The Untitled Document

Chapter 4 ~ Taking Action

Once Saturday came, I was filled with nervousness, but also excitement. I had convinced myself that Darren wasn't lying, but some voice inside of me feared that he was. I walked to the park with Silvia, then headed toward the boat rental. I didn't spot Darren at first, since he looked so different without wearing his school uniform. However, his yellow eyes stood out from the crowd as obviously as a dove stands out in a tree of crows.

He nodded slightly when he saw me, but we did not speak until Silvia, he, and I had gotten on a canoe. Other than the three of us, there were two more people there, both who had eccentric appearances. I spoke first. I wasn't particularly confident, but I had to at least sound that way. "You called us here. Now talk." Darren looked unfazed by my hard tone. "We all want to defy the rules for the document, right? We all don't obey the laws. The reason we came to this meeting is very simple: we are an underground organization. We want people to know that it's okay to not use one of the 16 designs. We want people to be able to openly talk about the document. Ultimately, we want those laws to stop existing, since the only reason they are there is because the government wants to control who we can be. But for now, it does not seem to be in sight yet. So, we are currently focusing on recruiting more people and spreading awareness without getting caught. But if you were only looking for the name, we are... The Mucendot Art Club."

I burst out laughing from such a funny name, but at least it was an inconspicuous name, if a silly one. At first, I wanted to reject joining The Mucendot Art Club and keep on living a normal life, but something inside of me wanted freedom to express myself, without being confined to a small set of choices. I glanced over at Silvia, now certain that we were both thinking the same thing. "We accept," we both said at once.

Darren nodded, looking satisfied. He pointed to the other two people on the boat. "This is Benjamin," he said, pointing to a disheveled looking boy with green eyes and brown hair. "He's really good at hacking and computer programming. And this-" He pointed to a girl wearing makeup and an expensive looking dress. "-is Helena. She's a child actor, and she's good at persuading the crowd and gaining influence. They're both going to help us gain new members. We were planning on hacking a billboard to show an advertisement of us, but we have to make sure it can't be traced back to us. And also, we can use Helena's money to help us print flyers to distribute. Of course, we won't hand them out, we'll just toss them outside on a windy day and hope it spreads the news. But enough talking about their talents. What are you good at?"

I was afraid of that question, and here it came. I didn't have any talents that could benefit the Mucendot Art Club. I wasn't smart or influential, I wasn't artistic or brave. I was just me. I had no helpful talents, nothing to offer. If I didn't have any talent, I would be kicked out, and I would never find anybody who accepts me. Silvia spoke almost immediately. "I'm good at art and writing. I like creative things in general, I guess. Does that seem helpful enough to you?" Darren looked impressed. "We don't have very many people that can do that, that's really helpful. What about you?" He said, looking at me expectantly. I wanted to lie. I wanted to give a talent that would never come up. But lies get found out eventually, so I told the truth. "Nothing. I'm not smart. I'm not creative. I'm not persuasive. I have absolutely nothing."

I felt them all looking at me, and I felt embarrassed. I should have lied. I would probably be kicked out now, and they would never talk to me again. Darren looked like he was about to do exactly that, but Silvia loudly asked, "So, are we allowed to join?" Darren moistened his lips. "You, of course, but your friend there, I'm not so sure. She-" Silvia looked angrily at him. "You accept both of us, or you accept none of us. You don't get to only accept me and not my friend." Darren looked upset. "Okay, fine. I'm not accepting either of you. I can find another person with your talents. I can't have somebody weak, however. One mistake, and we're all going to be caught. I'd prefer that to not happen." Silvia stared at him, and in a low, even, voice she said, "No, you'll accept both of us. Because if you don't, I'm reporting you. I may not have evidence, but I can get you investigated." Darren clenched his fists and closed his eyes for a count of ten. I was sure he was going to throw us into the lake, but he settled down and relaxed his muscles. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. You're both members. And I am now your leader."