“Skylar Wolf you are the lucky winner please step up to the stage.” The scientist says spraying us all with a wave of saliva. He smiles victoriously as if he has won another battle. I slink back in the crowd. The man waits for a meek minute then an expression of pure pure anger flashes on his face for he is not getting what he wants. Wait, did you actually think I was just going to prance up there like an idiot and throw my arms around him and say “Oh my gosh, thank you so much I have always wanted to be tortured at the hands of the government!”. Sure, once my town loved the rebels ideas. Well, they were the rebels once. Or so have I heard. America, it was called. When the scientists where trying to take over. It was supposed to be impossible. The government was supposed to have no holes, no room for any kind of changes to our freedoms but the rebels were patient and had numbers. Eventually they became all of our leaders. All our mayors, presidents, Supreme Court, even congress members. That’s how our government fell. That was our fatal flaw, being to for sure that we always had good willed leaders who knew what they were doing, so we stopped caring. We stopped researching our leaders. We became too confident. Eventually the rebels won out and there was nothing left to do but change the country for their own selfish reasons, so they did. Of course I wasn’t there. That was over fifty years ago. I’m only sixteen. Anyways, the scientist glares at us with hatred but then the anger in his eyes subdues and he smiles sweetly. “Fine play that way, check their ID cards. Any who don’t have theirs; you have my permission to kill them” he says glaring at the crowd but I swear his glare stayed on me for a bit longer than the rest. The big doofeses known as guards scuttled over to the crowd to obey their ‘master’. Everyone takes out their card as fast as they can so they won’t be killed. They start from the back and inch up. Fear creeps into my mind as they inch forward another row. A bell chimes. Seven, fifty five. I guess you could call it a warning bell. All the city is forced in bed by law at eight o’ clock. I smile as everyone takes a brief pause and confusion washes over their grief, stricken faces. Maybe, just maybe I could escape. Sure, just for one night, but that’s all I need. One more story with Rainey, one more race with Landon, one more conversation with Rachel and Greg, one more hug from mom and dad. This only happened one time, with Rayland. She was in the very last row and never came up. Just like me. The only glimmer of hope I have is the theory of Rayland, where they sent everyone home at seven fifty eight. They had to come back in the morning to finish the ceremony. I was twelve back then and I was scared out of my wits. Now I’m fifteen and it’s me. I notice a flicker out of my vision, only to see the guards closing in. The ninth row; one before mine. One guard made it. Seven fifty seven .So close…. “ID” asks a bored, lazy tone, as if this happened every day. My fingers tremble but I don’t move toward my pocket. “Now” He asks more angrily. I move towards my pocket with no other choice. “Here” I say frightened as I show him it and a smile spreads across his face.
