• I woke up to my sister screaming in the bed next to mine. The first of the visions are always the worst. Since the bombings from across the water, the gavoernment made everyone have the visions. No one knows how they came about. Everyone is scared to do anything anymore. People have to work long hours and the kids are taught by government officials that have machine guns strapped to their backs. I remember when life was nice, but I’m not allowed to think about that time anymore.
    My name is Gwen, well now my name is Citizen #00016508. I live in what used to be Pennsylvania, but now it is combined with New York and Ohio. I hate the government. Some people say that I’m crazy because it is the only thing that is keeping this God-forsaken country together. In my opinion the country has already fallen. My best friend Addison and I want to go to the capital and see what is really going on. They are using us all and it will lead to our evenual distruction.
    I got out of my bed an patted Eden’s face with a damp towle. The visions give a person a fever that some children die from. That’s why they raised the starting age from three to four last year. Eden has really been suffering. She doesn’t eat and it takes me forever just to get her to take a drink of water. That’s another reason I need to see the government. Maybe if I could find more support I could have the dictator overthrown.
    Oh yeah, didn’t I tell you? The lovely democracy fell years ago. Dictator Kaye took over and that’s when the visions started. They are nightmares of utmost distruction. You watch paralyzed as all of your dreams are smashed and you see all of your loved ones die. It is one of the most discouraging things in the world. The government gives you a job and you do it. If you don’t you just killed all of the people you love.
    On my walk to work I met up with Addison and we planned our escape. Her eyes are a strong brown but behind them is a very hesitant girl who does not like to do things against the rules. As we walked we covered our mouths so the government security cameras on the telephone poles could not capture what we were saying.
    “We will leave tonight. We are a three days journey away on foot, but I’m pretty sure I can steal my mom’s car.” I whispered.
    “Are you sure? I don’t know if we should do this. But fine, I’ll meet you at the gate at midnight.” Addison responed as she ran off to the flower shop. I walked into the bookstore, and took in a big breath of clean air. All day I laid around and read my new favorite book Jane Eyre. It seemed so peaceful back then, and it was impossible for me to picture myself in that society. That’s all I wanted. To live in the tranquility of the moors in England instead of this fallen down America. That will never happen of course, England doesn’t exist anymore.
    When my work day was over I walked home and had dinner. I sat up in my room stuffing as much as I could into my backpack. When everyone went to bed at Lights Out I snuck into the living room, took my moms keys, and took my father’s hand gun from the safe. I had never shot a gun before but the metal felt cool and sleek in my hand and I hoped I would never have to use it. I blew a kiss to the air and I left.
    I started the car and began to drive. I got to the gate and Addison climbed in.
    “Now to get out.” I said. She nodded looking scared. I got out and asked the guard to open the gate.
    “How old are you?” He asked suspisciously.
    “18.” I lied.
    He got out his scanner to check the microchip everyone had in their heads that would bring up their profile, and began to walk towards me. I pulled the gun out of my pocket and shot it at the scanner. Unfortunately I missed, and I hit him in the arm. He started to scream, and in moments ten gaurds surrouned me. Two were pulling Addison out of the car and she was crying. The gun was forced out of my hands as I was led into the back of a jail truck.
    I don’t remember the ride there. The back of the truck was like a gas chamber and I was soon knocked out. I had a vision of Eden getting shot in her sleep and my parent’s getting punished for my actions in public. I felt their pain, I screams, and I woke up.
    I was laying in a cot and my head was throbbing. I tried to sit up but I fell back down.
    “Where am I?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
    “You are in the National Security Prison.” Someone said. I looked around.
    “The prison in the capital?” I asked with a smile.
    “That’s the one.” The voice responded.
    I was here. In the capital. I was so close I could almost taste my revenge for my sister’s pain. I started to plan. The guards would come in and take me to the shower room. I could probably take both down and tie them up. Then I’d find Addison and we would storm the government buildings. I didn’t care about any of the other guards. The gun I would get would have ton of ammo.
    When the guards came I tackled the one and put the butt of his gun into the gut of the other guard leaving him breathless. Luckily they were not very big guys. I used the utility rope they had on their belts to tie them up and took the Kevlar vest off of one and walked out of the cell. The hallway was empty and I called for my friend.
    “Addison!” I screamed.
    “Down here!” I heard from down the hall. I ran down there and opened the open way opening door.
    “Let’s go!” I yelled. I grabbed her hand as I saw her eyes sparkle with terror as we started running. There wasn’t a single guard in sight.
    “Maybe we are safer here.” Addison said, her fear evident in her voice.
    “We’ll be fine.” I opened the door and the alarm started to go off. I tore out, and started running for the main square. After three minutes of running I saw why there were no guards in the prison. All of them were lying dead in the square. A yellow haze was in the air and I covered my nose and mouth as I ran into the dictator’s building.
    I pulled out my gun, and no one was around. It was completely silent. I checked every room and office. There was one closed door at the end of the hall and me and Addison kicked it in.
    Dictator Kaye was sitting at his desk smiling at us.
    “Hello Citizen #00016508 and Citizen #00016515. How is your sister Gwen?” I winced.
    “Make the visions stop.” I said aiming the gun at his head. He chuckled.
    “I can’t you silly girl. It’s a virus. It’s in the water you drink. Once you have it you have it forever. It messes with the chip. The one that’s embedded in your brain. Shoot me and that chip will send an electric shock through your brain that will kill you. If you don’t everything will go back to normal. What do you say.”
    I cocked the gun and Addison grabbed my hand.
    “What are you doing?! Don’t shoot he said everything will go back to normal if you don’t shoot him!”
    “He is a dictator! He wouldn’t give up his power that easily!”
    She looked away and covered her ears. I turned back to him and I pulled the trigger.

    An Hour Passes By

    The shock didn’t kill me but it knocked me out cold. I woke up and I went out into the hall. Addison was standing there and was looking at a ton of screens. They were all flashing fast. People standing or looking at the camera and then their eyes rolling back in their heads and them slumping down. Addison screamed as she watched the number reach hers. The screen she was watching showed her and she fell to the ground.
    “No!” I screamed I ran to her and hugged her lifeless body.
    “Your foolishness killed your best friend,” a computerized voice said, “it is going to kill everyone else too.”
    I was crying and I got up as I saw hundreds of people dying before my eyes. At the end of the hallway a large screen came down and my sister’s face came up on it.
    “Not Her!” I screamed. “Anyone but her!”
    “Sissy. Why? Why did you do this to us?” She said with tears streaming down her face. She screamed as she held her favorite bunny stuffed animal and she fell to the floor with a thump. The screen went black and all of the others disappeared as well. I fell to the floor crying and the voice spoke again.
    “You are all alone.”
    With that I passed out.