Exchange Rate
by Bonnie R. Paulson
**Book 2 of a continuing series. Adult themes. ** I'm pregnant and I couldn't be more excited. But the community Bodey, his dad, and I live in has rules. Rules that make Mom's rules seem like safety nets. Only 200 people are allowed at a time. My baby will make it 201. The leader is making me choose someone from our house to die so there will be room for my child. Either I make the decision or they take... my... Even in the craziness that the world has become, I refuse to believe only 200 can live in it at once. The "community" is safe-ish, comfortable. We have food, warmth, and there isn't immediate danger of being robbed while we sleep. Doesn't it make sense we'd have to exchange something for all that? I've survived this long. Maybe that's enough. Maybe I should die so my family can live. Or maybe I can get through the lines and find a people worth sacrificing for.