The Flow by Clare Littlemore Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Flow
The Flow Series Book 1
by Clare Littlemore
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
A flooded future. A relationship torn apart.
When 16-year old Quin's best friend Harper fails The Beck's assessment, will she ever see her again?
Regular appraisals are part of life in The Beck, a walled-in community constantly threatened by floodwaters. But when the shocking results of the most recent test are revealed, Quin knows her world is about to change forever.
Wrenched from Agric, where she has lived and worked for years, Quin finds herself thrown into the unfamiliar Patrol Sector. Yearning for her lost friend, struggling to adjust to her new surroundings, she begins to question the society she thought she knew.
And then she meets the mysterious Cam, who seems willing to break the rules for her. Determined to find Harper, Quin enlists his help. But when she discovers the horrifying truth, it might just destroy her.
If you devour fast-paced, addictive stories with compelling characters who inhabit intriguing futures, you’ll love The Flow Series.
Chapter One
When
I woke it was well before dawn. I could hear the rain pattering on
the pod tarps, a sound I had long ago learned to tune out. Usually in
the dark I could hear the comforting sound of the other girls’
slow, sleepy breathing, but not today.
For a long time, I refused to
open my eyes. Lying still, I tried to prolong the moment when I would
have to admit that I was no longer asleep. Of course, the only day we
were allowed to take a break from duties was the one time we could
never stay asleep. All non-essential tasks would be suspended, for
the morning at least.
Ours was an Agricultural pod.
Growing the produce which fed the entire Beck was a vital task, and
there were more than two hundred workers assigned to man the fields
and greenhouses. Heavy flooding and regular storms meant our
community fought a constant battle against rising floodwaters, so
protecting the growing areas was paramount for our survival. But the
fields and greenhouses could manage a short period without our labour
force. The Supers would man any crucial stations for the earlier part
of the day.
Usually our pod slept until
the very last moment, and then became a frenzied chaos of activity
before we all headed out to face the day. We grabbed our undershirts
and pulled on dark green overalls and boots, the creaking of camp
beds echoing throughout the near-silent pod. Every day we headed out
the door as one just before 5.30am.
Not today though.
A dramatic sigh from the bed
next to mine interrupted my thoughts. Reluctantly I opened my eyes to
find a pair of alarmingly blue ones staring back at me, as I had
known they would be. Cassidy. Her regulation cropped hair was
white-blonde and stuck out in every direction. I tried to smile at
her, knowing that the occasion and the early hour would turn the
expression into a grimace even as I tried to seem optimistic.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
Our voices were a whisper.
Anything above that would earn the entire pod a reckoning. Nobody
wanted that, especially today.
“You ok?”
I shrugged, not knowing how to
reply.
“Quin!”
“I’m ok.”
“Really?”
Now it was my turn to sigh.
“No. Not really.”
“Harper?”
I nodded and rolled quickly on
to my back, staring at the tarp above my head. The pod was filled
with muffled whispers now, and we were in danger of being overheard.
Grady, our Super, was the only one still sleeping, but she wouldn’t
be for much longer. We were better off not talking, not making any
noise. I wondered as I justified it to myself whether it was simply
an excuse not to discuss the subject any further. I had been awake
for hours the previous night, dreading today. Not for myself: for
Harper. But talking about it wouldn’t make any difference.
“Quin?” This time the
voice came from my other side and was softer, less insistent.
I turned to see Harper staring
at me. Her thin face was ghostly in the early morning light, and I
sighed as I took in her sunken cheeks and the listless expression in
her pale green eyes. Forcing a smile, I tried to sound confident.
“You ready?”
“You know I’m not. Barely
scraped through last time.”
“But we worked on it.”
“Not enough Quin.”
Harper’s eyes filled with
tears but they did not fall. Fear lanced through my chest at the
defeat in her tone.
As I turned away, I noticed
that the whispering had stopped. Grady was awake and had climbed out
of her bunk to begin dressing. Eager not to anger our Super
unnecessarily, others followed suit. Today the rush to haul on
overalls and boots was not chaotic. Instead our actions were slow and
measured. We had time, and no-one was eager to embrace the day’s
events. Despite this, within a few minutes our group had gathered at
the mouth of the pod and lined up. Her usual grimace in place, Grady
unzipped the tarp and a dim, grey light spilled through the entrance.
I shuddered as we marched outside in silent unison and headed towards
the canteen.
