Worlds Apart: Lost Tear Chronicles, #1

By Bree Vanderland and Morgan Middleton

After many years of abuse from the hands of humans, Earth was dying. However, scientist had found a way to live on other planets, if you could afford it. These planets were all connected by teleporters and bridges, used for travelling between two, especially by guards controlling the population. After much deliberation, it was decided that there would be a petition to cut Earth off of the chain for using too much of the other planets resources by President Fortes, but many people disagree. Follow Desiree Fortes and Tristan Moniz as they lead a rebellion, hoping to save their home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bree Vanderland
• Release date: Jan 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507056172

Book preview

Prologue

John Fortes

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I need a world where I can live in freedom. A world without lazy, useless vermin; in other words, Earthians.

Chapter One

Desiree

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I took a deep breath and tried my front aerial again. When I landed it, the rest of the dancers in the room clapped. It was the first time I actually landed it since the accident years ago. Taking a second to gather myself, I beamed, allowing my smile to spread from ear to ear.

Great job! I heard Ms. Daniels speak behind me, patting me on my back. She has been so patient with me, despite my disability. How is your leg?

I looked down at my mechanical leg and grimaced. It’s only been four months since I started dancing again. I couldn’t for the longest time due to my injury and doctor’s orders. The pain would sear through my leg with the mechanical appendage digging into my skin and bone, making it impossible. It was recently that they came up with a mechanical leg for me that didn’t hurt as much when I danced. Even then, I needed to wait for months for them to be sure.

It hurts a little, I admitted, taking a deep breath.

Do you need to rest?

I shook my head and continued over to the bar. There, I began working on leg stretches like the doctor had told me, working on pointing the toes on this mechanical contraption that was attached to my nerves. When I lifted it in the air and pointed my toes, I took a good look at it. If someone was never told that it wasn’t really my leg, no one would even notice that it wasn’t real. It looked real. It felt real, at least, to everyone except me.

The metal dug into my skin and bone, causing a searing pain travel up my leg, but I didn’t care. I loved to dance and this is what I wanted to do. It would take me a bit longer to get used to it. It was worth it when I would finally be able to be on stage as a professional dancer.

Des, are you coming? I turned around and saw Theresa. With her long blonde hair and deep blue eyes, guys fell for her all the time, but this wasn’t like home.

I let out a sigh and shook my head to myself as I stepped away from the bar. This was my home now. This planet of gold and diamonds was home, no matter how much I chose not to believe it. I couldn’t return there. Home was now where death and decay met us as it slowly fell apart. I didn’t need to be a part of that, according to my father.

I gathered my dance bag and quickly changed my shoes into my simple, black flats and pulled on a long, red skirt over my black leotard, heading out with Theresa and a group of people whom I barely knew. When we arrived outside, I had to cover my eyes as the sun was too bright. As the closest planet to the sun, it was hotter here than it was on Earth. Each planet got closer and closer to the sun as we found ourselves further and further away from Earth. It wasn’t as if it wasn’t for the greater good. Earth was dying. Earth was in a desolate state as its trees and plants were dying­. As soon as those went, the atmosphere would be the next to go, leading all on the planet to death. My father led people away before that could have happened to everyone. There was only one drawback – only those who had the money to pay for travel left the possible outcome of death because of the way he set it up.

Here, Theresa said as she passed me an extra pair of sunglasses. I muttered thanks and put them over my eyes, realizing I had left mine somewhere, but I couldn’t remember. I was forgetful like that.

When I finally had the glasses on, I looked up in the sky. I could see the other planets in the midst of the clouds looming overhead behind me when I turned around. There were four in the sky and we were the fifth in what we considered our new solar system, but none of it mattered anymore. It appeared that in the next hundred years, we would be left with four anyway.

I kept walking, admiring the planets like always, and continuing home. I didn’t know how it was on other planets, but here it was simple. Everyone knew everyone by name and greeted everyone casually, but that didn’t make things right. Somewhere, hundreds of people were going to die and no one was going to do anything to stop it – not even the President, who just happened to be my father.

I stepped up to the front door of the house we now occupied. The black gate opened as soon as I stepped up as the guards recognized me. I stepped through, thanking them, and carried on. Looking at the white house in front of me, I wondered whether we really could do some good in this world. The house was big enough to hold another hundred people if not more than what we had there. Right now, it has been just my father, me, and the servants we pay to keep the place up and running, but those people already had money. We could easily bring people from Earth to our place here and have them work in exchange for food, clothing, and shelter, but father wouldn’t hear about that anymore. He was tired of feeling like his little girl was betraying him and being an advocate for those who weren’t allowed to voice their opinions.

