The Artful by Wilbert Stanton
(Shadows of the City #1)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: May 27th 2014
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult
New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.
Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.
On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.
Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.
On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.
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*Excerpt*
We didn’t speak anymore for a
time, just walked in silence. Every other block we stumbled upon some sort of
savagery. Bloodstained walls or half-eaten body parts. There was a moment I
thought I would get used to it. If I saw enough of it, it wouldn’t bother me. I
had to man up, after all. Here I was, acting like a child in the care of his
babysitter. This wasn’t how I wanted our trip to go; I was sick of being a
sidekick. I had to step up. So I straightened, shoulders out firm and head held
high and sped up, trying to match Gia’s pace.
Until we turned a corner and
all my resolve was thrown out the window. We ran into two bare-chested men in
tattered jeans. One had a shaven head, rings stretched his earlobes, big enough
for a finger to fit through, and a number of piercings along his lips, tattoos
sloppily etched into his back and arms. The other was a bit smaller. He wore
tight jeans and combat boots. His hair was a mess of knots and tangles, a thick
beard covered most of his face, and he had a number of tattoos as well. They
crouched down low, over the remains of a naked woman. Bits and pieces of flesh
were gone from her face and neck. Her stomach was a gaping hole of blood and gore
as they used their hands to spoon her insides into their mouths. Even though
Gia held up her hand in silence, I puked, unable to help myself. They turned
toward us, their carnivorous smiles and filed down teeth reminding me of a
shark.
Gia turned toward me, her
earlier confidence escaping with the color in her skin. “Oh, crap. Run!” She
grabbed my arm and pulled me as I let loose the last of my breakfast.
“We got some fresh meat,
boys!” The words seemed to chase us down the street. I ventured a look over my
shoulder to see them giving chase, laughing and throwing bits of human meat at
us.
“Come and get it!” shouted
the other. “Dinner time!”
“We’ll feast on the boy for
dinner and have the girl for play!” His voice was dry and frightening.
“Then eat her for breakfast.”
“And play with her some
more!” They laughed wildly. This was a game to them. We were sport. They didn’t
view us as people, only things to be played with and eaten. We can’t get caught, we can’t get caught.
I would have killed Gia and myself before they caught us. We ran down a street
and another, turned corner after corner and couldn’t lose them. They remained
on our heels like vicious dogs. Before long, I realized we were just going in
circles. Gia was panicked and no longer knew where we were going, I had to act
before―
A woman stepped out from
around a corner. Her face was heavily pierced. Blonde pigtails fell about her
slender shoulders. She wore a school girl outfit. Her skirt was stained with
blood, and her legs were covered in scabs. Pigtails wobbled as she tilted her
head, flashing a sinister smile filled with shark-like teeth. The baseball bat
held loosely at her side glistened with semidry blood. She snarled like a feral
beast as we skidded to a halt.
*Interview with Dodger and Twist*
Wilbert: Hi everyone, today I have a special treat for you,
flown in on a secret military chopper from the shadows of New York City, are
Twist and Dodger, better known as —
Dodger: Dodger and Twist.
Wilbert: Excuse me?
D: It’s Dodger and Twist.
Twist: Oh come on, really?
D: Well it just sounds better. Straight from the shadows of
New York City, Dodger and Twist, better known as the Gutter Punks!
W: Ok, well… sorry about that.
T: It’s really not all that important—
D: We were promised a really attractive female reporter, not
a writer… What happened to her?
W: Well she couldn’t make it; she’s conducting an interview
with Gia.
T: Gia is getting interviewed too? Did she say anything
about me?
D: Here we go again, all you have to do is mention Gia and
he falls to pieces.
T: I don’t fall to pieces… I just wanted to know if she
mentioned me.
D: Yeah she mentioned what a dork you are. Am I right Wilbert!?
W: Well, no, I’m sure she thinks very highly of you—
T: Really?
W: Yeah, you’re a nice guy. You steal meds from the rich and
give them to the poor. I mean that’s what you guys are known for right? Helping
out those in need, trying to make New York a better place?
D: I do it for the women, really. I mean not that I have
problems in that area, but it’s a really good way to get into a girl’s—
T: He’s lying! We do it to make a difference. It isn’t right
that all those rich tower babies get all the meds and live in the safety of
their towers, while the rest of us are forced to live underground. We couldn’t,
wouldn’t stand for it anymore. So we had to make a difference!
D: Also the women love it, did I mention how they drop
their—
T: Oh, god, can we just get on with the interview without
you saying something offensive?
D: We can try, but I make no promises. You know the longer I
talk the easier it is for me to say something inappropriate.
T: Nice to meet you Wilbert, and thanks for having us… did
you have any questions?
W: I… um… yeah, we got a little off track there, didn’t we?
T: Sorry that happens with us, we have the gift of gab.
D: Oh would you let that go? Gia once told him we have the
gift of gab and he acts like she wants to date him or something.
T: Let’s talk about something else.
W: Okay, why don’t you tell us how you guys met?
D: That’s easy, I saved his life.
T: He didn’t really save my life—
D: He was a scrawny little orphaned street rat with nowhere
to go. If it hadn’t been for me protecting him from some street kids and taking
him under my wing, he’d be dead.
T: He tried to rob me, when he saw I didn’t have anything he
decided to help.
W: So wait, Dodger and a bunch of street kids tried robbing
you?
D: We wouldn’t put it like that… would we?
T: No what actually happened is the street kids were robbing
me, and then Dodger joined in!
D: I decided to help in the end though… that counts for
something.
T: Then we both got beat up.
D: Yeah, but after that I took you under my wing, and taught
you the laws of the street.
T: I will admit I learned a lot from Dodge.
D: See I saved his life!
W: Well… it actually looks like we are running out of time,
I guess one last question.
D: Okay, where is the hot interviewer I was promised, the
one with the huge—
T: I think he meant he has one last question…
W: What do you guys have planned next?
T: We are going where no one has ever gone before, beyond
the quarantined zone.
W: That sounds frightening.
T: It is, we have no way of knowing what’s out there. But
it’s something we have to do. For all the people who look to us for help, for a
better tomorrow.
D: Oh god, really? Is that what you’re closing with? Let’s
just say we are about to save the world. And be done with this interview.
W: Well thanks for your time, I think. I look forward to
hearing about your adventures. And um, good luck with everything.
D: Whatever.
T: Thanks, sorry about him. I enjoyed meeting you.
*About the Author*
Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game.
Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams.
In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.
Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams.
In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.
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