Faulted

1

1. Peyton Segale
June 23rd 2103

It was nearly morning when I heard them. The loud strumming of an engine traveling in from outside. Normally I would have just assumed it were a neighbors car rolling by, but at such an hour, it seemed unrealistic. Seconds had passed, maybe even minutes, but it still roared on in the near distance. It wasn't long before I heard shouting from the streets, and although I couldn't quite fathom what they were saying, I knew it wasn't anything good. Likely discussing my unfortunate situation, the fact that they'd actually came meant my path was already set for me. I knew I had to run, I had to get out, or at least try. But at that moment it felt as if my whole body were paralyzed, my heart pounding so heavily I feared it might leap out of my chest. The shock hit me in that unpleasant moment, and I knew that this was it, this was the end. Motivating some part inside of me, I suddenly felt a burst of energy. It was as if someone had lighten a spark inside of me.

I managed to get myself to move, shuffling around the room slowly until I could just barely glance out the window. The darkness was fading enough so that I could make out their bulky silhouettes. There were quite a few of them, but not too many. My breathing heavied and i swallowed a lump in my throat, just thinking about what was coming made me terrified. The fact I knew who they were made it all the more unwelcoming. I should have seen this day was coming, I guess I just never considered the fact that it actually would.

I didn't know exactly what they did, or for what reason. All I knew was that if you were different from the others, even in the slightest bit, they'd come for you, take you in the dead of night and make sure you were never seen again. I'd seen it happen, so many times before. It was the same thing every time; a kid's there one day, and gone the next. No one ever remembers that they ever even existed. This unfortunate fate decided to aim itself upon one of the few friends I'd ever had, probably the only one to be completely honest. I can remember it so clearly as if it were just yesterday. His family lived across the road from mine, and to this day, they still do. I'd seen the same exact thing as what I'm witnessing now. They'd pulled up in their Union vehicles and dragged him away with them into the darkness. I remember seeing him struggle, hearing his muffled screams, i remember how badly i wanted to do something. The next day, he didn't come back, I'd waited every day to see when he'd come back. Until the day, I finally decided to ask. His family didn't have the slightest memory of him, they thought I was insane. I guessed it was some kind of sick joke, that they'd just thrown him away for some reason or other, and pretended he were never born. I tried mentioning it to my own mother, she only took me for a fool, she couldn't remember him either. I guess I just assumed the adults were pretending for our own sake, but even when I told my sister that my friend had disappeared in the night, she just gave me a funny look and claimed I had no friends.

I used to try and find him, searching everywhere I could possibly think of. But it was to no avail. The fact that i had to constantly see his family only fueled my curiosity and my anger on the fact that they wouldn't even care enough to try and save their only son.

I now feared the same would happen to me. If my family forgot me I'd have nothing, I'd have no one. They were the only ones who ever accepted me regardless of the fact that I was different. I didn't have any friends, my sister, Renna, was the only kid who would even talk to me at this point. She was two years older so in school I was still pretty much alone. I wasn't invisible though, everyone knew me, and everyone stared. I was different, not only was that bad, but it sure caught people's attention. So if I lost what little I had, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. And god knows what they'd actually do to me if they did manage to get a hold of me. I was far too young to die, only managing to stay alive for what had barely been sixteen years.