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    Aftermath: Yesterday, Episode 1
    Aftermath: Yesterday, Episode 1
    Aftermath: Yesterday, Episode 1
    Ebook69 pages58 minutes

    Aftermath: Yesterday, Episode 1

    By Shirley Kennett

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    About this ebook

    In this Young Adult science fiction tale, sixteen-year-old Anna Hart flees a deadly situation in a failing human colony on the planet Silva. Using her skills with an ancient weapon and her empathic ability, she struggles through danger and betrayal, searching for a place where love and hope can thrive.

    Please note: This Episode is the first of five episodes that make up the novel Yesterday, the first book of the Aftermath trilogy, and is offered as an introduction to the characters and world in the sweeping story of Aftermath. Subsequent Episodes will be released as written to fill out the book in serial fashion.

    Aftermath Trilogy:
    Yesterday
    She's Leaving Home
    Imagine

    Shirley Kennett is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, thrillers, and science fiction. She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and a past board member of International Thriller Writers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherShirley Kennett
    Release dateAug 4, 2014
    ISBN9781310598302
    Aftermath: Yesterday, Episode 1
    Author

    Shirley Kennett

    About the authorShirley Kennett has published eight novels in print form so far, including the standalone Burning Rose and five in the PJ Gray series, in which a psychologist steps into virtual reality recreations of homicides, playing the role of the killer to decipher a deviant mind.Shirley, writing under the pseudonym of Dakota Banks, writes the Mortal Path series of paranormal thrillers featuring Maliha Crayne. The books are based on a woman’s battle for her soul amid ancient Sumerian myths that come to life in modern times. The Mortal Path books are published by Harper Voyager.Shirley has published in novel, short story, and article formats. She has contributed chapters to books about writing and worked on a progressive mystery with a dozen other authors. She has taught workshops about writing online and in person and is a frequent speaker at conferences. She has judged short stories for a Mystery Writers of America anthology, and judged for the Edgar Awards several times (twice as committee chair). She is a founding member and past president of the St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, the American Crime Writers League, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers (formerly Vice President of Membership). In her spare time, she manages to get some writing done.Before beginning her writing career, Shirley wore a number of hats, including those of corporate analyst, clinical systems programmer, independent computer consultant, and pet store employee (the one who cleans the cages), but her writer's hat is by far the most comfortable—and most satisfying—of them all. She has been a mystery/thriller fan as long as she can remember, probably a result of growing up in a converted turn-of-the-century funeral home.With adopted sons from Peru and Ethiopia, she’s experienced both the rewards and the difficulties of having a cross-cultural family. Shirley is a graduate of the Washington University School of Engineering in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives on the western fringe of St. Louis with her husband, two sons, and two cats.

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      Book preview

      Aftermath - Shirley Kennett

      AFTERMATH:

      YESTERDAY

      Episode 1

      Shirley Kennett

      Copyright

      Aftermath: Yesterday

      Episode 1

      Shirley Kennett

      Copyright © Shirley Kennett 2014

      Published by All Purpose Press Publishing at Smashwords

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced without the permission of the author.

      Sixteen-year-old Anna Hart flees a deadly situation in a failing human colony on the planet Silva. Using her skills with an ancient weapon and her empathic ability, she struggles through danger and betrayal, searching for a place where love and hope can thrive.

      Table of Contents

      Copyright

      Chapter 1 ~ Yellow Button

      Chapter 2 ~ Sixteen

      Chapter 3 ~ Brave Warrior

      Chapter 4 ~ Pledge

      Chapter 5 ~ Devos

      Chapter 6 ~ Dome

      Chapter 7 ~ Noah

      About the Author

      Chapter 1 ~ Yellow Button

      Year 1243 of the Silvan Colony

      Anna Hart knew she should try to get some sleep. Her body ached for it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a few hours’ rest. During the day, they yelled at her and hurt her. There wasn’t a place on her body from the neck down that wasn’t some shade of red, purple, blue or yellow—bruises measuring out a timetable of abuse. But that was just pain. Pain faded.

      The nights were worse.

      She lay stiffly on her narrow cot. There was no sheet or blanket, and she was given only a short, thin gown for the night. The gown didn’t cover enough of her for decency, so she twisted on her side, tucked her legs up as high as she could, and tried to cover her body that way. It never worked. There was always an uncomfortable feeling of exposure.

      She should try to get some sleep. But when the Voice was talking, it was impossible to sleep, and when the Voice was quiet, she waited in fear for it to start up again. It felt as though something horrifying and evil had crept into her ears, some kind of worm or insect that wriggled in slow, excruciating spirals. Little drills that never made any progress, just turned, turned . . .

      In the early days, she would claw at her ears until they bled. Anna didn’t do that anymore. They kept her fingernails cut short anyway, to make sure she couldn’t do any serious harm.

      Suddenly the drilling sensation stopped. One misery was about to be replaced by another: the Voice.

      Hello, Anna. Feeling better?

      She made no response. It was a male voice, low-pitched, grating, superior. During the previous night, she’d vomited the unusually pleasant meal she’d been given for dinner. It happened every now and then—something they put in the food or water. She’d suspected it when she saw the overflowing plate, but her stomach had overruled any thought of not eating.

      Not in the mood to talk. That’s all right. I can do the talking for both of us. You belong to me, Anna. I own you totally. If I don’t think you’re making any progress in your loyalty education, or even if I get bored with you, I can press this button right here in front of me. The red button. Do you remember what the red button does, Anna?

      Anna closed her eyes and mumbled. Yes.

      Good girl. If you don’t cooperate, I can press the yellow button. You know what the yellow button does?

      Yes.

      Tell me.

      Puts gas in the room that makes me choke. It . . .

      Yes?

      It makes me feel like I’m going to die, she whispered. The sensation came back to her, squeezing her throat closed. She began shivering uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered and she bit the inside of her mouth. The taste of the blood brought her out of it, which was good. The more helpless she looked—and she was being watched—the worse it got.

      The program needs strong, loyal girls, the Voice said. It’s your duty as a future citizen to suppress your disloyal behavior. Can you do that, Anna?

      Anna didn’t answer. Thoughts were bubbling up through her fear.

      No, you rotten asshole! Come in here and I’ll show you a strong girl! I’ll . . .

      She squashed the thought, but not fast enough. They couldn’t read her thoughts word for word, but her brain activity and emotions were fair game, and she knew that blip of rebellion would be noticed. She pushed herself back into abject fear. It wasn’t hard. The shivers returned.

      Too late, Anna, too late.

      She heard the whoosh of gas entering the room. Her heart pounded against her

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