Wolfwall

“Stay at home notice.”

Danzielle Adoel glanced at the announcer delivering the inter-dimensional news. She continued chopping vegetables to toss in a chicken salad.

Terrain citizens were being told to stay in their houses because of a virus. She wondered if like their world same people would gain powers. She hoped for them they all got powers having a wall separate people from their loved ones sucked. Her older siblings like to talk about the before time or as she liked to call it BB (before Blood Bloods). Most of her family gained powers. She could conjure which was fun. The suck fest of the unknown virus called Nil was the wall. There was a time when she could hang out with her best friend in RL, knowing that was where the suckage came into play. She and Sariel grew up post BB they didn’t have a clue how the realm existed without the bunkers and wall. She lived in a community bunker. Her mother said it was a blessing to have such a luxury. Their space was two-stories below the grocery store, her father’s law office and mother’s hair salon. They shared the building space with a private high school. Fifteen students in one classroom. The adjoining administration and principal offices made up the school.

Omael, her brother of the so-called-working elite, liked to tease her, “Crammed!” He’d shout and chuckle.

Whenever he started up, Lavina shuddered. She’d thanked the gods she also got to live out a normal high school experience. Danzielle thought they were both nuts. What did they think was normal? Their reign of high school happened nineteen years ago. Almost a full decade. One more year in the colonist calendar and it would be a decade.

Omael and Lavina acted like they lived in her era. Theirs differed from hers as their parents. For the gods, they should know better. During her parents’ era, it was common for couples to hold the handfast ceremony at sixteen and have a child right after the honeymoon.

The population was a major problem, and people were encouraged to have sex. By the time Lavina was born, they were back to asking couples to have two children. Of course, no one expected the virus. They had expected the downsize of the population after the colonies fought for independence from the United Nations. She is now a proud citizen of Winterpoint, Wolfwall Colony. Grant it like everything else in her life she’s been a citizen since she was born, unlike her grandparents and parents.

Danzielle dashed for the phone as it rang. “Sariel! You must get your parents to take care of the blackouts at yours it’s been two weeks since you rang. Do you have any idea how boring it can be here?”

“Can’t be helped blackouts happen when capital wants to punish those behind the wall. Another rebel incident. This one escaped the coppers were out in full force in search of the rebel.”

“That sounds dangerous. You don’t still walk around everywhere, do you?” Danzielle tried not to be anxious. The thought of not going two flights up from the bunker to her proper places scared her. It was strange to think how different her world was from Sariel's, even though they both lived in Wolfwall Colony. He was the only person aside from her siblings who knew what it was like to go more than two places. His parents drove him in an old fashion car to get around. They lived in where everyone lived like ants crawling to close together in a line getting around the city. The wall even had separate names for the cities. Winterpoint didn’t have other provinces all the blue bloods lived in their own bunkers above buildings that provided food and schooling.

Danzielle heard Sariel let out a huff of a breath. He hated when she asked him about his life in Wallstate, Wolfwall Colony. Chances were good that it would lead to an argument. When they bought up their differences, Sariel seemed to think she was a selfish first-class princess, his words.

“I worry.” She said and crossed her fingers. She wanted Sariel not to get mad at her.

“Elle, I’m used to it. The raids got a little intense other than that, everything fine.”

Danzielle bit her lip. She twirled the phone cord in her hands. They didn’t have raids, loitering or crimes like that in Winterpoint. When things got bad, a copper would use their powers to subdue the suspect and send him over to the wall for breaking the law. Absolute serenity was a must here.

“Look Elle, you scare easily inter-dimensional news frightens you and they’re a whole dimension away! Relax, I’m fine. Already home, in fact.”

“Alright. I can’t help worrying you know.”

“That’s why I love you.”

Danzielle broke out into a smile. Days like today she wished Sariel lived in Winterpoint. Maybe. He might not be the same as he was without his life in Wallstate. She shrugged. Yeah, maybe things were the way they were meant to be. Sariel kept her from being stuck up like a lot of blue bloods.

“We should hang up so we can log on and play using our avatars. Meet you in the hall. Don’t forget your hologlasses this time or you’ll have to use the clay avatar and we won’t be able to hang out for real. Please, hurry, it’s lights out at 8 over here. Stupid rebels.”

“Yeah, alright. Sorry, they pushed your time back three hours.” Danzielle hung up. She scooped up the wiry glasses that transport a holographic image of her into Hung Out. She really wanted a latte if she got it in HO it’d pop out on her coffee table. Danzielle loved the interlinks of technology and magic. “Sariel!” Sariel grew over the summer. He stood at over 5ft 8 and was even more handsome. Lean and fit from martial arts. He’d gotten a haircut usually his avatar’s hair flopped over his eyes where she had to swoop it out of his face. Okay, she didn’t have to—she liked to do it. He smiled at her every time. A big toothy grin, the kind that made the wings of the butterflies in her stomach flutter. Danzielle was glad that holographic images used thumbprints to scan images of the real-life person. Sariel could easily see she was an average, cute, according to her parents, Afro-Colony-Girl. He never seemed to notice her hair when her curls did what he wanted them to do. She’d stand and wait for him to notice their extra shine or bounce. Nothing. Ever.

She could deal with the lack of hairstyle compliments since she didn’t have to deal with the things her sister did back when there were only computers.

Lavina told her horror stories of life before holographic screens where people pretended to be other people. A forty-year-old could be a fifteen-year-old girl. Her sister’s era was really wonky.

Danzielle tried to stop her heart from skipping a beat at the sight of him. She hugged the friend that she hadn’t seen in three weeks and only ever saw through holographic images.