Page 1 of Mistress Mayhem

Prologue

August 21st, 2052. That’s the day the world almost ended.

The Last War decimated the human population around the globe—leaving our numbers at a quarter of the population it had been in the previous year.

The world leaders called a ceasefire and called a diplomatic conference where it was agreed that we couldn’t carry on like this any longer. If we did, it would mean the end of our species.

On October 1st, a new law was passed in every country, wording agreed upon by each of the world leaders so it was identical.

All illegal activities are now punishable by death. Any persons caught taking part in illegal activities will be immediately executed without a trial. The only exception to this rule will be October 31st. Henceforth, this date will be called MAYHEM.

On MAYHEM, all illegal activities are made legal from sunset to sunrise. This includes, but isn’t limited to, violence of any kind, murder, war, etc.

During this time, there will be no emergency services, and each citizen is required to protect themselves and their property in any way they see fit.

Once the sun rises on November 1st, all illegal activities will cease. Emergency services will resume, including a clean up service to pick up any bodies as needed. If any citizen comes across a body, it is their duty to call the emergency services line and report the body.

This was the only way we could see to having peace and to prevent the extermination of our species. The first few years were a struggle, but by 2055, crime was obsolete outside of Mayhem.

We took a chance, and we succeeded. Now, it’s up to future generations to enforce this law. We’ve done what we could—now it’s your turn.

From the journal of Sofia Rodriguez, United States President 2048-2056

Chapter One

Avery

Ten Years Ago

This chapter has blatant talk of sexual and physical assault of minors.

Igasp,comingawakein complete darkness. My heart is pounding, and I have no idea where I am.

The room is pitch black and silent. My panted breaths are the only sound I can hear.

I try to move, only to realize that there are chains wrapped around my wrists, ankles, and my neck.

“What the fuck?” I hiss, trying to remember how the hell I ended up here.

“Avery?”

My head jerks in the direction of the sound. “Charlotte? Is that you? Where are we? How did we get here?”

“I... I don’t know. The last thing I remember was walking out of the movies... Then nothing.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to remember. It takes a moment, but then I remember watching the movie and the two of us walking out of the theater. It had been late, almost midnight, and the street had been quiet. I heard a noise behind us. I’d been surprised, so I spun around, only to have something sprayed in my face. Then everything is blank from there.

“It’s not Mayhem,” I finally say. “They can’t have kidnapped us. That’s punishable by death.”

Charlotte snorts. “Somehow, I don’t think they care.”

She isn’t wrong, but this kind of shit isn’t supposed to happen anymore—especially not to girls like us. I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as the tears start falling.

“What are we supposed to do, Char?” I ask, voice heavy with tears.

She sighs. “I have no idea.”

Great. Neither do I.

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