The Media Rule

Page One (Part One)

The walls were white. Not white like snow, or clouds, nor the white of paper or tippex. They were more of an off white, grimey but not unclean. In one wall a large window was set showing a view of the distant city; the towering skyscrapers with their glittering lights, the murky slums, the suburbs, the dead zone and the central building - the media offices.

Gwen sat on the sofa looking out of the window. The view had barely changed in the 12 years she had been there, the amount of shanty houses had increased, more houses had become derelict and the skyscrapers had grown. She had been in the Anomaly Asylum since she was 11 and had been taken away from her parents who, despite their love for her, had been brainwashed by the media to believe that those who were not compatible with the media system were to be outcast and sent to the asylum where they would be 'fixed'.

Today marked her 12th year at the asylum and tomorrow would be her 23rd birthday. Gwen sighed dolefully and ran a hand through her pale blond locks. It wasn't as if she was treated badly here, there were two meals a day, access to news of the world outside, a relatively warm bed and a bathroom with all the things she needed. That didn't help though, she longed for the air outside, the freedom to go where she wished, human company and most importantly, to find and free her parents.

Taking her sivlery blue eyes away from the view, she rose from the chair she was sat on and walked over to the bed. Running her hand underneath the mattress she found what she searched for - a crumpled map of the Asylum complex. There were red and blue ink blots on it to show where she guessed her room was, and also her route of escape. Breathing deeply she sat down on the bed and traced the line she had so carefully drawn al those years ago. She would do something about it soon, but not today, this was the day to prepare and think.

Returning the map to beneath the mattress, Gwen stood in the middle of the space in front of her window. From the small selection of real books she had been provided with she had taught herself a rudimentary version of, as her ansestors called it, yoga. She had mixed this with the few fighting techniques she had read about and had created what seemed a graceful, weaving dance with dodges and twists, punches and kicks combined with bends, stretches and lunges.

After what seemed like an eternity in this meditative state, the young woman opened her eyes and stared out onto the city, her mind at peace. She loved the freedom of having her own thoughts and feelings not controlled by another, like her parents were. After staring at the houses she realised she had been searching for her home among the rows of houses. The image of her parents struck her, both of them smiling, her mothers blonde waves falling in front of her blue eyes and her fathers warm laugh rung through her mind. Gwen's legs gave way beneath her and she staggered to her bed, waves of sadness, regret and love attacked her heart. Tears formed and sluggishly rolled down her cheek, blinking she dried them.

Her parents were her motivation, nothing could get between a daughters love for her parents, especially when that something was as futile as a computer system... She would act. And soon.

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Her few possessions were wrapped in a shirt she had been supplied with and the map was chrushed against her chest, the covers were strewn all over the place due to Gwen's restless sleep and watery sunlight filtered through the small east facing window to her cell. In the distance the wind turbines span like any other day, powering the city, but for Gwen, this was anything but an ordinary day.

Outside her window a gull screeched and Gwen's eyes snapped open. The light of sunrise illuminated the silver flecks in her eyes and dulled the blue to what she believed to be the same colour as the sea she had read about.

 

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A/N: Sorry it's cut short. Will try and update, just got a little writers block and needed to show something for my effort!