by Karen Carr
“It’s true,” Mom says.
Regulators Thorn and Halsted join my mother. The three of them surround me as they examine the token. No one approaches us, or even speaks as the Regulators whisper together. By their excited and hushed words, I know they have heard of my token before.
“I can see the most beautiful purple color through the chipped paint,” Regulator Thorn says. “This is amazing, Aria. You are a Regulator killer. Thanks for taking care of Krish.” She winks at me, which sends a chill down my spine.
Regulator Thorn holds my token up for the guards, teachers, camp counselors, reporters, remaining campers, and parents to see.
“All, it is true,” Regulator Thorn says. “Some of us have heard of the amethyst token. Most of us thought it was a legend. Nevertheless, here it is for all of us to see. My granddaughter has every right to kill Regulator Krish.”
I smirk and wave to the crowd as if I’m some kind of hero. My smile turns bigger and more sincere when I see my dad and Sebastian step out of the crowd. My family is safe. Burke has escaped. Krish is dead. I am done.
After several hours, and countless conversations about my token, the fact that I terminated Krish before finishing camp, and my going to control, I am finally free to go home. For now. Home. My room. My bed. My ordinary and boring life.
The Vactrain waits for the few of us who remain. The rest of the counselors, teachers, and parents climb onto the Vactrain. Vanessa, Mateo, and their parents join my parents and Sebastian.
I sit behind my parents and Sebastian, and between Vanessa and Mateo and we get ready for the ride.
“You guys did a good job,” I say to Vanessa and Mateo. “Thanks for your help.”
“It was Mateo,” Vanessa says. “I can’t aim to save your life.”
“You took down a few,” Mateo says. “She mixed the potion, basic recipe. None of them should be harmed.”
“I can’t believe you killed Krish,” Vanessa says.
I can’t either. I was able to wash Krish’s blood off my hand, but my pants are still stained.
“Can we talk about something else,” I say. “I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
My brother’s curly hair sticks over the top of the seat in front of me. By his loud snores, I can tell he is finally able to rest. My mom’s fingers coil around Sebastian’s hair as she looks back to me. I try to smile as confidently as possible to let her know I am all right.
Dad turns around and peeks over the top of the seat.
“Baby will be excited to see you,” Dad says. His smile says he is already back home with Baby in his arms. Dad is always able to relax me with a few comforting words.
The mechanical woman’s voice cracks through the speakers of the Vactrain, telling us to get ready to leave. This time, I have no view except the back of the seats in front of me and the window next to Vanessa.
I lean against Vanessa and peer out the window as the Vactrain speeds up. Smoke from camp still curls up in the air and vultures circle around in the sky.
“Are you looking for Burke?” Vanessa asks.
“No,” I say. “I’m thinking of Demi.”
“You should be thinking of Burke,” Vanessa says. “He’s much more fun to think about.”
“You’re right,” I say. “I’m going to miss him.”
Vanessa and I watch the high mountains and frozen lakes pass by our window. Burke and Vladimir are out there somewhere, hiding and waiting. No longer will they be able to search for Burke’s magical lake. I’ve ruined that journey for them. Vladimir and Burke will both be required at my debriefing in a few days.
I’m excited that I will get to see Burke again, but terrified that I may be going to control. Thankfully, Regulator Thorn is on my side. Grandmother Thorn. I took care of Krish for her. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get rid of the memory of the knife going into Krish’s heart. I have completed my termination. I no longer have to slice.
THE END
Thank you for taking time to read KILL SCHOOL: SLICE, the first book in the KILL SCHOOL series. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review on Amazon. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.
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Other Books by Karen Carr:
THE DAWNLAND SERIES
Pockets of the Dead
First in the Dawnland series
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9HAMZE
Meet Hella Paige. She kills zombies. Well, technically her virus kills zombies, the one that she contracted after being bitten by her undead neighbor. The virus is invaluable, killing everything undead that comes within a thousand feet of where she stands. However, the virus is also destructive, unless Hella can escape the truth, she might be doomed to a terrible fate.
