Prologue

Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions proffered by characters throughout my novel are not shared by me, the author. This flawed thinking is meant as a plot device and should not be taken seriously.

It was late afternoon when it happened, the mysterious voice boomed throughout the entire world and suddenly people started disappearing. A few hours after the event and the world seemed completely silent almost deathly still. Then, explosions rocked the world as unmanned factories and power plants burst into a blaze of glory. An Earth without humans was hard to imagine, but nature would forget, it always does.

A few hours earlier...

I pushed through the wooden double doors and walked into the building. The words Infotec greeted me in big, neon letters as I walked in. The interiors of the lobby were shoddy and cheap looking, a complete one-eighty from the grand and pristine architecture of the outside. The place stank of a dying company on its death throes. I moved past the uninterested receptionist to the murky glass door behind her, "Employees Only," it screamed in red stencilled letters.

I snorted at the sign, I wasn't by any meaning of the word 'an employee'. Even a company as run down as Infotec wouldn't hire me, I had no qualifications or job experience. I figured I didn't need college thus I decided to try my hand at working. Two years later and here I was, a chauffeur for the scion of a once prestigious company.

For thirty minutes I stood outside the boardroom where an important meeting was being held, then the door opened to release a flood of cool air and out strode Mic. He was clad in a black suit and looked quite handsome, his face beamed in pleasure as he laughed and chatted with the other members of the board.

Mic was about the same age as me, he was the one that I drove around on a daily basis. I followed behind him as he walked out of the building, as we neared the car I strode forward and opened his door. He smiled at me and got into the vehicle, I inwardly shuddered as he smiled at me. It was never good when he acknowledged me, something bad was ahead and I could feel it.

I stalled for as long as I could before I sat in the drivers seat. Gingerly, I twisted the key and the engine sputtered into existence. Mic cleared his throat and said, "I forgot to inform you this morning, you have been fired from this position." I forced my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Why?" I asked, trying to not raise my voice.

"You don't need to know that," he said and I swear I could hear the smile in his voice.

"It was you, wasn't it?" a trace of venom prevalent in my question.

"Of course not," he said as I glanced in the rearview mirror and watched his face light up with a grin.

"You..." I stopped myself before I said something I would regret.

Mic was someone who knew how to hold a grudge, I had seen him take revenge before, I certainly wouldn't want to be another one of his victims. The job was agreeable in the beginning, Mic mostly ignored me and I was fine with it. Two months ago, he learnt that I made more money than him per month. His father was someone who felt that a good job warranted a good pay, thus Mic wasn't given any allowance and was made to work for what he wanted.

Since then, Mic became a lot more responsible and tried taking care of the business as well. The only downside being that he took his anger out on me and for the last two months, he routinely disparaged me to his parents leading to my sacking today.

"Once we reach my home, you can turn in the keys," he said snidely.

I didn't bother to answer and listlessly drove him home.

********

The streets were getting busy as traffic piled up, I walked to the nearest bus stop to get a ride home. The full impact of losing my job hadn't hit me yet.

I closed my door behind me as I walked into the small but cosy apartment. All the money I had earned from my job had been put into buying this apartment, a couple more months and I would have had enough to buy it but now... A few more months and I could have quit the job myself, I would have saved enough money to do something else, I wouldn't have to live from paycheck to paycheck. A trace of fiery anger set itself into my heart and for the first time in the last hour, emotion made its way across my face. My teeth were scrunched together in hate as I tried to calm myself down.

As much as I hated what Mic did, to me, it made sense. For power was everything, with more power one could do what he wanted without repercussions. Maybe, that's what I needed - power. The power to do what I pleased.

All of a sudden, I hear something, its a tsunami of a voice. It seemed to be all around me but at the same time hit me straight like a train running over me. The voice mentions something about The Games and then I start to feel lighter. Parts of me start to turn into motes of light and a couple seconds later, I'm not in my apartment anymore.

I am somewhere...else.