Vitamin Screen

By Tyler H. Jolley

We have all heard it many times in our lives. Get off your phone! You spend too much time on your phone! But for Will Hadding and his family and friends, being on their phone is the only way to survive. Will's extraordinarily mediocre life is just fine with him. But for his parents who work so hard to give him and his sister more, life couldn't get better once they win the Purquility Lottery.

Winning the coveted prize means a promise of a disease-free and charmed life in a brand-new home inside a perfectly manicured, planned city. But it also means leaving everything and everyone from your old life behind. After the cleansing process, his family is whisked away in a luxurious limousine to start their new life. But for Will, none of this sits right with him.

Will's suspicions intensify when his mother falls gravely ill—and seemingly no one is helping her. Desperate to find answers, Will goes on a mission to find out who the officers of the homeowners association really are. During his search, he crosses paths with a missing "dead" girl, Andy. Along with her two friends, they help Will uncover the truth about Purquility.

With only hours to formulate an exit plan, will he find a way to take down the HOA? Or will he succumb to something much worse?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyler H. Jolley
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958734032

Tyler H. Jolley

As a kid, Tyler H. Jolley always had a knack for storytelling. When he grew bored of old fables, he created his own exciting and unique worlds. Many years later, he still had so many new ideas and stories swirling in his head, but with nowhere to share it. That’s when he put his pencil to paper and let the creative juices flow. His breakthrough novel, EXTRACTED, came out in 2013 and swiftly became an Amazon Best Seller and Spencer Hill Press Best Seller. Since then, Tyler has been busy publishing over a dozen books. He reexamined the publishing process and created an efficient way to get his countless ideas into print.  Tyler definitely didn’t like to work alone, so he restructured his writing methods into a team approach.  When he’s not writing, you can find him at his orthodontic practice, mountain biking, or on the hunt for the perfect doughnut. Twitter: @Docjolley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyler.jolley.319/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerhjolley/

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Vitamin Screen

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental

Copyright © 2022 Tyler H. Jolley

Cover Art and Design by John Hackett

Interior by Melissa Williams Design

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Tyler H. Jolley

ISBN: 978-1-7373296-4-0 (print)

978-1-958734-03-2 (ebook)

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

I dedicate this to modern medicine and hope

we never have to use nanobots.

For Trista.

Chapter 1

Will Hadding turned the knob on the ancient, bulky tube TV with an audible click to the right. The fuzzy image jiggled at the top and bottom before finally settling on the convex, grainy screen. A live jazz band played in the background, swinging their saxophones, trumpets, and trombones from side to side. A man with light blond hair smiled with an overly wide, too-white, toothy grin and awkwardly danced in an all-white room. The man’s signature hair was something Will had come to expect year after year watching the lottery.

But today was different, because his family had never gotten so far in the lottery before. Today could change his life forever.

The Purquility Lottery, if nothing else, was consistent. Same guy, same gigantic smile that never quite reached his eyes, same skin pulled so tight it shined, and same insane haircut: short, neatly shaved in the back and on the right side, but long, teased and carefully blown out over his left eye and ear. What kind of side-mullet nonsense is this? Will thought every time he saw him adorn his TV. But he never, ever said those words out loud. He would never be able to get the entire sentence out of his mouth before his mother, Marsha, had a bar of soap in it—even though he was seventeen.

Everyone had opinions—they weren’t special, and they were best to keep to oneself, she’d taught him. Only facts should be shared, period. So Will focused on the facts instead of the caricature of a man before him. Twelve families’ lives were about to change forever. Secretly, he hoped they wouldn’t win. Heck, the odds were astronomical. He liked their cozy house, his friends, his school, and even their small town. As far as he knew, he was the only one who didn’t want to win. He anxiously tucked an errant strand of his grown-out bowl cut behind his ear. Almost long enough for a ponytail.

The front door swung open. Will’s dad, Dean, was hunched over, panting, with his hands resting on his knees. His nylon shorts hung loosely on his hips, and the old, faded tank top from a past marathon seemed too big for him now.

Nice of you to join us, Will’s mom said. You almost missed the announcement!

Will handed his dad a bottle of water and closed the door behind him.

Thanks, son. His father kicked off his worn running shoes, wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, and took a long drink. What’s the point of life if we don’t have our health? I think I made my best time yet. A personal best, as the kids are saying these days.

Will smiled. What a dork.

"That’s exactly the point. His mom aimed the bulky, rectangular remote at the TV, and the shrill from the brass instruments blasted through the speakers. We won’t have to do that at Purquility. Guaranteed health. Live for ninety-nine years."

I don’t think health and disease are the same thing, Will’s dad said under his breath, earning him a glare from his wife.

This one. Will’s mother pointed at her husband with her thumb and rolled her eyes. Talk to me when you’re an expert on the subject, okay?

Will sat on a threadbare couch cushion and ignored his parents. He knew that sort of banter was their love language, but it still wore on his nerves.

Sammy, come here, Sammy. Will whistled and patted the seat next to him like he was inviting a dog onto the couch—which he would have preferred.

But instead of a puppy, his parents gave him a little sister when he was seven. Since the lottery started, his parents had used it as an excuse to keep a no-pet policy in the Hadding household. The only rules for entering the Purquility lottery were the couple had to be married, have no more than two kids, and no pets.

William, do not speak to your sister like a dog, his mom snapped. She shifted her weight in the small chair, and it creaked in response. Shh, everyone, it’s starting. Grab your lanyard!

