thousand people that stayed on thesurface and killed off those who didn't go into preserves. Theycalled themselves the New World Order and Liberty Hold was oneof three cities remaining cities where they rebuilt and walled


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in the selected society. It was a mass genocide, planned, notrandom acts of terror or war.

Alex stared blankly for a moment until he turned to Bo and

said can I have another drink please?

.


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CHAPTER 2

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

Aenean faucibus gravida nisi. Proin a erat. Morbi convallis,

mauris id eleifend rutrum, sapien sapien adipiscing tellus, quis

volutpat odio tellus nec justo. Sed dolor. Aenean eros quam,

pellentesque non, luctus nonummy, auctor nec, quam. Phasellus

viverra. Donec leo nibh, congue in, sodales vel, rutrum et,

nibh. Quisque ante. Nullam fermentum nulla vel eros. Fusce

consectetuer pretium magna. Ut semper nibh non pede. Sed

venenatis, lorem in pellentesque sollicitudin, odio sem

malesuada enim, vitae dignissim sem lectus id tellus. Nulla

facilisi. Quisque quis eros. Phasellus tristique tincidunt

ligula. Pellentesque eu enim.

Aliquam porta libero vitae sapien. Integer elementum mauris

sed ligula dignissim ullamcorper. Class aptent taciti sociosqu

ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos hymenaeos.


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Etiam eu tortor ut odio lacinia fermentum. Aliquam faucibus dui

et felis. Aliquam enim. Morbi tincidunt turpis eu tellus. Proin

elementum, lacus id scelerisque pulvinar, felis pede iaculis

ligula, vitae pulvinar purus sem a neque. Quisque bibendum

pretium arcu. Nullam iaculis eleifend mi. Donec accumsan magna

nec urna. Etiam felis. Curabitur sem. Nullam sollicitudin. Etiam

eu orci nec mauris imperdiet vulputate.

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Shoreline - Act I - Part I

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