“Why did you call a meeting, Lauren-Anne?” Evelyn asked, looking bored.
“I want to talk about Et Splendidis.” I said.
Suddenly the lights went out. There was a horrible storm that night. After we all screamed, Evelyn found some matches and lit some candles. I noticed a bottle of perfume on her desk.
“What’s there to talk about?” She asked.
I didn’t know what to ask, so I said, “I’m telling the police that you killed your husbands. And that you made Meg kill Graham.” I stood up and tried to walk out the door.
There was a group of girls blocking my way.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Evelyn told me.
“What is Et Splendidis? Who is she?”
“She’s no one. I made her up. It’s all in their heads.” Evelyn said, gesturing toward the rest of the Charm Club.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I wanted to be in charge of something. Girls are so unpleasant these days, with the way they dress and act, so I figured I’d make girls seem proper.”
“You tricked us,” Beverly said.
“We killed someone for you!” Marylin cried.
Evelyn took a knife out of her desk. “You girls aren’t going anywhere.” She said. “I need you girls, you make the school look good!
I suddenly threw a candle down onto the floor. A little fire started. I took the perfume bottle off Evelyn’s desk and dumped it on the flame, which started expanding.
“Run,” I told the girls.
We all ran out of the building, which was now on fire. We watched as the fire spread quickly. Later, we watched the firemen put out the fire.
“None of us will ever tell anyone about anything that happened in the Charm Club. Deal?” I asked the remaining members.
Everyone nodded. “Deal.” They said in unison.
I held my rosary as I stared at the school, which was now burnt to the ground. I’d never tell anyone about this, I promised myself.
About the Author
Sunshine G. Bruno is the author of Beauty’s Only Skin Deep. She was inspired to write this story after a dream involving a group of girls joining what she refers to as a “beauty cult”. She has also written Kill the DJ, and is releasing Election Year 2050 in July of 2018. Sunshine G. Bruno lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she spends her time with her family and two dogs. When she’s not writing books, of course.
Go to her website sunshinegbruno.com for all kinds of information about her books.
Follow Sunshine G. Bruno on social media.
Twitter: @sunshinegbruno
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Election Year 2050 Preview
Chapter 1
Jaxon
“It’s official,” The news anchor on the tv said. “Albert Franch has been elected to be the next President of the United States.”
Half of the people in the New York City penthouse cheered. Jaxon Ribelle, however, felt his stomach drop.
“President Franch is expected to make his speech within the hour,” The news anchor said. It seemed like she was about to cry. Jaxon knew that she had voted for the other candidate, Curtis Capper. Because of that mistake, the news anchor was going to die. Just like Jaxon and his wife, Olivia.
Jaxon turned toward the front door. He had to get out of there.
“Hey, Jaxon, isn’t this great?” One of his wife’s friends, Whitney, slurred. She must have been on her sixth glass of champagne.
Jaxon shook his head. “No, Whitney. Olivia and I, we voted for Capper.”
Whitney frowned. “Oh, that’s too bad,” She burst out laughing as she said, “It was nice knowing you.”
Jaxon shook his head as he walked away from her. He had never liked Whitney anyway, she was always drunk.
“Jaxon!” Olivia came running up to him.
Jaxon hugged his wife, burying his face in her short brown hair.
“Jaxon, what are we going to do?” Olivia asked. Her green eyes were shining with tears.
“I don’t know, Liv. I guess there’s nothing we can do.”
The rules of the Presidential election were simple. Every American citizen over sixteen had to vote for a new President every two years. No exceptions. Whoever didn’t vote for the winning candidate would be executed. About forty-six percent of voters didn’t make it past their first election. Seventy-two percent didn’t make it past their second election. Jaxon and Olivia, however, had made it to their seventh election. They were two of the extremely lucky few. It wasn’t easy to make a decision on who to vote for. You were not allowed to discuss who you were voting for with anyone who didn’t live in your household. You would watch one debate with the two candidates. Then an hour later you would go to vote. It was a huge gamble. But if you didn’t vote, you’d be executed. It was the result of cruel people having too much power.
Jaxon and Olivia got out of the taxi and rushed into their apartment building. They were both impatient in the elevator. They rushed into their apartment. It wasn’t as luxurious as Whitney’s penthouse, but it was still quite nice. It was one of the benefits of living in New York, which was the only part of America that was as nice as things were before 2016. Ninety-eight percent of America’s population was living in run-down motels.
Alissa, their daughter’s nanny, was sitting on the couch. She turned off the tv when Jaxon and Olivia walked in.
“Alissa, where’s Zoe?” Olivia asked.
“She’s sleeping in her bedroom,” Alissa told her. “Is everything alright?”
Olivia didn’t say anything as she walked over to the picture window in the living room. She watched the city forty stories below.
Jaxon didn’t say anything. He was still in shock. He was going to die. What would happen to Zoe? She had only just turned three. Everyone in both Jaxon and Olivia’s family were dead.
“Alissa, who did you vote for?” Olivia asked at last.
“Franch,” Alissa answered. She looked back and forth between Jaxon and Olivia. “Uh oh, you two voted for