When I opened the front door, there was a servant there, waiting to take my dance bag. I handed it over carefully, although there was nothing breakable in there and took off the sunglasses Theresa gave me and placed them on the white, marble table beside the door. It was lined with a gold color like everything else in this house. Everyone said to be thankful for what we have here, but what about those on Earth? Were they still thankful even after everything that the rich had pulled on them? We had promised them a world with a better future in exchange for their help, but when the time came, we had stabbed them in the back, placing taxes on the journey to leave a place that was dying.

Desiree, is that you? I heard my dad from his office off the main lobby.

Yeah, I responded, taking another look around. There was a high ceiling with a grand staircase in the middle of the room. White tiles lined the floor and the women’s heels clicked with every step, echoing through the high ceiling. The walls were a light blue and had a white trim to them, but nothing was shinier than the floor. The servants always kept it clean, not wanting anyone important to come in and see the new White House in disarray.

Did you need something? I asked as I took a step into his office. There was a blue, circular rug in the middle, black, leather chairs and couches surrounded it, a mahogany desk on the back wall directly across from the doorway.

I just wanted to be sure you were home safe.

I nodded, but I didn’t stay there long.

Don’t forget about the dinner tonight, he spoke again. I groaned.

I’m going to go shower, I told him, sarcastically as he liked to know where I was every second of the day, I hated it. I was almost seventeen and what I did would soon no longer be his business.

He nodded, giving me permission to leave, so I did, closing his door lightly behind me. I headed up the grand staircase and turned towards my bedroom. At that point, I searched my closet for something decent to put on, but I found nothing useful. Instead, I grabbed another long, red skirt and a black cami, heading into the bathroom attached to my room. I had my own and didn’t have to share with someone, which I was thankful for. I hated not having privacy, which I knew contradicted the fact that I wanted to bring more people to live with us.

I sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for the water to get hot, but I needed something else to. Lifting my skirt to my knee, I looked at my right leg, which was the one that wasn’t truly mine. Running my hand over the flesh, I became lost in thought on how it happened.

****

Desiree, I could hear my mother speaking from the front seat of the car. I was eight at the time and we were on the way to one of my dance recitals. Mother spent most of her time taking me back and forth to the school that I loved, where they made sure we would have a future not only in dance, but in any area we chose.

Yes mom? I looked up from my iPod and looked at her eyes in the mirror.

I wanted to wish you good luck! I know we’re not there yet, but there’s so much to do that I probably won’t have time to tell you later.

I love you, mom was the last real words I said to her other than yelling watch out!

An eighteen-wheeler was speeding and overturned, rolling towards our car. It practically smashed the roof, but it made our car overturn. In the end, we fell off of a thirty foot cliff. At some point, I was ejected from the car and my right leg was pinned underneath it to the point where I couldn’t feel it anymore. My mother died immediately and I... People said I was lucky to have survived.

Chapter Two

Tristan

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I could always see her in my head. Well, no. That’s not true. I could always see her once on the same day each year. I didn’t know who she was, but during this exact time, she grew closer to me. I believe that one year she’s going to reach me and I think it’s soon.

Again Tristan do it again for me! Orla pleaded. Her blonde curls bobbed up and down as she cuddled into me like a puppy into its mother.

Hmm, should big brother, Tristan be nice to little Orla or should he be a big meanie? I teased, making my younger sister burst into a fit of laughter.

Nice, nice, nice, Tristan Orla chanted.

Okay, are you ready? Here I come Leaning down towards her, I clutched onto her waist and heaved her up and over my shoulder, running around like a crazed chicken with a tiny girl perched on my shoulder. It must have been a sight for anyone. Fun. Her mouth twisted into a wide grin that only a child could achieve when the world (or worlds) holds only innocence. To them, the whole world is a game, one I would trade my soul to take part in.

I trudged along the decaying path as if oblivious to the worlds around me after taking Orla home. Broken twigs that had fallen from extended branches scattered the path, overlaying the footprints that appeared to have been there for decades.  I had seen it all before, every day of my entire existence that I can remember anyway. My favorite place in the worlds lied at the end of the path – the escape from everything that I knew as life. It would be a coward’s way out. I already knew that, but sometimes I wondered if I would do it; if I could.

