Competition: District V: Short fiction

Adrestia surveyed the rubble that passed for a city in District 5. Though it was devoid of wealth she reflected that it wasn’t devoid of happiness. Swarms of children played games, while young men sprinted around each other in search of treats. A group of women were playing a game that involved kicking a ball. Everyone around her wore the kind of smiles one would only expect from the rich. Were in not for the foul stench one could be forgiven for mistaking this random day on the streets of the slums for a wonderful fair of some kind.

But when the Seer looked deeper, she saw all the scum and villainy capable by society. She saw young men perpetrate violence one another, she saw young women abducted on the street to be pressed in service as whores. She saw men stealing from one another. She witnessed drunks ejected by strong men from pubs, only in this environment can ignorance truly thrive, the Seer thought to herself. A hundred million police in a hundred years couldn’t make this area safe, a hundred million scrubbings couldn’t make the area clean. District 5 should clearly be avoided she thought to herself.

This awful balance is why Liath is present she continued in thought as she continued on in her way.

This is Love:
Lucifer stared out of the window at Eden City as he watched the lights of the city shine as darkness took over light. “Such a wonderful city, peaceful, quiet, beautiful, and perfect.” He stood and began to pace around his room. “What should I do first? Should I be trying the restaurants, the casinos, the gyms?” He left his room to wander the city. Over the next few months, he began to try every dish in the city by visiting every restaurant then he tried out all of the gyms to find just the right one to match his needs. He also tried out every night club, tasting ever type of alcohol in stock throughout the city and lastly, he gambled at every casino, happy with the winnings he earned. Over these past few months, Lucifer had nothing but joy from the city of Eden.

This is Hate:
Over the last few months everyone in the city who met Lucifer began to give him space as his moods grew worse and worse over the time since he had first arrived. “This town is worthless, I cannot believe I thought it was so amazing?!?! I cannot believe I fell for the rigged casinos, the shitty repetitive food, the boring gyms with only men around…”