In the afternoon we have speech and debate. After that we have Emmanuelle for outdoor survival skills. I know afternoons will be my favorite. I’m not sure which of these two classes I love the most.
In every class we’re told that we are part of the New Society. It doesn’t take me long to figure out that in the New Society we will be the privileged elite who will be expected to lead the masses when the War is over. Our teachers keep referring to us as the future of the country.
“That’s kind of obnoxious, don’t you think?” Maddie says to me at dinner. “Why should we be the future of the country just because we can afford to go to this school? If you think about it, it’s offensive.”
I shrug — I kind of like the idea. It gives me a feeling of having a serious purpose. I’d never felt like that in school before. Mostly all of it had seemed unimportant. All I could think was, Why do we even have to know this stuff? At CMS, I don’t feel that way.
“Of course it’s offensive,” Maddie insists, replying to my shrug. “If your parents hadn’t paid for me to be here, my parents couldn’t have afforded it.”
My eyes dart around quickly, making sure no one is listening. “Shh,” I warn.
Maddie lowers her voice. “Now I’m a ‘future leader’ because I’m here. If I couldn’t afford to be here, who would I be? A big nobody?”
“But you are here,” I remind her.
“That’s not the point.”
I know it’s not the point, but this is a touchy subject and I want to get off it. “Well, I’m just happy we’re here,” I say. “And you should be, too.”
Evelyn sits down at our table. “I have to ask you guys something about science,” she says. “Don’t you think it’s odd that we’ll be learning an awful lot about starting fires, building explosives, and making poisonous gases?”
“I had fun building that fire today,” I say.
“Sure, it was fun,” Evelyn admits, “but don’t you think it’s a little weird that tomorrow we’re going to learn how to blow stuff up?”
I only shrug, again, because I think that’s going to be really interesting, too. For the first time in my life I enjoy science class. Maybe it is a little strange, but then, what’s normal anymore?
#1 - THE STORM
#2 - THE PACK
#3 - THE RETURN
DAYNA LORENTZ is a graduate of the MFA Creative Writing program at Bennington College. A former lawyer, Dayna is now a full-time writer and lives with her husband, daughter, dogs, and cat in Vermont. Dogs of the Drowned City is her first series.
Visit her online at www.daynalorentz.com.
Text copyright © 2012 by Dayna Lorentz
Illustration copyright © 2012 by Joy Ang
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, June 2012
Cover art © 2012 by Joy Ang
Cover design by Phil Falco
e-ISBN 978-0-545-41513-2
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
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