Those were the key words in that statement. I can’t get past the guards or the hideous, tacky looking doors. They may look tacky, but they won’t move. Scratches that lined the door all over the place marked the desperation. Men have tried and died to escape, but without a reason you can’t leave. And unless I had one such, the door would never open.

Tristan! Over here! My head jerked up to see that who approached me.

So, I was just wondering, Evander began. Are you going to Gray’s party tonight? I mean, he really put loads of effort it and it sounds really fun and no adults, T; well, unless we count you because, I swear, you are way too mature for your age, but anyway get this! I think I might be able to get some booze

Whoa Evander, slow down a bit mate, first Gray and I are not friends. Second, don’t call me T. Thirdly, I don’t drink.

Aw, man, Tristan. Have some fun for once

Stop, I’m not going, okay?

Humph, see what I mean about being way too mature? Live your life, dude. Seriously, he retorted.

Maybe he was right. Maybe I should live my life, but is getting drunk and watching girls strip their clothes off really living? I didn’t know, maybe it was, but I couldn’t help feeling my life hasn’t started yet. I feel like I’m waiting for someone, someone who will kick start my life; maybe the girl I kept dreaming about.

The sun sets behind the five planets, meaning there were five sunsets every night; one for each of them, and millions of sunsets for each home. The orange sky blended with the yellows, reds, and blues of the night. As darkness began to take over, each moon began to shine and send small bursts of light upon their chosen planet. Although the sun was still out as our main source of light, the moons were little balls of light, hovering in our skies at night; guardians protecting our worlds.

I could see everything here, which is why it was my favorite place. The other four planets were visible, making a shiver crawled down my spine, leaving me breathless while taking in the beauty of the different colors amongst the colors of the sunset.

Another shiver soon followed, but I couldn’t blame that on the exquisite sight. One thing about being the furthest planet from the sun was we were quite a bit colder than the rest, but I didn’t know much about that since I lived on earth my entire life. Not only were we colder, but we were poorer. We were the runt of the human race. These things didn’t matter to me though, I had Orla, my family, and Evander. I had everybody I needed. The same face came to my mind as she always did. She was all fuzzy; it had been almost a year since I last saw her. It would be only nineteen more days until she paid me another visit.

Shifting her image from my mind, I tried to think of Orla instead. Her rivers of blonde hair flowing over her head gave the impression of thousands of diamonds embedded within her curls. Her eyes were a deep set of blue like the sea under a moonlit sky. She would grow up to be gorgeous. It seemed to work, thinking of Orla. I loved her and she was my world, more so than the earth could ever be. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

****

Stars curled around my vision, making strange shapes. Shadows lurked behind them as if the stars were tiny lights on the walls of a room. Twisting into an elephant, a knife, a box of tissues, and other normal, everyday objects, they surrounded me. Faster and faster they went, spinning and twirling in front of my sight, making me dizzy. They got bigger and bigger until I thought they would overtake me and I would be lost among the objects, never to be found again.

One minute later, I was sitting on a beach with golden sand spread in front of me and water lapping quietly, extending as far as the eye could see. The water was dark with one black shadow in the middle as if under a night sky looking a bit like an eye. It was an eye; Orla’s eye. My image distorted and I was peering into her carefree gaze. Reflected into her eyes was a room. It was pretty much empty aside from a lone table. I turned away from Orla to look at the table. Upon it stood a rusted candle holder, its fake, golden color turned brown from neglect. It was dented all over, like somebody had tried their utmost hardest to destroy it. That was when I noticed the holograms surrounding the tip of the candle stand; five planets all connected by bridge; four rope bridges, pathetic little things with no stability at all in them.

As I leaned into the bridges for a closer look, I was tugged towards them; a force stronger than anybody could break free from sucked me towards it. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, counted to ten, and then slowly opened my eyes. Nothing was there. I couldn’t describe it because there wasn’t anything to describe. I was standing on solid ground, meaning something must be there. Lowering my head, preparing to see whatever rested below me, whatever kept me up in the nothingness, I saw a bridge. It was a rope bridge with wooden platforms and frayed knots tied every meter or so. I lifted one foot, reached forward, and landed my step. Another step, and another, another, one more, maybe two more steps and then, was there something over there?

