Rowan

I hate this place. With the Leaders, the speeches they make each morning, their eyes big, making us look into them, making us trust them. The speeches that say we are safe, that we should never leave.

The sun had barely risen, it peeked out from over the daunting wall, it’s light not even reaching my small, crumbling house. Fog layered the dirt ground, and artificial light spilled through the window, car lights. Glancing through my window I could see my parents leaving the house, my mum wrapped in expensive furs, my dad, his hat tipped, scarf following behind him in the early wind. The government car drove away with them again, engine whirring. They were off to work. Leaving me alone in the crowded house, just like normal. I crawled out of my crappy bed, shoving off my thin blankets. No point trying to go back to sleep. My feet plant into the ground, I clambered down the stairs, jumping down the last couple, with my feet threatening to give way underneath me as I land. I collapse on the couch, and flick the remote to turn on the TV. Time to start the daily routine, to watch the first speech of the day. You can’t miss it, or at least no one does, they want to feel safe.

The speeches tell us about the people, if anyone has broken the rules. Or at least who they know of, who has been caught, reported to the Keepers. And of course the Reminder. The reminder is reminding everyone to report anything suspicious immediately, that the Leaders, the government, is always watching. That they have eyes everywhere. Everyone knows this already, but the Leaders feel the need to remind us. Yet no one cares about the repetitiveness, no one. Except me. And Carlos. It’s like people don't notice every single flaw that is present in our lives. It’s like they are hypnotised. But they can’t be, people can only be hypnotised by Magicks, and the government hates Magicks. There is no way that the government is using magic against us. And even if they are using it, why doesn’t it affect me? Why didn’t it affect Carlos?

The TV blares at me and it hits like a wave.

“A student has been seen using powers.” A picture of Griffin appears on the screen. Shocked, I catch my mouth open in the mirror, and close it abruptly, “On Tuesday the 27th at Grace Macgovern School, 2:47pm, Griffin Adler was last seen, teleporting himself and Claude Dixon out of Rich Bathroom 3. Claude shouldn’t have been in or near it as it is only for the Rich. Claude has also been reported to have had homesexual feelings, romantic feelings for the same sex is not permitted or acceptable in our community. People who feel this way do not care about others, have unacceptable thoughts and send the wrong message to younger people. We feel it is not safe to be around these kinds of people as they may affect the minds of our future generations and we will deal with Claude Dixon as soon as he is found. Remember he is choosing to feel this way.

“Griffin Adler and Claude Dixon need to be found.

“Unfortunately we have no trails on where Griffin or Claude could be, so if anyone sees them, or has any idea where they could be, please report them immediately to the nearest Keeper. If anyone sees them and does not report it, they will be caught, and punished.”

I dropped the remote to the floor, the floor connected with the off button, the TV hummed and then the screen went black.

“Griffin?” The word slipped from my almost closed lips before I could stop it, “Griffin’s a Magick?”

The woman's voice still echoed in my ears, her purple eyes still burning into mine. How could someone care so little about other people?

“Fuck,” I mutter “Griffin is a Magick, Claude has been exposed to the government, and now they are both being hunted by the Leaders. “How the fuck did the system let this happen?”

I walk back and forth across the living room, whispering the same words over and over again. “This system is fucked.”

Suddenly I picked up the remote and hurled it at the TV, the glass exploding from it in tiny pieces, smoke billowing from the inside. I wanted people to see my anger. To see my hatred.

“Fuck this” I whisper, my voice shaking.

I fell to my knees, glass digging into them but I didn’t care. I was so angry. Hot tears streamed down my face. I wish we could just be who we want to be without having to hide it, bottle it inside, until we are lost, robots in the system, following orders, blinded by the world around us.

“FUCK THIS” I yell. This time making sure everyone can hear me.

I’m going to be in so much trouble.

But I don’t care because now I can see.