The Establishment

Prologue

Run. I felt them on my tail. I don’t know what they are. I don’t know who they are or what they want from me.

Run. That’s the only way that I can survive in this world. Running is all I was ever good at. My lungs were burning out, they were hot in pursuit. I entered alley ways and struggled to get through the tiny gaps between the parked cars. Where should I hide? There’s no escape. They will catch me and I will die.

.

I woke up breathing hard, a sheen of sweat sparkled on my brows as the sunlight broke in through the curtains. I looked around. I see a familiar bedside table, a closet, a desk, and a bathroom to the right.

I am safe.

I’ve been having the same recurring dream for the past 2 months ever since I’ve been left alone to fend off in this world. My mother died giving birth to me. My father was killed by The Establishment.

I have no siblings. It’s just me.

And my name

My name is Sage. Sage Hunter.

….

Chapter 1

In the year 2050, The Establishment, is an organization dedicated to spreading the ideals of liberalism, second-wave feminism, secularism, modernity, and any beliefs that supposedly free society from the shackles of old-age ideals. This ranges anywhere from religion, the traditional marriage between husband and wife, and structured government that roots its laws from religious undertones or teachings. We are now living in an age where tradition has been discarded and those who follow it are looked at with suspicion, and turned to The Establishment where they can be ‘cleansed.’ These methods range anywhere from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior therapy, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, solitary confinement, black-mailing, coercion, and more. These are the rumors that have been circulating in rural Arizona; The Establishment’s reach hasn’t touched Windpikes completely, since we live in a small town and all. However, their reach goes far, their power insurmountable, and their influence is practically unbeatable. Thus far, they have taken ahold of much of the East Coast, the Mid-West, and are quickly moving West. No one knows how they were able to take a hold of Washington D.C., nor do we know how their top leaders were able to quickly take ahold of the powerful constitutional monarchy of the UK, and prime positions of Parliament in Australia and Canada.

Before my dad was killed two months ago, he had sent me a coded letter telling me to Stick to Lucias. I thought of this as I padded down the hall to our—my – kitchen pouring some Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a white bowl. Just as I finished pouring the milk, The phone rings. Its Lucias.

“Morning Sage, I’m on my way.” He hangs up before I can respond. I stare at my beeping cell, trying to internalize this interaction.

Lucias is like that, Brotherly, affectionate, but sometimes, oddly curt and straight to the point. I’ve been having nightmares, and paranoia since my father died, not to mention— the overwhelming swelling grief and depressive states. Lucias has been checking up on me constantly, spending the summer days with me. Living in a small, rural town like Windpikes meant that we were safe from city dwellers, or the eminent threat of The Establishment. The nearest city was Flagstaff, a solid three hours away from where Windpikes was located in the Northeast corner of Arizona.

I’m sitting on a grey, and worn sofa in the living room space, where I’m sure Lucias will be able to spy the unwashed mugs collecting on the coffee table. I prepare for the lecture I will receive, in 3…2…1.

“Sage! You better be out of your bed by now! I’m warning you, I have no qualms pouring cold water on you to wake you up!” Lucias yells, barging in his typical attire of dark sweats and a solid black T-shirt. He never fails to surprise me, his fierce attachment to sweats in the summer. Strong loyalty to the end that one.

He walks up to me inquisitively, pinches my cheeks, and kind of waves his hands in front of my eyes. I’m guessing to check that I’m alive. I look at him through his five fingers, squinting a smile at him.

“Relax. Why don’t you get yourself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch? I have no problems finishing it, you know I don’t.”

Lucias grins and pads into the kitchen located behind me. I turn around and watch him pour cereal into an identical bowl to mine. “I’ve been following the news, me and Ma both have. The situation down in D.C. is not looking too great. The world’s changing, they’re taking slow steps, but we both know how the world will ultimately be. How they want it to be..” He says this grimly, giving me a cursory look. We make eye-contact, I look away first.

My father was a professor specializing in biology, with a concentration specifically in the Darwinian evolutional theory. His conclusions, and studies debunked long-held scientific theories held by the science community regarding the Darwinian evolutional theory. This, of course, raised an uproar to staunch supporters of it, namely The Establishment. Pa has colleagues and friends in places all over the world. He has one good friend in California, Dr. Michael Humes, a historian. We were thinking of going on a road-trip, finding him, and seeing if there was a way to band against The Establishment before it overtook the world. California still hasn’t been overtaken; however, considering that it was ‘Secular Center’ as Pa likes to call it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they joined of their own free-will.

Lucias plops on the couch right next to me, slurping his cereal milk and making noises.

“Ugh, Luke, shut-UP!” I said, lightly punching him. He guffawed a fake sound of pain in response.

“Come on, go get dressed and packed, you’ll make us late.”

Ten minutes later, I had gathered some essentials, locked my home, and found Lucias outside getting the truck started. As I started to settle into the car, a half-shoved paper fell from the glove compartment. On it, I could see a mug-shot photo of a young man in his early twenties, wearing a barely concealed heart-shaped locket. In bright red letters it read:

WANTED—FUGITIVE FROM THE LAW

IF FOUND, RETURN TO

THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR

$15,000