The rain had stopped but the
sky was iron grey above us. This was not unusual, but the looming
clouds seemed angrier today. As we passed the other Agric pods in
silence, different units emerged, our numbers growing steadily until
the area was filled with the sound of rhythmic marching that
propelled each line, like automatons, towards the hilltop path.
Glancing left I could see down
into the fields which stretched away before us into the distance,
empty for now. The dark, protective fencing round the Hydro Plant,
where The Beck got much of its power supply. Then the wall. Tall,
strong, protective, manned by Patrol guards as always. Beyond the
wall were the floodplains, their waters seemingly still from this
distance, reflecting the steely sky and encircling the entire Lower
Beck. Sometimes the level of water was barely visible. After a storm
it increased and everyone got twitchy for a while, until a spell of
better weather beat it into temporary retreat. But the huge body of
water was always there, a silent threat that nobody in The Beck could
ignore.
Moving beyond the Agric
Compound, we skirted the edge of the LS pods, deserted at this time
of day, and then passed by the Dev Compound, where the staff would
not yet be awake. In the distance I caught a tantalising glimpse of
the woods leading to the Upper Beck, and in the distance I could just
see the pass between the hills that provided a fourth wall to our
valley. Finally our line snaked sharply left towards the Lower Beck
canteen. Steam rose softly from the rear of the building and the
unmistakeable scent of baking bread filled the air. The Sustenance
Crew would also not avoid their duties today. We all had to eat.
Marching a few steps ahead, I
watched as Cassidy turned her head slightly towards me. Usually she
did this when she wanted to direct a whispered remark at me, or snort
with suppressed laughter at whatever she had found amusing. We had
perfected the art of communicating in near-silence after years of
practice. Only essential, work-related communication was permitted in
The Beck. We had learned fast that the easiest way to survive was to
exist unnoticed, under the radar. But today Cassidy’s speech seemed
to die in her throat and she merely glanced strangely at me before
spinning back to face her destination again as though she had thought
better of it.
Our lines came to a halt at
the flagpole just in front of the canteen. Usually we were eager for
food and this was tangible, even in the silence. Now the lines were
filled with grim expressions and no one seemed eager to hustle in and
eat. A solitary voice, whichever Sustenance Super was on duty today,
called out pod numbers from a clipboard. One by one, the lines
trudged inside the tent.
I found myself willing the
process to take longer to delay the inevitable, but too soon our line
was filing in behind the others and queuing for the daily bowl of
porridge and rough hunk of bread. Today’s portion was made with
milk, a rare treat. The usual watery substance which lurked in our
bowls was replaced by a creamy, filling warmth. It was only a pity
that we couldn’t enjoy it.
Collecting my allotted bowl, I
walked to the pod’s usual table and slid on to the bench. A moment
later, a small, cold hand slid inside my own underneath the table. I
couldn’t believe how small the hand inside mine felt, how feeble. I
turned slightly to my right and managed a small smile for Harper,
squeezing her hand in return before turning my attention to the meal.
I had little appetite, but the
porridge was thick and creamy and I knew my body needed the strength
it would provide. Forcing down spoonful after spoonful, I wished we
could be afforded this kind of nourishment on a day when we could
actually enjoy it. But it was tradition, to provide us all with a
filling meal before the trials which awaited us.
The room was eerily quiet for
a building which housed so many people. All female at the moment, the
canteen contained row upon row of benches which housed a never-ending
stream of hungry workers. A large, barn-like structure with
whitewashed walls and stark, simple furniture, the canteen never
stopped, and every pod was carefully assigned two meal-time slots
each day. The portions we received were meagre and barely kept us
going, so anyone missing a meal really suffered. In our world, there
were very few justifications for missing out on food.
I watched as table after table
of girls ate, heads bowed, our silence more severe than usual due to
the tasks which awaited us. The table at the top of the room was
elevated slightly and contained the Supers. Their portions were
slightly larger than the rest, which was why Super positions were so
sought after. Both Cassidy and I would be considered for Super
positions today, and Cass was looking forward to the prospect of a
slightly better diet, but I knew that being promoted also came with
its down sides. Being separated from friends I had known from the
moment I was assigned to the Agric Compound was one. The extra
responsibility was another. I wondered again if I had the stomach for
it. But what else was there?
I glanced at Cassidy sitting
beside me, consuming her breakfast with a grim determination. She too
was sneaking looks at the Supers between swallowing, as if making
vital mental notes about them. After a few minutes she stared
directly at me, her eyes burning fiercely.
“Three,” she hissed.
“Three what?”
“Places up for grabs,” she
raised an eyebrow, “I think three of them are going up.”
