Escaping UnwantedVille

𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒪𝓃𝑒

She was afraid, but could not show it. Her Social Rating score was the lowest it had ever been, after that emotional outburst last year. If she couldn't increase it in the next few weeks, she knew there would be a knock at her door next month. Nobody knew where the lowest 20% Social Ranked citizens were taken. There were rumors that maybe they were taken outside the city or worse ones like they were killed for being not perfect. She needed to be perfect, no she needed to become perfect, only she didn't realize how hard it would really be. 

I walked home through the small patch of woods that leads to my family's small cottage. The roofing is starting to fall off again, I will have to fix that when I get a chance. The once beautiful brick cottage now looks old and abandoned, The bricks are covered in moss and weeds, the paint on the shutters and the stairs are starting to flake off into many pieces, even the porch where moms rocking chair used to be is now broken and worn out. I wish we could get a new place but my rank is just too low.

 As I walk into the house I see mom in the kitchen and like usual she's making her vegetable stew. I decide to walk to the living room to see what Pops up to.

 "Hey Pops", I say as I walk into the living room.

He just hums at me so i know he must be drowsy. Since Mom is cooking and pops is sleeping I decided to go to my room. I walk in and it's the same sad room it was when I left. My mattress is molded into the bars of my metal bed frame, and the once gorgeous brown dresser with a beautiful gloss is now peeled with the drawers falling out. I decided to take a nap since I'm still tired from my walk home. 

I jolt out of bed suddenly. No. I smell smoke. This can't be happening, suddenly I have a million questions. Where is it, how did it start, why did it start, so many questions and then I realize I can smell it, this isn't a house fire, this is the trees outside. I can tell by the musky yet sweet smell. I jump out of bed and run towards the porch, what is going on? Then I see it. The forest behind the house, the forest I was walking through just hours ago is clouded with smoke and bright flames. 

Mom and pops are outside talking to some firemen, I walk over to try to listen in but I can't hear anything without getting closer. I remember that I left my notebook in the trunk of my favorite tree, and without thinking I rushed into the fire. I'm holding my shirt over my face trying to make breathing a little easier but it's not working. I've been running for so long, my legs are numb, time is flying and I don't know how long I have been in here. 5 minutes? 10, 15 maybe even 20 but it's all just flying past like it doesn't matter. 

By the time I see it I'm almost falling, I can't breathe, I can't see. The kindling fire is dancing around slowly growing until I feel caged. I fall to the ground. I can't get up, it's like I'm frozen. All I can do is hope someone finds me, before its too late.