Unwind

Neal Shusterman

Unwind

"If more people had been organ donors

Unwinding never would have happened."

—THE ADMIRAL

The Bill of Life

The Second Civil War, also known as "The Heartland War," was a long and bloody conflict fought over a single issue.

To end the war, a set of constitutional amendments known as "The Bill of Life" was passed.

It satisfied both the Pro-life and the Pro-choice armies.

The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched

from the moment of conception until a child reaches

the age of thirteen.

However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively "abort" a child . . .

... on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end.

The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called "unwinding."

Unwinding is now a common, and accepted practice in society.

Part One

Triplicate

"J was never going to amount to much anyway, but now, statistically speaking, there's a better chance that some part of me will go on to greatness somewhere in the world. I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless."

—SAMSON WARD

1 Co

"There are places you can go," Ariana tells him, "and a guy as smart as you has a decent chance of surviving to eighteen."

Co

Ariana's violet eyes begin to shine as they fill with tears that flow down her cheeks when she blinks. "Co

The soft, hopeful things Ariana tells him don't help now. He can barely hear her over the rush of traffic. This place where they hide from the world is one of those dangerous places that make adults shake their heads, grateful that their own kids aren't stupid enough to hang out on the ledge of a freeway overpass. For Co

There have been no other girls he's brought here, although he hasn't told Ariana that. He closes his eyes, feeling the vibration of the traffic as if it's pulsing through his veins, a part of him. This has always been a good place to get away from fights with his parents, or when he just feels generally boiled. But now Co

"We should run away, "Ariana says. "I'm fed up with everything, too. My family, school, everything. I could kick-AWOL, and never look back."

Co

Ariana looks at him with her magical eyes. "Sure. Sure I do. I could leave here. If you asked me."

Co

"AWOL . . ." she says. "What does that mean, anyway?"

"It's an old military term or something," Co

Ariana thinks about it, and grins. "Hmm. More like 'alive without lectures.'"

Co

"Will you come with me, Ariana?"

Ariana smiles and nods. "Sure," she says. "Sure I will."

* * *

Ariana's parents don't like Co

Still, when he walks her home that afternoon, he stops short of her door, hiding behind a tree as she goes inside. Before he heads home, he thinks how hiding is now going to be a way of life for both of them.

* * *

Home.

Co

His father sits in a chair, watching the news as Co

"Hi, Dad."

His father points at some random carnage on the news. "Clappers again."

"What did they hit this time?"

"They blew up an Old Navy in the North Akron mall."

"Hmm," says Co

"I don't find that fu

Co