KIN

CHAPTER FIRST

<<The Al army falls under the control of Reth.>>

<<After six years of conflict, over 74 million casualties among soldiers and civilians, Alai gave in. >>

I heard the metallic voice on the radio coming from the living room, I was locked in my room; I don't know if I liked the fall of Alai's army or not.

There was a part of me in which a feeling of pain prevailed for the dead in the war; especially the soldiers, those who made me sad, most of them were my age and had been put to the front to die like meat for slaughter.

From a certain point of view I had been lucky to be born in Reth, no man who was not a military specialist, or in the police force, was absolutely not pressed to go and fight. On the other hand, I was relieved that all this was over.

By now the economic crisis had spread everywhere, and Reth continued to expand his rule like wildfire. Inside the city the regime and with it the repression had taken over, the large posters printed in Gothic character without graces hung from the palaces.

"FIGHT. WORK. LIVE. FOR REIGME."

Alternated by others who depicted only the symbol of the dictatorship on Reth; a large circle, representing the state, contained a much smaller one, all of us. It was designed by the governor himself, designed to give a sense of nonexistent comfort to the population, to make them understand that the government would be with every citizen constantly, incessantly, ready to intervene as soon as they saw a flash of trouble.

A long red banner ran right across the side of my building, flying just at the wind. It was one of those with only the symbol and it perfectly covered half of the bathroom window, which had taken on a darker air since the sunlight no longer peeped on the tiles, but a semi-lighted beaded tone had taken its place, giving it a macabre tone. The yellowish colour of the tiles intertwined with the light, giving the impression of watching a film.

I got out of bed, the cigarette was hanging on my lips like she wanted to escape, but she got trapped by some super glue.

The stone floor was icy and the contact with my bare feet made me shiver down my neck.
I finished the cigarette outside the window, I didn't want my parents to know that I was smoking, not that they would tell me anything, but, so, it was something I wanted to keep to myself, that could not be contaminated by the opinions of relatives.

Kept me busy, nothing more.

"

1.   ALL WHO OBSTRUCT THE GOVERNOR'S PATH WILL BE PUNISHED.

2.   OPERATORS MAY DISSOLVE ANY ASSOCIATION OR ORGANISED GROUP WHICH GOES AGAINST THE IDEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS IMPOSED BY THE REGIME.

3.   IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST THE REGIME BEFORE THE COURT.

4.   ANY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN AWARE OF OR HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED SYMBOL OF TREASON SHALL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED.

5.   ANY ASSOCIATION WITH REBELLIOUS AIMS, WHICH COULD DAMAGE THE SAFETY OF THE REGIME AND THE GOVERNOR, SHALL BE DISSOLVED AND ITS MEMBERS IMPRISONED.

6.   THE QUESTIONING OF THE 14 LISTS WILL BE PUNISHED BY IMPRISONMENT.

7.   ANY PERSON WHO ATTEMPTS TO PUBLICLY AND/OR PRIVATELY BELITTLE THE FIGURE OF THE GOVERNOR SHALL BE PUNISHED.

8.   IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO MAKE PROPAGANDA IN FAVOR OF REBELLION.

9.   ANY MEMBER OF A REBEL ALLIANCE SHALL BE PUNISHED WITH DEATH PENALTY.

10.   ANY PERSON WHO BECOMES AWARE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING REBEL OUTBREAKS SHALL IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO THE MINISTRY.

11.   WILL BE RELIEVED OF THEIR SERVICE TO PUBLIC BODIES, AND NOT, THOSE WHO REFUSE TO LEND LOYALTY TO THE REGIME.