The Winnowed

Chapter 1 Claire

I've heard story's of what the world used to be like. There was peace. At least, more then there is now. And there was less war, and more people.

People.

I've heard that people used to be so loving and lively. So helpful and selfless towards the poor people, or any person that needed help.

I once heard this one story of a girl who was so sick and weak that she was going to die any day soon. She was contagious with a skin disease that makes your skin so soft, that your skin just slowly tears and cracks open, no scratching or scraping needed. Though it also made you extremely itchy, so they kept you tied down on a table so that you wouldn't scratch off your already soft, open flesh. Anyways, even though she was so sick and week, a doctor risked his life to find a cure and save the girl.

Only the one amazing doctor got credit for saving this young girls life. But the way I see it, so many more people should have been recognized for saving her. So many good people also risked their lives.

What about the people that tied her down to the table? Yes its a horrible thing they had to do, but they HAD to do it, or she would die from scratching off her own flash. Those people were so selfless, that even though they didnt want to, they knew they wouldn't get recognized, and they were at risk of getting the disease, they put their own lives in danger to tie her down because they knew, it would help save her live.

No one is this selfless anymore. No one is selfless at all.

After the third war, the country's that were left built giant barriers around themselves, to try to prevent another war. It didn't work. Each country just broke down each others walls and invaded and fought until only a couple city's were left. Those city's then built walls around themselves to prevent war between each other. So far, it has worked. I live in the city of New York.

I have heard many story's of what New York City used to look like. Bright, fun, and care free. But I can only imagine what it used to look like because now, it is the total opposite. Its just like every other city that is left. Bland, broken, destroyed, strict, and crude.

Just like people built walls around the city's, they built walls around themselves. No one is selfless, no one trusts each other, no one is even nice. According to the government, no one has to be nice to survive. You just have to be better then the person next to you, also trying to survive. Everyone and everything is and has to be determined to be better then the next city.

Every month, there is a test. This test consist of intelligence, and fitness. If you do not get the minimum score or higher, you are thrown outside of the walls. this is because if you are not strong and you are not smart, then you can in no way help our government get stronger, so you are unneeded and unwanted. It doesn't madder if your sick, or just not strong or smart enough. You are just thrown out side of the walls to die. Everyone forgets about you and moves on to make sure they are good enough to live here.

I dont agree with any of the rules here, but I do want to live, so I follow them. No one knows whats behind the walls because no one has ever come back.