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Science Fiction

Run Morgan run, don't let them see you. The drone is over my head watching me, watching my every move. I don't let them see what I have or else I will get arrested.

Look up at the sky Morgan wait until they leave, keep looking Morgan. Don't let them get you nervous. Don't give them any reason to arrest you.

You are doing good Morgan. They will leave soon and move on to their next target. There they go, now quickly get inside before the next drone comes.

Thank God the drone left me alone. I run into my building, up the stairs and into my apartment. I close all the windows and curtains. I take out the insulin and give it to. my little sister Megan.

Everyday under the watchful eye of the government me and the people have to run and hide from the drones that are all over the sky watching us.

Many of us get caught doing things that are not criminal offenses. They are normal everyday items like getting food, medicine and clothes that we get arrested for. This is what our society is like.

I have to duck and cover from the drones every time I get insulin for my sister. Medicine for us the poor is a privilege that is granted to us by the government every month.

My sister can't survive waiting a month to get insulin. This is why I do what I do to protect my family. I'm not the only one who does this. Many of my friends use the black market to get food and medicine at a cheap price. We do all this under the watchful eye go the government.

Privacy is not our own anymore, it is for those who can afford it. For us little people privacy is what you see up in the sky.

The government tells us the drones watching us are for our protection but that is a lie. They are using the drones to control our every move.

Sometimes I wish we as a people did more to stop the government from controlling us. I wish we stood up to them and told them No, this is our lives. We are not living like this anymore. We are not living under a microscope. But there wasn't enough of us to stop them. We were too scared.

I look at my sweet innocent sister and I tell myself every day I'm doing this for Megan so she can live whatever life she wants to live even if it's in a society like this one.

My mother doesn't know what I'm doing. If she did know she would stop me but I still wouldn't listen. My mother can save up money for an entire month and that still wouldn't be enough to get food and Megan's insulin. The black market is my only option.

Tomorrow is another day of running and evading the drones. I lay out my clothes and sneakers and jump into bed. My curtains are closed but I still can hear the drones buzzing outside.

I wonder to myself every day if the government is ever going to stop watching us. Are we ever going to have a peaceful night's sleep? and are we going to go outside and not see a drone? So many questions and not enough answers.

I close my eyes and attempt to go to sleep. Oh crap! what was that? I look at the clock, it's 2 am. Yelling and screaming is coming from outside my building. I go and open the curtains. I see many buzzing drones. They are cornering two people.

Oh my God! that is Brynlee and Jake. What are they doing? It's past curfew. Oh snap! here come the dreaded government police. Nobody messes with them.

I quickly close my curtains before I'm spotted. I don't know what Brynlee and Jake did but I know tomorrow is going to be a very bad day.

I wake up to a loud knock. I quickly get out of my bed, put my robe on and head to the living room. My mother is slowly walking out of her bedroom with Megan. My mother looks at me. I shrug my shoulders.

"Joanna, Morgan, it's me Lexie."

Lexie is Brynlee's sister. I open the door and let her in. Lexie looks tired and scared.

"Lexie, what's the matter?" I ask her.

I came to warn you Morgan. Someone gave the government police the list of names. Whatever you do be careful Morgan."

I look at my mother, she immediately knows, I'm up to no good. "What list?"

"The black market list."

Lexie leaves in a hurry. My mother looks at me and she tells me "Morgan, I'm going to tell you once and once only, do not go back to the black market. Do I make myself clear?"

I nod. Now what am I going to do? I need the black market to get Megan's insulin. She is not going to survive without it. My mother told me not to go but I'm going anyways.

I run to my room and get dress. I hear my mother leave with Megan. I grab my bag, put my hoodie on and leave. I exit my building and see the drones buzzing up in the sky. One of them has broken off from the pack. I don't turn around. I keep on walking.

Before I go to the black market I go to the police station to try to find any news on Brynlee and Jake. You know what I've never notice before, the people are wearing hats and glasses. Nobody wants their faces to be seen. I arrive at the police station to chaos. So many people have come. They are chanting free Brynlee, free Jake.

I spot Jake's brother Ethan. He's standing next to Lexie. I make my way to them. "Morgan, what are you doing here?"

I ask Lexie "You left before I asked you about Brynlee. What did she do?

Brynlee did nothing wrong. She went to Doc. Wheeler to get our mother's medicine. She was scared to go alone so she asked Jake to go with her. Doc. Wheeler is bad as they come. He charges three times the amount we have but we have no choice. Our mother really needs the medicine. The black market doesn't have what we need. Brylee called me, told me she was coming home. I told her to hurry. One minute past curfew I saw her and Jake outside our building, then the drones corner them, that's how they need up her because of one minute, one minute Morgan."

Wow, this is unbelievable. Can the government sink any lower, yet this is what they do to keep us in line. "How did they get the list?"

Ethan tells me "Doc. Wheeler's son Colby. He was seen everyday at the black market watching us."

Colby, I always thought he was one of us. Someone who wanted freedom. I guess I was wrong.

I look up at the sky, more drones are coming, something bad is going to happen. Crap! I hear a clicking sound. "Run Morgan." I look at Ethan and Lexie. They both nod.

I begin to run when I hear the drones shooting at us. Oh no. I think one of them is following me. I turn around and see a drone in front of me.

The drone is going to shoot me. I close my eyes and pray. I hear the clicking sound, then I hear my name being called.

"Duck Morgan."

I fall to the ground and cover my head. Someone grabs me by my arm. We begin to run. I open my eyes and see Ethan. Ethan came back for me. I'm holding on to Ethan's hand as we run from incoming drones.

"More are coming Ethan."

I don't know where we are going. It's nowhere near my building. The drones are still coming. "Ethan more are coming." Ethan turns to me and asks me "Do you trust me?" I nod.

Ethan takes out a bomb, throws it up in the air. The drones explode. What did I just see? "Two coming in." I hear Ethan say.

The door to a warehouse opens. Ethan and I enter. "Welcome to the Revolution." Ethan looks at me.

I don't know what to say. I'm stunned, in shock at the news. My friend is involved with the resistance. I look around the warehouse and see familiar faces. One of them is my best friend, Julissa.

This is crazy. I only heard about the resistance in passing. I never imagined anything like this. Government drones are all over the place.

"You must be wondering why I brought you here?"

I tell Ethan "To save my life."

Ethan smiles. "Yes and also so you ca join us."

"Why me?" I ask.

"We've been watching you. You are good at evading the drones. We need someone like that. Will you join us?"

"One one condition." I tell Ethan "My sister needs insulin."

'We will get insulin for Megan."

"I'm in."

For the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful that we will end the government surveillance on us. I feel hopeful that more of us will join the fight.

A Revolution begins with a single act of defiance. Our defiance has begun. We will win. We will stop the government. We will be free.

January 25, 2023 23:03

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1 comment

Jack Kimball
00:08 Jan 31, 2023

HI Melinda. I can hear the music and it is a crescendo! 'A Revolution begins with a single act of defiance. Our defiance has begun. We will win. We will stop the government. We will be free.' I liked how you wanted to get your sister the insulin she needed and the care for her seemed autobiographical. This was my favorite part. Jack

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