The Inheritance
Jenaye shot up from her sleep in a cold sweat. She had another dream about when The Sickness first happened. Jenaye was only four when The Sickness hit the people of her town. The whole country was affected by a slow chemical leak into the water supply. By the time the health organizations and government realized the leak was happening, it was too late. People were falling ill and dying at extremely fast rates. Many of those who did not die remained sick and disabled. Other survivors were able-bodied but became grossly disfigured, experiencing lesions and discoloration on their skin. But a very small minority, like Jenaye and her sister Jina, remained unaffected. Those who had paler skin were more likely to be affected by The Sickness and Jenaye’s skin was smooth and dark. She inherited it from her mother, who disappeared after volunteering for a new medical trial that everyone hoped would be successful in reversing The Sickness.