I thought about it. Of the
twenty Supers currently at the top table, Cassidy believed that three
of them would be promoted to positions in other fields today, leaving
their places free for others to take. There were at least thirteen
girls I knew of being considered for elevation. Competition was
tough. Cassidy was desperate to become Super. I wasn’t quite as
enthusiastic. My main reason for wanting promotion was Harper. If she
could only get through today, and if Cassidy or I could make Super,
we might protect her. Without that, we all knew she couldn’t go on
for much longer.
A tap on my thigh brought my
attention back to my friend sitting on the bench next to me. I
realised I was being handed something else. Harper was determinedly
pressing something into my hand: the hunk of bread she had been given
by the Sustenance worker. I stared at her fiercely.
“Take it back.”
Harper shook her head.
“Take. It. Back!” I
hissed.
The Super on duty was looking
our way. I bowed my head rapidly, pushing the bread towards Harper,
who was now staring in the other direction. I noticed that her
porridge was barely touched.
“But you need it,” I
pleaded, “more than I do.”
“I can’t.”
Finding sudden tears in my
eyes, I had to bite my lip to keep them from falling. Harper was
desperately skinny already, she had been for months now. She had
struggled to collect her share of crops in the fields and Cassidy and
I had been helping her out, collecting extra and slipping it her way
when no one was watching. The additional work had almost killed us,
but we had agreed it was worth it for Harper. It had also had the
unexpected effect of strengthening us both, building real muscles on
our wiry frames, and was one of the reasons that we were eligible for
Super promotion today.
Harper, on the other hand, had
only grown steadily weaker. I suspected that she was ill, but
admitting that was far more dangerous than trying to hide her
weakness. There was no option of medical treatment for her. We could
only help her out where possible and hope time would help her to
heal. Over and over again, I had offered her a share of my rations,
hoping that the extra food would allow her to grow stronger, but more
often than not she had refused to take it. Even when she did accept a
small amount of food, she struggled to eat it. Whatever was the
matter with her seemed to have killed off her appetite and her
spirit, and she struggled even to consume The Beck’s paltry
rations.
Watching Harper struggle to
finish the tiny bowl of porridge, I remembered the way she used to
be. I had known Cassidy and Harper for a long time, but three years
ago, when we all passed out of Minors and were assigned to the same
Agric pod, our friendship had really taken root. The three of us had
quickly become inseparable. The Beck was a restrictive place: the
work hard and the hours long once you moved into a Compound at the
age of fourteen, but between the regulations and the hardships there
was room for friendships to grow. The relationships we developed with
our pod sisters were what kept us all going.
Where I was quite thoughtful
and quiet, Cassidy was loud and boisterous, a character trait she was
mostly forced to stifle. Cass regularly made fun of me for being
uptight, which had led to several arguments between us in the past.
But Harper was loving and gentle and funny, the perfect connection
between us and she diffused our regular spats with an easy
understanding of both our characters.
She was also by far the most
suited to the Agriculture Compound. Even in the very early days she
had shown herself to be extremely adept at planting, nurturing, and
gathering the crops so essential to the continuation of life in The
Beck. She was the one who understood exactly how to make things grow
and thrive, and she was looked upon as an unofficial Supervisor well
before the age of sixteen due to her capacity for understanding
exactly what was required to ensure the healthiest harvest.
Realising that the rest of the
table had finished eating, I thrust the bread at Cassidy underneath
the table. I knew she would accept it, where I couldn’t swallow my
friend’s quota of food without feeling a keen sense of betrayal.
Moments later, we rose and began filing out of the large room, the
Sustenance staff already sweeping in to clear the bowls from the
tables and begin again with the next sitting. Leaving the canteen,
our line turned out of the exit doors and wound its way back round
the path which took us within sight of the entrance again. Now, a
similar sized group of young men from the LS pods was hungrily
awaiting their turn to eat, having already chalked up several hours
of work with The Beck livestock.
Usually plenty of glances
passed between the groups, even from this distance. The Lower Beck’s
male and female citizens were separated from a very early age, when
they were still Minors even, and most of the pod assignments at the
age of fourteen were single gender. Only in certain Compounds were
male and female citizens permitted to work together. That didn’t
prevent curiosity though, in fact it probably made us even more
inquisitive about the other group. The Agric girls always looked
across at the boys, and were occasionally rewarded with a sly wink
from one of the more confident among the group.
