Are we what we think we are?

To deserve this cruelty?

Messages were restricted. Phone calls were restricted. Public gatherings were restricted. Stepping outside of houses was restricted. Talking to neighbors was restricted. Basically, living like human beings, living respectfully, living freely, or even living in general was restricted.

Yet Eddy's phone decided to flash a message.

New Unread Message:

Sender: unknown
Receiver: ID 52335

TASK 80
(Finishing task)

Execute- ID 408040
Deadline- 3 weeks
Contacting Head- Chief. L
GPS tracking ID awwwtwa//12437640

This is the last task before your requested resignation.
The completion is mandatory at all costs.
Refusal will be counted as contract breach.
Immediate execution team will be send to you and your relatives as a compensation.
Completion will grant you freedom, visa provision and transfer to a safer country.
This message with be automatically withdrawn and removed from all servers in 04 hours.

Eddy knew it was coming. A mass killing spree, it had already begun. His neighbors were dead. His mother was hunted down. His sister was killed a week ago. Brett's brother was open shot at. Brett's father was under surveillance. Brett was safe only because of him. And because he was a traitor. Traitor in the family. The people planted one person for every house and then moved onto destroy the family. They only left the ones agreed to work for them, the ones who were physically fit and mentally stable.

And this time Eddy knew he would fail. He had never failed any task ever in his decade of working for the government, the 'good' government. He has always been a responsible, respectable gentleman, security advisor. But after the new government overtook, he was sold off. He was now working for the bad people against his own will, hence the resignation. But they still needed jobs done.

The government had lists. Lists of people who were soldiers, lists of people who were good citizens (the people who agreed to work for them) and lists of people who disagreed to work for them. And they wanted the last group removed. Removed from existence. But this job would be the most difficult job in history for Eddy.

Because ID 408040 was Brett.

His husband. The one asleep on him right then. What would Eddy do?

Would Eddy kill his love? Was he that selfish?
Would Eddy let his love go? And the wait for the government to kill them both?
Would Eddy kill himself? And then let Brett die of a heartbreak?

He knew Brett would definitely be in the bad list. His rebellious state after his brother got shot was something the government would never let slip out of their hands. His curses, his astonishing threats, his messed up speech, his flailing arms and his tear stained eyes, would be something which would definitely throw him in trouble. But Eddy didn't estimate how much it would be. He never knew it would cost him his life.

What options did he have?

He just had one friend, Ray Chen, who was now controlled by the government. His husband was standing at an almost gunpoint and he was helpless.

How could he save him and himself?

Ray was the one who shot his brother-in-law, would he want to acquire help from him? Eddy's hands itched to reach the gun in his drawer and kill both himself and Brett off but Brett's peaceful face stopped him. He was all he had. Maybe they really should have left for higher studies in foreign countries. They wouldn't be left here in this country, like this to rot then. Maybe his childhood bullies were right, he really was useless. Maybe Brett's ex was right, Eddy didn't deserve Brett.

But what was he to do? There was nothing. No ray of hope. No path of guidance. Everyone was gone. Everything was gone. He wasn't even allowed to play his violin anymore. Maybe he too, was scared of the morning to come. All hopes of seeing the daylight was gone.

Maybe this would be last night together?