GUNPOWDER

CHAPTER THREE: THE PROGRAM

My arms hurt from the tight grip of the Generals. My brain hurts from the shock of being chosen. My eyes are watery from all the tears. My mouth struggles as it tries to stop itself from shrieking. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me or my friends or family, or anyone around me.

I look around at my colony, the tenth colony. We are in the midst of making nuclear weapons for the North American Army, so a lot of people have dropped out of the Academy to work with their parents. People have big scars down their arms and second and third degree burns all over the place, and there is a strong smell of smoke and… well, everything smells AND looks like a bin around here.

We go past the main factory and I see 9 year-olds working with their parents. I realize that I am so lucky that I am at school instead of putting on gas masks and working on bombs.

We arrive at the Town Hall and there is a statue of President Muntos, the person who devised the system of the 13 colonies.

Long ago, the tenth colony used to be called San Francisco. But, when President Muntos came into power, he decided that there should be 13 colonies, because….

Well, exactly.

I don’t know why.

A lot of things have happened and I don’t know why they have.

For example, why I am in a dark room in the Town Hall.

The Army Generals have left suddenly, and I am standing here on my own, until something pushes me towards something, and I obey. I see a door now, and my hand goes around the knob and twists it. I open it and go through.

Fresh, clean air. No bin smells. It’s clean here. I like it, but where the hell am I?

I walk forward a bit more, and there I see something.

My parents. My sister.

“Hey Astrid.” Ava says.

Except Ava says her vowels with an Italian accent and redder hair.

My dad has a bigger torso and less freckles.

My mum has a darker blue in her eyes and longer hair.

And then I realized.

These people are actors.

And they’re acting their death.