A-Z Challenge 2017 - O is for Olivia

Welcome to Day 15 of the A-Z Challenge 2017. This month I'm sharing my "Black & White Snippets" - snapshots of some of the characters, places and concepts that populate my forthcoming YA dystopian trilogy, Black & White. There won't be a lot of details or spoilers - just short scenes and vignettes that give you a hint of the world I've created. Today, it's O for Olivia.

Olivia cried herself to sleep every night. Six months Alistair had been gone, and still no word. She didn’t understand why the need for secrecy meant there could be no contact between a loving husband and wife. And the girls… well, they were remarkably resilient in the way that only kids could be. They were probably doing much better than she was. But something of the spark in their eyes was gone, and any mention of Daddy was sure to end in floods of tears.

But right now, there was something else to focus on. An email marked “urgent” had ordered her and all three girls to attend for an appointment at the new government-run clinic the very next day. She would have to pull them out of school. What would require such hastily arranged treatment?

Actually, she didn’t want to think about that.