When Hella meets Huck, he captures her heart, but it is his friend Zeke that can help her save humankind. Two heroic men, one she hates and one she loves. Can Hella rise above the chaos of her heart and chose the one to benefit the world? The right choice might mean the difference between surviving and survival of the species.
Hella Kills
Second in the Dawnland series
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MC1EM1S
In the sequel to POCKETS OF THE DEAD, Hella overcomes her fear and controlling nature to battle both living and undead foes. While Huck captured her heart in love at first sight, she now questions those feelings as she’s thrust into the action with Zeke. Will Hella be able to escape the clutches of Mace Duce or will she be turned into another experiment in his reprehensible lab? Will she leave love by the wayside to save the world?
Hella Rises
Third in the Dawnland series
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4P2BYO
In the third book of the Dawnland series, Hella transforms into a superhero with fans and desperate people alike trying to get her attention. Her zombie-killing virus exterminates thousands, making her the most sought after person alive. Hella has to fight both the undead and her most powerful foe, Mace Duce and his army of thugs. Can Hella break free of her newfound fame and her enemies to find the life of her dreams with the one she loves?
Praise for the Dawnland Series:
“The zombie apocalypse isn't an original plot, a zombie apocalypse where the heroine is not only immune to the zombie virus but can destroy them with her mere presence is a different thing entirely.”
-Eduardo
“Hella a bit headstrong, can hold her own in a fight, and is just altogether a bad ass. However… she's not afraid to be human and make connections with the people she meets.” – Anna
“Hella is coming into her own, both as a freak and as a killer.” – Genesis
“Hella Paige is one AWESOMELY funny yet odd (in a good way) Zombie killer, once bitten she thinks she already dead but instead she becomes a zombie exterminator!” – Valerie
“I love the Walking Dead and I have read other zombie books before but this one really did have a fresh take on it!”
– Erica
TRUTH IS: I’M DEAD
First in the series of TRUTH IS
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008I3SGRK
Dax might be a self-destructive teenager, but he’s not supposed to be dead. When a guardian angel accidentally kills him, Dax is given a chance to earn his way back to the land of the living. His mission is to stop a beautiful girl named Janie from taking her own life, only she is not the suicidal type. Dax decides to destroy everything good in her life so that she wants to end it.
Blake, Janie’s next door neighbor who also happens to be in love with her, will do anything to get rid of Dax. Blake and Dax form a bond when they realize that Janie is being groomed to follow her own mission in hell. As heaven and hell collide, Blake and Dax must fight cynical
forces and their own feelings to save Janie’s life.
THE HARROW SERIES
THE HARROW: Book One
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S05BUGA
Callie Grant was just going to the YMCA for a swim, nothing out of the ordinary, when the tunnel leading to the pool took her into an entirely different world. For Callie had unknowingly answered the call of The Harrow, which would bring her and many other women across the ages into the horror chambers of the Dark Manor.
Callie and Duncan had been dreaming about each other for years, and nightmares of The Harrow had plagued Callie for the same amount of time. Without realizing it, Callie’s life had been driven to her final destination, but the wrong choice could mean death for everyone in The Harrow or the loss of true love.
THE QUELL: The Harrow: Book Two
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TLB3542
Callie can’t believe that her dreams are true. The mysterious man that has haunted her for years is none other than Duncan Brove, Lord of the Dark Manor. After she is transported to the Harrow from her neighborhood in Brooklyn, Callie discovers a whole new world--one she doesn't want to leave. Unfortunately for her, true love never lasts.
Duncan is taken away from her while she sleeps and she wakes up in a cabin by her parent's house in the Catskills. Callie must fight her fading memory and an unwanted fiancée to uncover clues about the women taken from her world. She must hold on to the memory of Duncan’s love or else she may never be reunited with him again.
The sequel to THE HARROW, THE QUELL returns with romance and adventure set in a land where spring has been stolen and families are pitted against the women from Callie’s world for survival. Duncan and Callie must traverse two worlds to reunite in the Quell, where all of the women from the Harrow have been banished. Can Callie hold on to the reality of Duncan or will he disappear to her dreams forever?