I sped into a run, sprinting down the bridge. My hand burned as it rubbed along the rough rope.  The pain etched through me, but it kept me going. It made me want to get to the end, to win the race against the rope. All of a sudden, a searing agony washed over my lower leg. I can’t take another step as my leg wouldn’t let me. A crack, ripping of wood echoed through the night sky. The bridge couldn’t hold me for much longer, but I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to fall into the nothingness. The wood heaved its final breath and gives up on me; falling.

I woke up with a start. Little piles of grass and dirt surrounded me. My palms were clammy with sweat and covered in mud from where I had pulled up the ground. It was only a dream. I’m still where I was before, but it’s different now. The moon shone high in the sky, merciless as always. I let out a deep sigh of relief because it is over now. The nightmares always built up before she came. It was like she was preparing me for the worst actions imaginable. I thought I was stronger than she thought. She seemed only young after all, maybe just a few years older than I am. I didn’t want to trust her, but I couldn’t help myself. She was always there, making sure I did everything right and then, on that same date each year, it was as if she is telling me that I was doing well and she would come to me, but I would always question when it would be.

Chapter Three

Desiree

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The dinner last night was horrid. It was nothing but politics that I couldn’t handle. I was surrounded by these people all the time and I just wanted to get away.

Darkness eventually fell over our tiny planet of Asclippe and I climbed into my bed after changing into a short, silk night gown. Looking out the window, I could still see the other planets in our sky. They never moved, and I liked the view from my bedroom. When we moved in, father said I could have any room that I wanted and this was the one that I choose. I wanted to see the planets all connected, all orderly and under his command. At that moment, before sleep, I drifted back, thinking about the history lesson I had sat in just a week ago about the planets.

****

When President John Fortes took office, what was his first act of President? I heard my history professor, Professor Stayn, speak out over the classroom of thirty students. A few students raised their hands, but others buried their heads further into their arms, wanting to grasp a few more hours of sleep after their all-night party. I just wanted to be invisible. Desiree, surely you know the answer?

My cheeks grew red hot as other students in my class turned in their desks and looked at me. I cleared my throat, about to answer. He posted guards at all gates connecting the planets, I spoke clearly, the way that I was taught to do in my public speaking.

Now name the planets in order, starting at Earth.

Earth, I began again, trying not to choke on my own words. Faelora, Oclao, Uslilia, and then Asclippe – the planet we are on.

How long are the bridges that connect the planets? He was interrogating me, which I didn’t appreciate.

They’re miles long, I shrugged. If someone was to pass through one planet to the next, it would take days to arrive to the next gate.

But how long?

I don’t know, I told him, looking down at my books on my desk that I shared with three other people. I was the daughter of the president, but everyone expected me to know all the answers about the planets. I couldn’t retain all that information and I didn’t see how it was possible for anyone to.

Desiree? he pressed onwards.

I don’t know, honestly.

****

Coming away from the memory, I took a deep breath and glanced around my bedroom. There was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling with tiny crystals, gleaming from the light protruding from the lamp on my small, side table. The lamp had purple sequins on it and my bedspread, blanket, and pillowcases were all purple. I didn’t get a choice. The four poster bed took up the center of the room and a black desk with a wooden chair, where my cat, Lelia, was sleeping. I knew I had to join her, so I laid back and shut off my light. That was the first night I dreamed about him.

****

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer at home or safe in my warm bed; surrounded by my exquisite pillows and sheets. I wasn’t in the middle of town or in the newly remade White House that housed the president and the presidential family, not that he had much anyway. I was alone and it was dark. Turning around, I noticed I was at one of the giant, gray, metal gates that led to a different planet. It was open, beckoning for me to just run away from my life here on Asclippe, but I knew if I did, things wouldn’t be the same. I knew that if I did, father would send people to look for me and bring me back, whether it was by my choice or them dragging me by my hair.

Desiree, I could hear a voice calling from somewhere on the bridge. We need your help! Please!

When I squinted, I couldn’t make out the details, but I knew it was a guy who appeared to be a little younger than me out in the distance. I wanted to walk on the bridge, but father had told me so many different stories about them that I was scared it might blow up if I didn’t have the right paperwork.

Follow me! the voice from the person in front of me called, motioning their arm in the air, waving at me steadily.

I did it too. I took one step on the bridge, cringing as I closed my eyes, waiting for what would happen, but nothing did. Continuing on slowly, I kept on the bridge,