Few people were looking today
though. The lines of girls marched forward resolutely. We knew what
was awaiting us and no one was looking forward to it. Behind me, I
heard Harper gasp as she tripped and I automatically shot out a hand
to catch her before she hit the floor. She stumbled for a few paces
before regaining her balance and I let go, knowing that Grady had not
missed Harper’s near fall. She was so clumsy these days. I was
certain this fact was known by all the Agric Supers.
Around a year ago, I had begun
to notice the gradual change in Harper. Cass wouldn’t accept it at
first, but I saw the early signs. She was quieter, less likely to
chat, found it more difficult to complete the long hours required of
an Agric worker. Where previously she had joined in the whispered
chatter between us, and the stolen glances at the boys as we passed
them, now her head remained permanently bowed and she didn’t so
much as glance in their direction.
While Cassidy and I had grown
stronger, Harper had only seemed more sluggish and depleted in energy
by the day. Eventually we had to support her on her return from the
fields each night, and tried to switch our greenhouse allocations
with her as often as we possibly could, so she could work where it
was warmer and duties were light.
Today was Assessment day. It
happened every six months without fail, and its purpose was to test
the ongoing durability of The Beck workforce. We kept the place
running, and without all staff being in prime condition, The Beck
risked a complete breakdown. The series of tests we underwent each
time included a gruelling physical, a mental health test, and a
written examination which tested our knowledge of life and work in
The Beck. All three were graded and the results defined what happened
to a citizen next.
Promotion to a higher position
within your own pod was possible, and carried with it some benefits.
Reassignment to an alternative Sector was also possible. Citizens
were sometimes moved between the different areas if the Supers felt
we were better suited to another role, or if we had gained the
necessary experience and knowledge to work at a higher level. In an
environment where floods had destroyed huge parts of the country and
land was scarce, overpopulation was not an option. Those failing the
tests risked demotion to a lower level Sector, or even assignment to
Clearance. This was my biggest fear for Harper.
Clearance was the place where
citizens ended up when they had outlived their usefulness. It was
saved for the elderly, for people who were not able to maintain a
useful position in Beck society, for those who were seriously ill and
unlikely to get better.
Situated across Black Hill on
the far side of The Beck, none of the ordinary citizens were ever
permitted to visit Clearance. Only the Governor’s officials and
Patrol members on duty were allowed over there. Whatever went on, it
all took place over the other side of the hill, completely hidden
from view. There was only one thing I knew for certain about
Clearance.
No one ever came back.
Get two FREE short stories for the Flow series here!!
The Transfer:
The Storm:
https://BookHip.com/DFNWMV
Break
The Flow Series Book 2
Broken.
It’s been three months since Quin transferred to Patrol and discovered the terrifying truth about the community she lives in. Citizens of The Beck are disposable and those in charge are capable of terrible cruelty. Vowing to protect those around her, Quin has joined the Resistance. But she knows she is risking everything.
Rebellion of any kind must be secretive and clever. Gathering enough people to fight seems like an impossible task. When those closest to her are directly threatened, Quin knows she has to act. But time is running out. Governance will stop at nothing to protect the world it has worked to build. In the end, Quin must decide how far she is prepared to go to rescue the ones she loves.
Break is the second in the Flow series, which follows Quin as she struggles to carve out a future in the harsh regime she was born into.
Screams
echoed upwards through the valley. I struggled to keep my head above
the water, feeling the heavy weight of the harness pulling me under.
Gasping for breath before I became completely submerged, I fought to
keep control of my limbs, to swim, to break through the mirrored
surface above me. It seemed smooth, like glass, though I knew that
from above, the water was always moving: rippling gently or whipping
back and forth, spray shooting out at angles, splashing over the
shale on the narrow beach.
There
were others around me, but I couldn’t feel their movements. I knew
they were struggling just like me, striving to reach the surface, no
matter how weak their wasted limbs became. I remembered being told
during a climbing lesson once that legs are always stronger than
arms, and I kicked with all the force I could muster. The top of my
head broke the surface and for a second I could see above the water.
The beach was lined with Shadow Patrol officers, a line of them
staring out to sea, vacant expressions on their faces. I wondered for
a second why they didn’t have their faces covered.
Tilting
my head skywards, I gasped another desperate breath. The heavens were
an inky blue, a few stars visible here and there, tiny pinpricks of
light which were further away than I could possibly fathom. As my
head sank into the depths again, I watched. They blurred, the sharp
daggers of light becoming indistinct as the sheer volume of dim,
shadowy water grew above my head. I was sinking. With no strength
left to fight it, I could do nothing but fall gently down into the
depths of the bay.
