a cog in the machine: the Ellara series book one

warning this book does contain s****l content. but it is always consensual between adults. and this book does contain mild actual violence, but depictions and descriptions of bodily torture. in no way is this book meant to promote violence or drugs, these just happen to be consequences of the consumeristic society portrayed in the book. chapter one I was walking home, wearing a red mask that had an air filter. My thick leather gloves were worn from years of use, and the thread was a mixup of colors, blue, red and yellow. This is from the countless times I'd hand sewed them back together. I easily could afford new gloves, but if it ain't broke don't fix it. That's a saying I had repeated to myself every day I lived in this messed up society. And I was actually content with what little I had, the shelter, food, and structure my factory job provided me. As I walked down a dark alleyway, I instinctively ducked to the side as a homeless guy ran past me and vomited up a bright blue fluid. This was the result of a sickness that had no cure, a sickness that plagues this world, a sickness that will always kill you. No one who's ever gotten this sickness has lived more than a week. This is an air born sickness that you can only get through breathing it in or ingesting it somehow. That's why my factory job requires me to wear this mask that actually feels quite comfortable on my face. And I have always been really good about washing my hands and face every single time I use the bathroom, kind of a religious practice for me. My rubber boots sloshed through puddles of oily water and blue vomit. I ignored the gross sight of the puddles and just focused on my regular scheduled task of getting home to my own shelter made of trash compacted cubes. Then I went to my bedroom and rode on my exercise bike generator for an hour. Finally I went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee and ate some cold French bread for dinner. And when I finished my coffee and bread, I took a nice hot shower. Only ten minutes exactly, no longer than I needed to quickly wash myself off and rinse off the soap.