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    Death Shop: With Hope, Anything is Possible — Or Not
    Death Shop: With Hope, Anything is Possible — Or Not
    Death Shop: With Hope, Anything is Possible — Or Not
    Ebook147 pages1 hour

    Death Shop: With Hope, Anything is Possible — Or Not

    By George Donnelly

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The Republic Trust is our protector. Form a single file for the daily 500-calorie feed line, courtesy of Xemura Pharma.

    Ailsa Santamaria whores for food on the killing streets of Protectorate 13477 as she struggles to break her daughter Texa's screen addiction. She won't trade control of her mind for a slim chance at a better life. She's not like the others.

    But uplift arrives in Protectorate 13477 nevertheless. Ailsa discovers a way out for her and Texa, but it may not bring the relief she seeks. She thought she had nothing left to lose. That was a lie.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGeorge Donnelly
    Release dateOct 24, 2016
    ISBN9781941939048
    Death Shop: With Hope, Anything is Possible — Or Not
    Author

    George Donnelly

    Growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1980s, I was given the apple-pie routine. America is great. America is free. The land of opportunity. All is well or soon will be. But then I went to high school in inner-city Philadelphia and college on the south side of Chicago. Everything wasn’t alright. America is not free. I’ve been a rebel my whole life. I became a troublemaker when Catholic grade school bored me. I published a broadsheet attack on administrative oppression at my Philadelphia public high school. I left a Chicago loop 67th floor bank job to drive a cab. I left the United States, too. When I came back, I was arrested, beaten and thrown into federal prison by US Marshals for exposing their abuse. Then I fomented an international uproar over airport grope-downs. I was even accused of being a terrorist on network TV.

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    • 5/5
      This is a commentary, not a review: I was gifted "Death Shop" by the author, George Donnelly. Holy Cow, man, you are one twisted dude! How did you come up with this story? I am so confused. What was real? What was actually happening? Where is the sequel? If I read this again, will I have more clarity? My brain hurts, damn you!

    Book preview

    Death Shop - George Donnelly

    1

    T his damned thing won’t connect! Ailsa rapped the palm-sized device on the sidewalk. Her shoulder-length, dirty blond hair spiked out in multiple directions. She brushed it back.

    Texa stared at the giant viewscreen across the street. An advertisement for Xemura Pharma flashed across it. The small girl’s rheumy eyes blanked out. She sat cross-legged on the pockmarked sidewalk next to her mother. Beyond the viewscreen sat the wall. Guardians patrolled its heights with weapons ready.

    Did you hear me? Ailsa whispered. She glanced down the street towards the feed line. Do you have any other ideas? You are a bright little girl. I believe in—

    With hope, you can do anything! Texa whispered the words in unison with the mouth movements of a character onscreen. Mommy! She turned to Ailsa. The audio subscription?

    Ailsa firmed her mouth. Her eyes tightened. You know the answer, baby girl.

    Why don’t you get us some money? Texa furrowed her brow at her mother.

    Ailsa looked away. A heaviness grew in her chest and her face burned with shame. She let the handheld device fall to the ground and opened her mouth to take a deep, calming breath. I can fix it. There is still time.

    A little boy with a silver visor over his eyes ran around the corner and palmed the device. Ailsa grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her.

    Don’t you dare! she yelled. I just put it down, that’s all! She pulled the device from his hand and buried it in her gut pocket.

    The boy’s visor slipped down his nose. She ripped it off of his face and he screamed.

    Didn’t your mother teach you not to steal? Ailsa yelled.

    His face seized up. His eyes were all white. I didn’t have a mother, lady. Please, put it back. I just got it this morning and I still got a debt. I can see for the first time in seven months. I can’t live without it!

    She looked at Texa and grinned. Texa shifted her eyes towards her mother but did not look away from the viewscreen across the street.

    She slipped the visor back on the boy’s face and arranged his bangs. He cocked his head to one side and smiled at her. You didn’t have to do that, you know. It’s worth something.

    Ailsa shrugged. She turned and stared at her daughter.

    The boy took a seat in front of her. What’s your name?

    What right do you have to my name? Ailsa asked. Private information.

