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I stood behind the podium and put down the leather padfolio with my speech inside of it before giving the microphone a few testing taps that echoed audibly through the speaker. “Sorry, always gotta check these things, I once gave a speech that no one could hear because the mic was off.” I joked, and the sound of rumbling laughter came from the crowd.
“Anyway, hi, hello, good evening everyone. My name is Adair Carter and I have been incredibly blessed to be able to run during this election. I have learned more about California in the last year, than the entirety of my childhood growing up here. I learned about the farmers in the North and their need for water, all the way to the families just trying to make ends meet in Los Angeles but are struggling with the cost of living. I have also learned more about the Omega Academy system and how it has constantly taken advantage of our omega population, ever since its conception.”
Clearing my throat, I continued. “My mother was one of those omegas. Unbeknownst to her and my father, the academy gave her a dummy dose of birth control in hopes of matchmaking her without her consent.” I’d told this story while on tour, but it never got any easier. Learning that my conception had been a part of the corruption and trickery of the academy had been a hard pill to swallow, but Madeline, Rio, and Marcus had been there to help me. Lots of other victims wouldn’t have anyone to turn to if I didn’t do anything about it.
“My father used to always say that a group of people, no matter the size, is only as strong as its weakest person. This has been made very clear to me as I learned about this beautiful state,” there was a commotion in the crowd, but I couldn’t see it because of the bright stage lights, so I just continued and hoped security would handle it. “It is high time for California to change and step into the twenty-first century. Every other developed country, and a good portion of our own country, uses an Omega Center system which gives omegas the rights that they deserve—”
“GUN!” Someone shouted deep in the crowd, and that shout was followed by the sound of screaming.
Fear gripped my heart, and I wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me or if I actually saw the glint of the weapon in the crowd. Time slowed, and I glanced over at Madeline. She wasn’t smiling anymore, and her hands were moving to protectively cover her stomach.
I don’t remember moving, but I was suddenly standing right in front of her as the sound of popping began to fill the banquet hall. The next thing I knew, I felt a blinding pain in my chest and back before everything went black.