Before Will could respond, his sister jumped onto the couch and placed a long, light-blue ribbon with a plastic rectangle in the middle over his head. A shimmery holographic image read FINALIST in simple print.

I hope we win! Samantha held her balled-up fists to her chin. We’ve never made it this far before!

Me too, dear, their dad said. Now, you two, listen to your mom. No talking.

Despite their seven-year age gap, they were closer than Will let on. His little sister was the polar opposite of him in every way. His dark brown hair, striking blue eyes, and quiet nature couldn’t have been more of a contrast to Samantha’s bubbly personality, blonde hair, and big, brown eyes. A perfect balance between the two of you, his mom would say. Will wrapped his arm around his sister.

The band quieted, and the man in the slim-fit, light-blue suit stopped dancing and held a shiny gold microphone up to his glistening lips. Is he wearing lip gloss? The man adjusted his blue-framed glasses and smiled.

Welcome, everyone! As always, I’m your host, Chadwick Welsh! The band played a quick jingle similar to what Will had heard in between plays at college football games. Chadwick danced, turning in a circle, his timing in step with each beat. He snapped his fingers, the music stopped, and the lights darkened around everything but him. Purquility is excited to welcome twelve new families into our utopia. Take a look!

He’s like a cartoon. Except even cartoons aren’t that over the top. Look at that big, dumb smile, Will thought. No way he’s really this happy. So cringey.

Drone footage showed a brand-new cul-de-sac with six homes on either side and perfectly xeriscaped lawns. It panned over a community pool, park, and tennis and basketball courts.

You’ll never be bored in Purquility, Chadwick’s prerecorded voice echoed over the images. Plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, shopping and restaurants galore!

The drone showed storefronts with colorful awnings in front of artfully decorated windows—though there were no customers, as far as Will could see. Clothing stores, candy shops, a movie theater, arcades, and even a magic store zipped by in the image. Every type of food, coffee, and soda shop was next.

And as you know, everything is at your fingertips. Chadwick’s voice was still over-the-top in the recording, but sounded more controlled and scripted than when he was live. We live communally, happily, and healthily. Our lab-proven results guarantee you’ll live thirty-six point two years longer than the average person outside Purquility—that’s ninety-nine years!

The screen filled with a family of four standing outside a white stucco home with black shutters, waving up at the drone camera. Their rosy cheeks and perma-smiles made Will uneasy, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. They all wore white polyester clothes that reminded him of warm-up sweats professional basketball players wore before the tip-off.

How do they know you’ll live that long? Purquility hasn’t even been around ninety-nine years. Will chewed on the inside of his lip.

It’s lab proven, his mom said, her gaze glued to the TV. She popped a cheesy puff into her mouth. Shh!

Will didn’t care about the new and shiny Purquility. Why did so many people insist newer was always better?

The final shot was of Purquility in its entirety. A golf course was off to the far right in the desert landscape. Community centers were littered throughout. Subdivisions were spaced evenly and seemingly identical.

The band started back up, and Chadwick hula-hooped to the music. He clapped his hands together, and the room fell silent. The plastic hoop dropped to the floor, the clatter the only sound.

Thank you, Chadwick, for that stunning imagery and description!

Did he just thank himself? Samantha whispered to Will.

It would appear so, Will said.

In our years at Purquility, we’ve eliminated disease and created a paradise, Chadwick said. Our lab-proven result of biyearly blood cleansing and patented technology extends life and happiness. Who wants regular blood when you can have Purquility blood?

The white room from which Chadwick was broadcasting was now covered in rainbow light. A man dressed in marching-band garb stood by the brass section. The drummer nodded, the feather on his hat dipped, and then the slow drumroll commenced.

Let’s get to it! Chadwick held a cream envelope with gold edges and a blue wax seal up to his forehead.

Not us. Not us. Not us! Will’s leg bounced with nerves.

Chadwick closed his eyes and announced, Gertz family from Cedar Rapids, Idaho! No, Iowa. He grabbed his stomach in an exaggerated fit of laughter. Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

He tore the envelope open and held up the gold paper to the camera, confirming the winner. The rainbow lighting faded away to soft yellow. The band erupted into the celebratory song they always played in between each announcement. Colorful confetti fell from the ceiling.

How does he always do that? Samantha smoothed her Purquility T-shirt, one of the many pieces of swag they’d received in their finalist kit. He never gets it wrong!

Don’t be a baby, Sammy, Will said. He knows the results already.

Naw-ah, I bet he’s psychic.

Maybe psycho.

Congratulations to the Gertz family! Chadwick spun in a quick circle. Confetti that had collected on the shoulders of his suit tumbled to the ground. He produced another cream envelope when he completed his revolution. With squinted eyes, he pressed the envelope to his temple. Jackson family from Jackson, Mississippi! He showed the paper inside to the camera, confirming his prediction. "Huh, isn’t that cute? The Jacksons from Jackson."

Again, the band played, but this time, Chadwick broke out into an Irish Riverdance while confetti rained down from above for the second time.

Envelope.

Lame prediction.

Standfords from Denver, Colorado.

Confetti.

Goofy dance.

Envelope.

Prediction.

Arnneset family from Astoria, Oregon.

Confetti.

Dance. A little more gyrating this time.

Will wrinkled his nose.

And now, for our fifth winner. Chadwick tapped his forehead with the envelope and paused a bit longer than he had with the first few.