    To her right, the end of the feed line crawled in their direction. Guardians flew in and parked their scooters in the street in front of them.

    Texa growled. She got on all fours and crawled up the block past her mother so she could see the viewscreen again.

    Are you in the feed line? asked the boy. My name’s Henry, by the way.

    Ailsa stared at him. There was the current again, like a low hum in her brain. She shook it off. Henry? That’s an old-fashioned one. How did you get a name like that? She looked up the block at Texa.

    If you want to eat today, you better get in line, said Henry. The Gards are here to close it off, you know. He stood up and walked towards the end of the line.

    She pursed her lips. I know how these things work. She stood up and walked to Texa. She grabbed her arm. It’s time to go little girl. I have a bad feeling about this.

    Down the street, Guardians blocked access to the feed line with their bodies. A shriek sounded in her ear and she crashed to one knee.

    This Xemura Feed Line is now closed. Do not attempt to join the queue. Do not move out of line. Everyone currently in line will receive a five-hundred-calorie ration courtesy of Xemura Pharma. Violators are subject to a three-day sustenance suspension. Stay in line. Remain calm. The Republic will care for us.

    The viewscreen in front of them went all-white. Ailsa noticed out of the corner of her eye that the other viewscreens on the block changed, too. Black letters appeared. The Republic Trust is our protector! they said. The Guardians on the wall looked down on them.

    Texa turned to her mother and slapped the sidewalk. Mom! she whined. The viewscreen!

    Ailsa felt the rage rise in her, too. She exhaled purposefully then smiled at her daughter. There’s nothing—

    Five-hundred calories a day ain’t enough for no man! The deep, throaty yell came from behind her.

    Ailsa pulled Texa to her feet. Texa refused to put her feet down and run. Ailsa held her against her chest. She ran around the corner. Texa scratched her face.

    My show’s not over! Take me back! Take me back! Texa screamed. There was blood under her fingernails.

    Ailsa grabbed Texa’s hands and squeezed them together. Blood trickled from the gashes on the young mother’s face.

    I’m sorry, baby, but things are about—

    A rising chorus came from the street behind them. Our fair share! Our fair share! Our fair share!

    Ailsa’s neck muscles tensed. Her head arched backwards and a desperate ache spread throughout her back. Don’t worry, baby girl. We’re almost there. Try to calm down. Do the breathing—

    Warning, said a genderless voice in her ear, this is now an illegal assembly. Disperse or be terminated.

    A Guardian scooter zipped past them and stopped in their path. Henry stuck his head out of the front window. Get on. I can save you!

    Ailsa stopped dead and scowled at him. What more do I have to lose? Better to try than to die like an animal in the street. She climbed into the backseat and sat Texa next to her. Texa’s tiny body collapsed and her head bounced against the car door.

    Go! yelled Ailsa. Go! The inside of the scooter stank of sweat and rotten food. There was a small plaque on the rear of the front passenger seat. Sponsored by Xemura Pharma, it said.

    Henry jammed his feet into the accelerator pedal and they took off into the sky.

    We beat it! We got— started Henry.

    The termination registered in her ear as a piercing but low scream. She grimaced for a brief second then smiled at Texa and caressed her soft, blond hair. We made it, little one. Just out of range, she whispered. She let herself feel the exhaustion that tugged at every bone in her body. Now what?

    The scooter dived forward. Ailsa’s chest slammed into the bench wall in front of her. She caught Texa and struggled to expand her lungs.

    Henry! she yelled.

    A shiny cobalt skyscraper grew in front of them. She reached forward and pulled Henry’s limp body to one side. His feet came off the pedals. The car leveled off. The building was still in front of them.

    She grabbed the wheel and turned right but the inertia carried them sideways into a deep blue window. A nasty crunch sounded followed by a long screech. Their bodies were thrown hard against the crumpled driver’s side of the vehicle. They began to fall.

    2

    Ailsa fought raw panic to grab the wheel but the rest of her body would not come. The windshield screamed as air fought to pass through its broken lines. The approaching city below beckoned them on. Ahead and below, she spied the next protectorate over and the high wall that separated them. The other protectorate was a crater-filled wasteland

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