Thrive - Remastered

Chapter 9

Jordan sat up in her bed. Sweat gathered on her brow and her entire body felt hot and sticky. She didn’t know what her nightmare had been about, but she had a good idea what had brought it on.

       She glanced over to her bedside, to the steal table that supported a lamp, glass of water and digital clock. The blue numbers read five thirty. Jordan sat motionless for a moment taking in long deep breathes as she looked out her window. The sun hadn’t started to rise and clouds covered most of the sky.

       Jordan hesitated for the briefest second. Her alarm wasn’t set to go off for another hour. A short internal debate decided that instead of risking a journey back into her nightmare, Jordan decided to start her day early.

       Her toes sunk into the soft carpet as Jordan made her way to the bathroom hoping that washing up and starting her day would make her feel better.

Each citizen in the city was assigned a living space equal to their rank and family size. Only individuals that had shown themselves capable of meeting their quotas on a consistent basis were allowed to marry. After two citizens were married they would again have to prove themselves capable of hitting goals before they were allowed to procreate.

       Jordan had no interest in dating or marriage despite her spotless record. It seemed like there was always some male “friend” who wanted to get to know her better. Jordan saw right through their ploys. She knew she could be a better contributing member of society if she chose not to be distracted by the male gender. This had proven true throughout her career and most recently as she was promoted to head of the physical education department.

       Jordan washed her face, combed her long hair into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. It was while she was looking in the mirror, toothbrush scrubbing away, that she noticed a few white suds foaming from her mouth. Before she could stop herself, even as she was wiping the excess toothpaste away, she thought of Robert and the events of the night before.

       Robert had had a similar problem just hours ago during his release. However Robert didn’t have toothpaste falling out of his mouth, it was blood and vomit that oozed off of his lips and onto his chest.

       Jordan squeezed her eyelids together trying to forget the image. The look on his face as he was thrown outside of the city, the grin on the Director’s mouth, most of all, the black world that Robert had been abandoned to.

       Jordan opened her eyes and rinsed out her mouth. She knew exactly what she needed to feel better, to gain some clarity on the situation that had ultimately led to Robert’s demise and to her promotion to head of her department – she needed to run.

       Throwing on her matching black pants, tank top and running shoes, Jordan sipped on a steaming cup of coffee.

       With no family, her living space was small but the Director had already informed her that a penthouse would be provided for her shortly. When she had protested that her one bedroom apartment was sufficient the Director had insisted, reminding her that it was important now to which others would aspire.

       Jordan walked from her kitchen through her small living room and gathered her work clothes, placing them neatly inside a small backpack. Coffee almost depleted, Jordan drained the rest of the brown liquid in one long draught that made her skin tingle.

       With things like alcohol and cigarettes banned, most of the city population turned to caffeine as a vice. Caffeinated drinks were even supported by the city and their consumption by the working population was encouraged.