The lights. That's all she could recall from that day. At first, flashing red and blue ones contrasting a pitch black surrounding, a defining characteristic of the police. However the familiar screech of the siren was absent, as if they wanted people to recognize their presence, but not pique their curiosity. She remembered her world swirling to black, then nothing. The next time she opened her eyes, all she could see was a white light. Not the glorious heavenly type you'd expect to see after dying or something, it was more like the type of light you would see if you had the misfortune of waking up during a surgery, and knowing her luck, that actually could have been the case.

"Ember, you still there?" a slightly distorted voice crackled through her earpiece, snapping her back to the present

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah no, yeah i'm here Zaiden" she muttered absently

He hesitated before responding, "Ok? Anyways, I gotta go, see you at the rendezvous point".

His response ended as electronic static drowned the sound of voice, even so, she could practically hear him roll his eyes when he spoke.

Ember shook her head and refocused. She'd have to leave her house before 'rendezvousing'. She faced the entrance of the house, eyes transfixed on a lone grey door, who's paint-job had been undone by time. The air hung with a looming heaviness as she waited, as if gravity itself was waiting to come crashing down. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, catching sight of her arm, illuminated under a sliver of light which had creeped in through her blind slats.

She gradually turned her hand beneath the light, scowling at the unnatural way which shadows rested on its edges, caused by the slight metallic tinge which lurked just beneath her skin, alive, yet lifeless, a permanent reminder that they made her something less than human. That she had stepped out of line. Argued without considering the consequences, making a spectacle of herself and the upper class woman, who acted too refined to even glance at someone of Ember's status.

And now, her own skin stood as a testament to the programmers' power. Well that is, until she died of course. She chuckled at the thought , an ironic grin spreading across her face. You know, she thought, after living in New-Primora for long enough, death really does seem more and more welcoming.

CBC Books asked students to give us a glimpse of the great Canadian novel of the year 2174. They wrote the first page of a book set 150 years in the future, with the protagonist facing an issue that's topical today and set the scene for how it's all playing out in a century and a half.

Two winning entries — one from the Grades 7 to 9 category and one from the Grades 10 to 12 category — will be chosen by middle-grade author Basil Sylvester.

They are the co-author of the middle-grade novel The Fabulous Zed Watson and the recently published second book in the series, Night of the Living Zed.

Both winners will receive a one-year subscription to OwlCrate, which sends fresh boxes of books to young readers across Canada on a monthly basis. In addition, each winners' school libraries will receive 50 free YA books.

Last year's winners were Christian A. Yiouroukis for his story Where the Maple Leaf Grows and Bee Lang for their story One Question.

The winner will be announced on CBC Books on June 12, 2024.