I stare at the black stamp on my left hand as I put the canned food into the kitchen cupboard. I was stopped by an official just before I entered the house for him to check if I had the stamp. I don't understand the purpose of the stamp. It burns slightly and then slowly disappears into my skin like it always does every month.
After I'm done setting my groceries I carry the crate outside and leave it on the sidewalk. It gets picked up in the evening by the bin truck workers with all our other garbage.
That's when I notice a silver car stop in front of the empty house in front of mine. Two people jump off. It's Jason and his mother. I need to find out how I know him and why I know him. I'm staring too long when get lost in a train of thought. I do that a lot.
I'm brought back to a reality by the tall lady in red who taps my shoulder. I turn and then she grabs me and hugs me. She holds me so tight I can barely breathe. I don't know her but her embrace feels so familiar I find myself closing my eyes and leaning into her, finding comfort. I open my eyes and push her away slowly. She looks at me and I notice tears in her eyes. She's relieved to see me like she hasn't seen me for a long time. I stare at her as she inspects me from head to toe. It's like she can't believe I'm in front of her.
After a while she looks up at me and says,
"Alannah I know you don't recognize me but you will in time. I can't tell you here. Jason and I will come to your house at 8pm sharp. It's the only house without cameras because you put it here. Don't be afr..."
She stops talking when she notices an official walking past. She greets and smiles at the official as he passes and I do the same.
When he's completely out of site she continues,
"Don't be afraid we're here to help you get out of the programme. Don't trust anyone. They System will kill us and most importantly you if they find out anything"
"But wh...." I try to say before she cuts in.
"You will get all the answers later. For now go on with your life as you would normally do. Don't let them get suspicious. They're, most likely, already watching you."
Before I can say anything else she disappears into the house in front of me. I try to make sense of everything that just happened.
She knew my name. I put my house here? Where is here? Cameras? Programme? The System?
I turn and walk towards my house. As I lock the gate I notice him at his doorway just staring as if he longs for me and unexplainably I feel a longing for him too. I feel the need to be near him.
I close the door and lean against it with my eyes closed for a while to calm myself. What just happened?
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The System
Science FictionAlannah finds out the life she's been living is a complete lie. She's trapped in one of many biological programmes and her memories have been replaced with a life she thinks is hers. The programmes are controlled by The System. They are a small team...
