Prologue

Once upon a time there was a very old town, in the middle of nowhere.

You’d pass fields and fields of grass and trees, just sitting there minding their own business. You’d feel safe, there, because no one was around to bother you.

And it was true that there was no civilization mixed in with those trees.

But that didn’t meant there weren’t any people.

We’ll come back to them later.

For now, we’ll look to the town.

The townspeople called it Westerly, so that is the name we’ll stick with here. They considered themselves experts on the name, the history, and all other things town-related. Ironically, they had no idea who founded their town, how old it was, or even where it was. They knew three things, three things exactly about their town.

1. It was called Westerly.

2. No one came - you were born here.

3. No one left - you died here.

These three things were never questioned by the townspeople. The children did not dream of other places, simply because they were not aware of any other places. There was Westerly, and there were trees. That was all.

They lived simple lives. They lived on a routine, a way of life that made sense to them. When you were young, you went to school. There you learned basic life skills: cooking, sewing, gardening, farming, and more. These classes were not based on gender, but taught to all children.

When you turned eleven, you were tested. Based on your results, you were sent to a new school.

For the next eight years you were taught and trained in one area, preparing for your job in the community.

You could be a teacher. A farmer. A cook.

Or you could be an electrician. A mechanic. A teller.

There were many jobs to give out, but what every child equally wanted and feared was to be recruited.

Only the best were recruited.