The Renewal (manxman)

Chapter 2

   They sent us to work camps after this, we were to all work an equal amount. Anyone who goes higher will be punished, and anyone who goes below will also be punished. Everyday we had to wake up at 5 am to the sound of a siren. We all had to wear the same grey jumpsuit, and sleep in similar cells. They were also grey, with 4 beds in the room, one toilet and sink, one small window and one plexiglas door. Nothing was to be different, everything was to be equal, for equality rules the new world. Most of us varied in age, but the max time they could keep you at the camp was until you were 20. Then you were to be sent into the re-education system and start your education all over again. I was around 16 so I only had a few years left, now for this memory, they had just woken us up. We were to go to the cafeteria to eat then to go and do whatever work was assigned to your group that day. The daily march had begun. My cellmates and I stood in a straight line directly in front of the door until it was unlocked. Then we were to join in the line to go to the cafeteria. The door made a sudden 'click' noise and opened outward. We joined into the line and began to walk. The same walk as everyday, down a long, never-ending white hallway. Doors just like our own lined the all down the hallway, and the doors opened to cells just like my own. Everything was equal. Everything.

The line made a sharp right turn and it opened up into a large circular room. The room was also white, and had bunches of other opening from hallways just like the one I had just left from. We stayed in our long lines and await our turns to get a grey tray with some type of disgusting food on it. Some sloppy kind of mess they called nutrition. Once we had gotten our food we sat at a large round table with your group. You had 20 minutes to eat and finish all your food before you did the second march. If you didn't eat all your food you will be punished, because if one person doesn't eat their work will not be equal to others. Another siren rang signaling that it was time for second march. Everyone left their tray on the table, one group will be assigned to clean up. My group began our second march going down a middle hallway the tapering white hallway was just the same as the others except there were no door or cells down this hallway. We entered another large room with a spinner like contraption, according to the warden, was equal in length everywhere so there would be no mistake or unfairness in the choosing. But, we stood in another long line and once your group had gotten up the the spinner, a guard would spin it, and whatever work it landed on your group was assigned to do that day. One of the eldest boys walked up and pulled on the spinners lever now. The spinner spun in perfect circles until it landed on the task I hated most, trash duty, but it wasn't because it was trash that I hated it. I hated it because we were outside and so close to freedom. You could see miles of free land beyond the fence that held us in.

After the spinner spun we were lead down the hallway leading outside, you could see the end by the bright light at the end of the hall. "Ah, that's the sun" I always thought, the sun was something I took for granted back when I lived in our society. It's bright light and warm feeling was a blessing now.

The sun pushed its way into your eyes and you could hear everyone in my group groan in pain due to its blinding light. I covered my eyes to prevent that feeling. We marched out to the middle of the dump and were set free to do our work. The cocky guards just watching us slave away. I don't think that would be considered equality. We continued to work for hours on end I had finished the amount we were told to do and watched as some of the younger kids did theirs exhaustively. One of the guards had begun to bully the youngest of our group, only 9 years old. I could feel something rile inside me watching him push him around. I looked around to see if anyone felt the same but they had all joined their own cliques and ignored the situation. The guard was a middle aged man who took his baton and pushed the child with it, and every time it made the child drop his trash. With each push I could feel myself get riled up, "this is bullshit", I thought to myself as I watched the scene, but I promised myself I wouldn't get into any trouble for no reason. But, that was before that last push.