Drift
The Flow Series Book 3
She wanted freedom. But freedom comes at a price.
Quin believed that a life away from The Beck would make her happy. But when a cruel twist of fate forces her to leave sooner than planned, she struggles to come to terms with her new reality. Haunted by memories of the people she left behind, she finds herself wishing she was back in Patrol, with Cam by her side.
Cut off from The Beck, the escapees carve out a new existence on a small island. Tentative bonds are formed, but as disputes surface and rebellion is threatened, Quin quickly realises that their new home isn’t the sanctuary she had imagined. And when one of her fellow citizens is willing to go to desperate measures to save those he loves, he puts the entire community in danger.
As they hatch a daring plan to save themselves, Quin is faced with a terrible choice: protect her friends or follow her heart.
Drift is the third in the Flow series, which follows Quin as she battles to forge a new life in unfamiliar territory without the man she has come to depend on.
It
took me a while to get to sleep, and when I woke it was still not
morning. I could hear voices at the far end of the dorm, whispers
which conveyed a note of urgency. I stumbled out of bed and walked
over to them. Tyler was standing in the doorway of Green’s room.
She turned at my approach. I could see Green inside, hurling herself
around the room, collecting various items and throwing them into a
backpack.
“Something
wrong?” I whispered.
“Rogers
just radioed. He’s on his way back,” Tyler muttered.
Green
paused in her quest for a moment and turned to face me. “Cam’s
ok, you’ll be glad to hear. He answered the radio call. Said he
thinks he can help us. We need to get to The Beck as soon as
possible. That means setting off as soon as Rogers gets back.”
I
ignored the jolting of my heart at the news, asking what I hoped was
a practical question instead, “In the middle of the night?”
“Yes.”
She resumed her search, pulling things out of drawers and shoving
them into the bag. “Hughes got in contact. Offered us the loan of
one of their motorboats. It will get us to The Beck faster and be
less conspicuous than the Clearance boat.”
“What
do they want in return?” I frowned, trying to clear the sleep from
my head. “More ammo?”
“Apparently
not. Hughes just asked that he and a couple of other Ridge citizens
come along. Have the opportunity to look around.”
I
felt my heart lurch for a second time. “So, they are interested in
The Beck?”
“Guess
so.”
“And
Rogers agreed to this?” I couldn’t keep the frustration from my
voice.
“Well
it makes sense.” Green sounded defensive. “We get there much
faster if we go with them. They came through on the deal with Barnes,
didn’t they?”
“Well,
yes, but that’s hardly concrete proof they can be trusted. What are
the others going to say? I thought we made decisions as a group?”
Green
shot me a look. “Not this one. There’s no time.”
Quell
The Flow Series Book 4
One battle. One chance to change the future.
Having survived the deadly virus that endangered her new community, Quin is devastated to learn that the same sickness threatens The Beck. With Adams and his Shadow Patrol in charge, Cam and her friends are in mortal danger.
The rebels know they’re not strong enough to take on The Beck’s government alone. The only way to succeed is to join forces with The Ridge. But their alliance is built on tenuous threads: one wrong move could destroy their hopes forever.
As Quin steels herself for the final battle, a shocking revelation leaves her wondering what she is willing to sacrifice in the name of freedom.
Quell is the fourth and final book in the Flow series, which follows Quin and her allies into the ultimate battle to save The Beck.
“Drop
it.” The command was brief, but indisputable.
Very
slowly, I bent down and placed the gun on the ground in front of me.
Then, raising my hands in surrender, I stepped away from it.
“We
need to go.” The command was aimed at Allen, who had not moved
since Thomas began speaking. “Someone else could arrive at any
moment.”
Allen
moved through the door, easing the box out through the narrow space.
As he passed, he shot me a look which seemed to convey some kind of
apology. I seethed quietly as he continued down the hall in the
opposite direction.
“What
happens next?” I blurted out.
“What
happens is Allen collects the other box from the kitchen, then we
leave,” he paused, as though gauging my reaction, “taking your
friend here with us.”
Clare Littlemore is a young adult dystopian and sci-fi author who thrives on fictionally destroying the world in as many ways as she possibly can.
She was born in Durham, in the UK. Her parents were both teachers, and she grew up in a world surrounded by books. She has worked for most of her life as a teacher of English at various high schools in England, where she has shared her passion for books with hundreds of teenagers. In 2013 she began writing her own fiction, got totally hooked, and hasn’t stopped since.
Clare lives in Warrington in the North West of England with her husband and two children.
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