The human race, our human race, has been playing a child’s game from the beginning, and will probably do so until the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. Like me.
My shoes are starting to rub against my anklet and so I stop to adjust it as I sit down on a old rusty bench I watch as the last of my school mates walk past me, I change my anklet strap to the number two setting of the ten there are. I wish I could just rip it off, but we are always told never to take our anklets off because that’s the only thing that separates us from the infected. I continue walking through the narrow paths guided by the walls which tower over the hight of a skyscraper. Our town feels like a maze, its like we are all living in a science experiment, you know, the one with the rats. i have lived here all my life, I know my way around the walled paths and narrow allies like the back of my hand and I have never found a way out. Not once. We never find a way to the myths about green fields that stretch out as far as the eye can see, trees which you can shade under on a warm day and the great light that shines down making you feel lifted, just like in the dreams I have.
i climb on top of a shed then pull myself up on to the window ledge so i can climb up to reach the roof, i like to walk along the roof tops its the only place i feel free even though the walls that trap us in arn’t taller than the houses you still could never go over them, because of the blasted anklet that alert the wardens whenever someone leaves the border and go’s near to a infected. i carry on walking along the roof tops, i remmeber a story that i was told in infant school about a girl who went over the border… she got infected and wasnt aloud back in, so the wardens sat there and watched her starve to death on the other side of the wall.
but that was just a story… i hope i start to climb down as I reach a corner I turn and walk down the path to my house which is at the end within the estate.
Mum has been getting more and more forgetful everyday she’s starting to forget the things that matter like dad, but sometimes it’s better to forget things that hurt like that. As I turn to open the door, it doesn’t seem to budge she locked it again,
“Mum let me in, its only me, Halle… I promise” I shout through the door with my face pressed against the cold painted wood, she doesn’t answer I shout again ”MUM LET ME IN” as I bang my fist against the door…
i hear a gentle click of the peephole opening she stares through…
“im sorry can i help you?” she says worriedly, as she says this it grabs the attention of a warden… oh no, she doesn’t remember me…
“its me, Halle… Halle Reide” i say, as a tear rolls down my cheek like a raindrop falls down a window pain “im…”i brace myself “an old friend, from when you were younger, we went to school together” I hate this i hate to lie to mum like this but its the only way untill she gets better.
“oh errr come in” she says a she opens the door, it worked I’m home finally. after she shut the door i walk upstairs to my bedroom, how could she forget me!
“What are you doing, you can’t go up there” she shout after me.
“Yes i can mum its my room” i say as i sigh.
“Pardon?” she says as she comes after me up the stairs.
“I said its my room, mum”
“If you don’t get out right now, i will go get the wardens!” she snaps as i just stare right in her eyes at her crying.
“i’m not leaving my own house Mum, thats not fair… look around this is my room, why don’t you see” I cry as i shake her shoulder.
“You need to leave” she says as she pulls my hand off of her shoulder, I sit down on my bed and feel the soft blanket under me, warm, soft and comforting like a cosy hug after being out in the snow. I watch my tears fall onto my bed as I stroke my hand across the quilted blanket “I’m getting the wardens!” mum shout at me as she runs down stairs, i grab my purse and a left over chocolate bar from yesterday shove them in my pocket and head to the window, its not high only the second story.
i jump. as i hit the ground a shock of pain runs up my leg forcing me viloetly to the ground. i stand up heart pounding like a jungle drum i stand up shakely and run down the corridors of tall stone wall as i dart around the corners, pushing past people as i go. The wardens are coming growing faster and faster as i grow slower and slower through the pain running down my leg… until i trip. a pair of strong hand grab my wrists, i’m to out of breath to speak… i panic and shake them off the best i can, as i break free i run as fast as i can away from the wardens, but as i do a new set of wardens come from around the other corner before i can see them they zapp me in the neck and painfully fall to the ground.
I awake within a familiar room my usual bedroom, I look around and suddenly a warden bursts through the door. “Oh good, you’re awake” he says in an intimidating voice. I just stare blankly in his eyes as if trying to see into his soul. “Right sweetheart” he says darkly “its time for you to get up and dressed ready for school”.
“Where’s mum?” I ask her intrigued why he’s even here.
“She’s in bed, I shall be staying here for a while until your mother is finally better to be up.” he says grinning.
I sigh “Okay then now can you leave me to get dressed now.” I say wondering why on earth we have to live with a warden twenty-four seven. he leaves and I dress for school. I slip on one of my favourite pairs of jeans and a simple white tee, just because I can’t be bothered to look half decent today.
There’s a knock at the door “I’ve brought you some breakfast, now eat up and get to school” I ignore his remark and start to go to school the rooftop way, I have no appetite for socializing today. I can’t stand the wardens, they monitor everything all day long there no breaking free, I keep on walking along the roof tops then i sit down… my mind starts to wonder what it would it be like if I could break free go over the wall, I mean i could if i didn’t have this anklet, i start to mess with the anklet… if i find a way of breaking this of but still being able to put it on again i could get out of here and come back when i wanted.
unless i got infected. i stand up and dismiss the idea in a sudden i couldn’t leave mum with a warden, i couldn’t do that to her.. or could i? should i? i continue walking along the spine of the roof tops, putting on foot infront of the other balancing my body stopping me from falling.
after i sign into school i remmeber its injection day; every month after the age of 16 you have to have a immunity injection, its hasnt been known to work yet but it still fills with you with an under lieing pit of strong fear in you belly. as i begin to think about it more the panic and nerves begin to raise higher and higher almost completly taking over.
“during 2067 the partide was created seperating the infected and the healthy” the history teacher drones on before being interupted by a static voice from the small speaker on the desk “please can hally reide report to D3” the teacher looks at me with dark tired eyes, i pickup my bag before noticing everyone elses long faces staring at me aswell; unfortunatly i am one of the youngest of the class meaning only two other people had had the injection before me and on other the died… imogen i think her name was. i can see it in there faces the wonder, wonder if i will survive it. there a few muttered giggles at the back of class, i ignore them as i put my head down and walk out of the class room as i leave the sound of uncontrolable talking comenses and the silence that was just ceased is forgot about.
i start to run, i keep runing down the empty corridors past the class rooms nearing closer and closer to my destanation …. d1 i run past d2 i run faster d3 i continue running heart beating the faster i run…. “oi!” i hear a voice call me from behind of a warden… i keep running out of the school… my back pack bounces on my back. i hear him chase after me, wait is there two? crap! i turn a sharp corner and climb up the wall on to a roof.
why stop dreaming when you wake up? 