Elevatia

1. I live in a dystopia

I remember the moment that changed my life. This is not that moment. In this particular moment, I am about to reply to my friend but then I feel like I need to sneeze and have to stop for a bit. But then I don't actually sneeze, instead I hold a weird face for a few seconds. It's kind of awkward. Nonetheless, this is the moment when my story starts. Out, beyond the fences, secretly foraging for food with my friend Ace alongside the other desperate souls.

The morning sunlight silhouetted Ace's profile as he made a joke. He had a face that looked like it had been chiselled from marble by a gifted sculptor. The sculptor had apparently been aiming for "attractive 14-year-old boy" and was very good at doing hair.

"Hahaha," we laughed enjoying our close emotional bond. Just then, our laughter was interrupted by the sound of machine gun fire and screams of terror. One of the militia, The Upright, had shot down a foraging teen they had spotted.

"It's hard living in a dystopian militia-run state," I sighed as the breeze gently wafted my auburn hair. "I don't think innocent people should be murdered."

Ace smiled at me, impressed. "This is what makes you so unusual and special, Kit. You disapprove of obvious cases of injustice."

He'd never said anything like that before. It had never crossed my mind that Ace might like me. I'd only ever thought of him as an extremely attractive acquaintance who I had spent almost every day of my childhood with. There was that one time when he shot himself in the foot to save me having to pay a library fine. But nothing that made me think he liked me.

Another round of gunfire interrupted the moment followed by screams. "Nooooo! Tell Martha I love her. Aaaargh!"

"I had the dream again," I said, staring off into the distance. "I was in the middle of the city barefoot, surrounded by tall white skyscrapers. I started to walk forwards and all the buildings around me started to crumble."

Ace took my hand gently.

"And then there was a monkey who started performing Bohemian Rhapsody and somehow I was late for an exam and missing my clothes. But I'm not sure that bit was important." I turned to look at Ace. "I think something big is going to happen here, Ace. Soon. It might or might not have something to do with singing monkeys."

Ace gazed at me intently. "I'm just a poor boy from a poor family. But whatever happens Kit, we'll get through it together."

I held his gaze for a moment.

"We should go," he said suddenly. "It's nearly time for the Sizing."

"The Sizing?"

"You know, that ceremony we've been dreading for 14 years, which will determine the entire rest of our lives. It's in about half an hour."

"Oh yeah, that."

We ran back to the Unmeasured Compound hand in hand, dodging sniper fire as we went.