Free The Weapon Within: A Paranormal Dystopian Adventure (The Unexplainables Book 1) by Lizzie Rose

subjects do you take?’
    ‘ Music and Art. They’re not too bad but I guess it depends on what you’re into.’
    I shrugged. ‘So what’s it like at college?’
    ‘ Well, it’s kind of boring really. We’re only allowed to study two subjects. We get an hour for lunch but we’re not allowed to go off campus. And we have to swipe an ID card whenever we enter or leave the building.’
    ‘ Really? Why?’
    ‘ So they can keep tabs on everyone. Once you turn eighteen, you can leave college but you have to sign a register saying who you are, whether you’re a Nex or a Dud and where you’re going to be working.’
    ‘ Wow! I had no idea things were so tightly controlled.’
    ‘ Oh yeah, they are. It’s really annoying though because the security guards are everywhere and you can’t get away with anything.’
    We were getting de eper into the town now and my gaze wandered out of the window. As we pulled up to yet another bus stop I noticed two people dressed identically in beige outfits. Despite not being the brightest of days they both wore sunglasses. One of them turned his head and seemed to look right at me as he walked past. The bus set off again and the man continued to look in my direction until we moved out of sight.
    ‘ Who were they?’ I asked Beth.
    ‘ Oh, they’re from the commune.’
    ‘ The what?’
    ‘ Its official name is Paradise Community and it’s about fifteen minutes out of the far side of town. It was set up years ago when everything went crazy. It’s supposed to be an alternative lifestyle commune for Duds or something. They’re dead weird – they all dress the same and they hardly ever come into the town.’
    ‘ And they never speak to Nexes,’ Noah chimed in. ‘We call them Parasites. The thing is, no one actually knows what goes on in that place. They have their own security guards who protect their compound and they don’t let strangers in. The guy who owns it must have done some sort of deal with the government because he owns the land from here right down to the coast. It’s a shame really because I used to like going down to the beach but no one’s allowed to go there any more.’
    Kenzie twisted around in her seat. ‘Do you remember that kid who broke in there a few years back? Went in on a dare and came back out on a stretcher with two broken legs.’
    ‘ What happened to him?’ I asked.
    She shrugged and jiggled the stud in her chin. ‘No one knows. He says he can’t remember, the Parasites say they found him like that.’
    I was about to ask more questions but the bus stopped and everyone around me began to collect their possessions and head outside.
    *
    Once we ’d made it through the security gates and had our bags checked, Beth walked me to the main office where a woman with dark-rimmed glasses told me to take a seat on a bright orange plastic chair. As soon as I sat down a door opened and a short man with a large bald patch and thick glasses looked out at me.
    ‘ Miss Ava? Would you come in please?’
    His office was sparsely furnished and rather cold. He gestured to a chair and sat down behind a small desk.
    ‘ My name is Mr Johnston and I’m the dean of this college. I’d like to welcome you to Betnor College of Further Education and I hope that your time here is fulfilling. We’re keen to promote an atmosphere of serenity, safety and fairness. With that in mind I’d like to make it clear to you that any use of powers whilst you are attending this college will be dealt with most severely. Hopefully that won’t be an issue with you so I’ll say no more than that. Now, which subjects would you like to take?’
    ‘ Um . . . music and art,’ I stuttered. They were the first things that came into my mind. Mr Johnston shuffled some papers, then looked at his computer screen.
    ‘ Yes, that’s fine, there are places in both. If you go out to the desk, Mrs Ali will give you a timetable and directions to your first class. Good luck.’
    *
    The lady at