die-stopian

Chapter 2-Enclosed In The Letter

Perhaps the world, you think, revolves around you or not, you already know it goes on the axis. The actual axis on earth has been lined with jagged rocks that surround small army posts. One side of that axis is for us. The tiers. The rest of it is who knows what.

It's not like 'the last one who went never came back' or any of that nonsense. No one' allowed in there, and no one has tried, because why question or messed up government.

I in a hollow part of a tree that overlooks the millions of trees. To my other side, the tree's slowly dissolve like the number of houses in a desert. A bunch surrounding it than they fade away to one or two.

Behind the dissolved trees is a fence like a hill made up of rocks. From where I am, I can see there is a sea behind it. Of course, I've never been out there. Tier 7, the poorest tier doesn't need to swim. They need to work. We are the scientists mostly. Our parents enforce that we get a good education.

I come here when I need to think, or when I feel stressed out. Right now, I feel both. Our aptitude test scores will be handed out know that I'm 16. I took it when I was fifteen. Now I see if I'm less intelligent, or a genius. Or as I like to say, dumb, or dumber. Your test score is rated in percentage and that percentage corresponds to our tier.

The scores come around Dinner time, the teachers have told us. Dinner time for this tier is approximate 7:15 pm.

I don't have a watch or anything to tell the time. Tier 7 only has a clock in the Town's square. I've taught myself how to see the hour by looking at the sun. The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. Behind me south, the forest is north. The beach is west, and my right is east. The sun is setting.

It's about 6:30.

• • •

Walking home that day had to be the hardest thing in my life. I looked at everything carefully. I looked at every single person's face I passed and said hi to everyone that looked my way.

I knew it would be the last time.

If you were too smart, you were counted as different. What a long time would be gifted and talented was now a threat. We are supposed to just think differently about things. Nothing harmful, unless you look at it through the government's eyes.

I take a deep breath before knocking on the door of the small wood house my parents and I live in. I could smell the fresh smell of bread from inside my house. My mom normally gave bread to our neighbors during the days that approach Tier day.

A day where we honor our president, for keeping us out of harm's way.

My father opens a door slowly peeking his head out first. I immediately jump to the conclusion from the anxiety I've had all day. I did too well on the test. The HIH's are coming to get me. My father thinks it's the, knocking on the door, to come get me and finish me off for good this time.

He greets me with a nod and opens the door wide for me to enter. My eyes scan the room for an envelope. Anything that could have my test scores into.

I gaze finally meet my father's gaze.

"Go to your room," he orders firmly.

"Yes sir," I mumble under my breath. I try to act calm, but my heart starts beating faster as if someone just turned on the motor.

I make my way to or five room house to my small room in the very back. I see that the door is opened just a crack. I open it the rest of the way. It creaks a bit at the hinges.

That's when I see the two bodies in my room. One holds a document, the other a gun.

A hand gets placed on my shoulder, I see that it's my fathers. "Go in," he whispers harshly.

I shrug his hand off of me and walk into the room. "Good afternoon," I say. We must always treat the HIHs with the upmost respect.

The HIH with the document hands the paper to me.

I look at my percentile.

105%

That's not even possible...

I feel two people on either side of me, they both grab my arms.

"Come with us."