The Thinning 2

Time is a Killer

[Author's POV]

Mason King paced around the school hallway. He was having a phone conversation with Governor Redding, Blake's father. Mason looked distressed and tired, but no one seemed to notice. Governor Redding was really angry at King from the other line, and nobody knew why.

"You're 2 hours late for the Thinning, King! We have to hold kids here because the Thinning hasn't taken place because you claim that Laina Michaels will come to the school to give her life!" The governor angrily stated on the phone.

"And she will, Sir! Laina Michaels should have gone through the Thinning. Now, she will pay for attempting to set things right!" Mason finished abruptly. "Don't take forever, King. Because if you do, I'll have your head!" With that, the governor ended the call. Mason threw his phone across the hallway and walked to the rec room.

[Blake's POV]

I woke up in a little dusty apartment. Same old day, I thought to myself. I climbed out of bed and put on old worker boots, jeans, and a sweatshirt with the company's logo: Assuru Global. I went to the cafeteria downstairs and got my usual breakfast. Chunky oatmeal, burnt raisin bread, soy milk and rotten eggs.

The company doesn't care about feeding us, they just want us to work for them. As I tasted my soy milk, my friend that I met here twenty years ago, Samuel Davidson, sat next to me. "What up, bro?" "Nothing much. Just the same old work." A smile creeped on to Sam's face. "Not today, they're assigning us different jobs that we get to pick! Some of them consist of going back to society for a while. I'll get to see my family again!"

I never really thought about that. Seeing my dad again. He must be heartbroken, to have his own son work for a company the rest of his life. When I found Ellie here, I was shattered. I thought she was dead. I haven't talked to her a whole lot since I've been here, because they keep the boys and girls here separated.

Sam flung back his chair against the faded brick wall and whistled. "You know, if you keep doing that, someone's going to say something..." I told my best friend. "Who cares, there's not really much here for me anyway but you." We continued talking for at least another hour before getting ready for choosing our jobs.