The Red Hall

I laid in bed watching a fly on the window when suddenly I heard the sound of harsh footsteps pounding down the hallway. I jumped out of bed and darted toward my computer. Just as I got sat down next to the keyboard Mr. Kott and his team of militia yanked open my door, he looked around my room, wrote something down on a clipboard, and then slammed my door shut again. "That was a close one," I said to myself. 

They were on a schedule, and I had it memorized. Each morning the alarms rang at four o'clock on the dot, that was our queue to wake up. Then, sometime between four-thirty and five, Mr. Kott and his army would march down the halls, take attendance, and hand out small pills to everyone. Then they wouldn't be back until noon, which gave me a little time to relax. Although, I had to remember to hurry to "work" on my computer by the time they came for mid-day attendance. My best friend Alex went missing a few years prior after she failed to wake up in time for attendance. Rumors went around but no one knew for sure what had happened to her. All I knew was that she wasn't coming back. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to come to terms with. Later from five o'clock to six at night, we went to the lounge area downstairs to eat dinner. That was the only interaction we had with each other, then it was back to our bland rooms to repeat the cycle.

  Alex was the only friend I had left, the only one that wasn't dead inside and now even she was gone. I barely remember the friends I had from outside of this building. Three years ago we were all separated into these barracks after a nuclear attack. Mr. Kott told us all that if we went outside we would get very sick and start to develop painful blisters all over which would leave us dead in the streets in a matter of days. I for one don't believe the crap they tell us about the outside world or the nuclear attacks. I didn't know what was out there but they had definitely been hiding something big.

Alex and I had always stuck together. We would meet at dinner down in the "Red Hall" as we called it. It was a big lounge room with red walls. She and I would always make up stories about life outside of the building. A life where they didn't dull your brain with pills. Alex and I never took the pills, it was our secret. We would pretend to be dull as the others were. Sometimes I think about taking mine so I can escape the hell here without Alex. I am terrified that they will find out, that they will realize I am not as obedient as the others. I would always catch myself though. I remembered all the plans Alex and I had dreams of escaping this place and I owed it to her to try and fulfill those dreams. 

The day was November 18th, 2025. Today was the day the day I planned my escape. I sat at my computer pretending to do useless work. The government didn't control my brain like they did the others. It was only a matter of time before Mr. Kott found out my secret. Thats why I had to leave. It was a little after noon, all I could think about was Alex and how I wanted to avenge her.

I waited patiently, doing the work they assigned us everyday on our computers. Around five at night I waited next to the door, waited patiently for the bell to dismiss me for dinner in the Red Hall. The bell finally rang and I quickly started my act. I slowly walked down the hall slumped over in a tired like state in order to blend in. We all congregated by the doors to get food. I paced my eyes around the hall looking for the door.

Alex and I had made a very detailed plan. We dreamed of walking out of this place and continuing a journey together to find the beautiful Outsider city's. Our plan was simple, yet very affective. In the Red Hall there was a small door that looked like a small broom closet. The only problem was that it was all the way across the hall and it would be a challenge to get there without looking suspicious. Once we got to the closet, well we didn't exactly know. We knew there were guards everywhere, and Mr. Kott wandered around watching everyone. People that showed any emotion other than those crappy pills let you were taken away to solitary and never seen again.

As I paced my eyes back and forth around the hall I looked and waited for Mr. Kott to come into sight. Getting past him would be one of the hardest challenges in my escape plan, if I didn't want to end up like Alex in solitary. The doors to the hall opened and we walked through the hall and grabbed a tray of bland tasteless food. I sat down at a table all alone. As I ate Mr. Kott finally caught my eye. I watched him walk up and down rows of people. As he came closer my eyes darted back to my tray of food, hoping he had not seen me staring at him. He walked back into the kitchen and I knew this was the only chance I had at escaping.

I pulled my foot slowly in front of me and I stood up. A few people looked but I was not concerned. I was getting a refill of water, that was my cover. I slowly walked toward the other side of the hall. I sped up my pace little after little. Then I started to see Mr. Kott come from out of the kitchen. I was too far out to go back, he would see me up either way. I decided in the moment to make a run for the door. I suddenly sprinted across the hall past tables and people rushing to get to the closet door before Mr. Kott or any of his soldiers saw me. Thats when I heard men start to yell after me, I had been caught and I knew it. There was nothing I could do now but continue. I got to the door and twisted the handle but it would not budge. I tried and tired but the soldiers were coming up on me so I thought fast and kicked my knee into the door handle. I felt the handle break loose and blood gushed down my leg from the impact of the door handle on my knee.

I yanked the door open and just saw more hallway. I ran down a plain white hallway until my legs were kicked out from under me. My head impacted the ground hard and the world spun around me. Soldiers grabbed my arms and leg, and my body pulsed with pain as the soldiers ripped me off the ground. The last thing I knew Mr. Kott stood in front of me speaking to the militia but I could not hear what he was saying to them.

I woke up on the ground in an small room with green walls. I looked down and felt legs that were still bruised and had not yet stopped bleeding. I became scared and thought to myself, was this solitary? Then a light turned on from behind me and footsteps slowly came toward me. "Alex?" I said.