Read Dystopia: YA Paranormal Adventure Romance for Free Online

really got me was when her hand brushed against mine.
    I have an inherent talent for reading people's feelings through touch. It's how Agent Hunter found me in the first place. I was brought up by an alcoholic single mother and moved from school to school due to "behaviour problems". I ran away from home when I was still just a kid, age fourteen. I remember it clearly: it was just after Dystopia Day.
    My mother had some kind of breakdown, ranting and raving. She wasn't the only one affected in this way; many people became hysterical. It was a time of confusion and fear, and when I needed her most she wasn't there for me. The world became a dark place that day. It's times like that when you find out who you can and can't rely on.
    I started a new life on my own, sleeping on a friend's sofa while I was working as a cleaner in the local gym. The pay was bad, but the perk was free gym use. At that time, I made extra money as a street entertainer. I had a knack for reading thoughts and feelings. I'd challenge people to shake my hand so I could tell them exactly how they felt. I had no idea how this worked, but it did ─ every single time.
    A tourist posted a video on YouTube which got a load of hits. Next thing I know, a middle aged man turns up on my doorstep offering me the chance to develop my skills. He told me I was special; one in ten million. Nobody had ever told me I was special.
    My arms are burning now, and it feels good. A few more sets on the dumbbells followed by some tricep dips and I'm done. A quick shower then I'll head to the lab. Hopefully I'll bump into Agent Hunter so I can ask him about Sasha. It's not what you're thinking; I'm not looking to start dating my boss's daughter. I'm concerned for her. Sasha clearly witnessed things at the old house that she shouldn't have. But that's not all.
    When we first met and our hands brushed, I felt something in her: it was a strange mixture of fear and latent power. It was buried deep down, and I know it's something most people wouldn't notice, maybe not even her dad. This is why I need to talk to him about Sasha. Maybe he's been protecting her from this secretive life we lead at The Agency? Maybe he's been protecting her from herself? If so, it hasn't worked. And now that she's been exposed, I need to know how he plans to deal with this.
    I glance at my watch; it's nearly 8am. This has to be the quietest gym on the planet for a Monday morning. That said, I'm pretty much the only one who uses it. The basic equipment was only installed after I moaned for long enough, my argument being that Agents should be physically fit. Of course, it's the mental side of things which is far more important here. I see the gym as my mental rest time. And I see Lou Hunter as my mental instructor.
    I've always trusted him and never questioned his methods or instincts, but things have been truly weird over the last few days. First of all he brings me an old bit of paper with a hangman game on it and asks me to run a few tests. I did the usual things to establish age and origin, but I struggled to find either. What I did find startled me. As I studied the ink under a microscope, I could swear it moved. When I held the paper I was filled with a sense of dread. I locked it back in the safe box as Lou instructed ─ he had the only other key ─ and popped it into the package it came in. It was a risk going to his home to find him, but one I had to take.
    I'd never been to Lou Hunter's house before and when a young, dark haired beauty opened the door, I thought I'd arrived at the wrong place. When she snatched the parcel off me, I wanted the Earth to swallow me up. What could I do? Kick the door down and take it back? I thought I'd truly blown any chance of becoming a fully fledged Field Agent.
    Thankfully, Lou was as chilled as ever when I confessed. He told me no harm had been done. I didn't dare to ask him about his daughter after my mistake. But later that day we were on an assignment when