The wall was created to keep them out.
I wake up to the sound of rushing water. I started sleepwalking years ago. No one knows why or how I can walk around the entire city unscathed while sleeping and likely never will. I get up from the river bed and head back to my house.
The city is relatively small I guess. I've never seen the outside world, the adults say it's beautiful but if that's true then why build a massive wall around it. This year is the opening so I may finally be able to see the outside world.
I live by the train tracks on the bad side of the city. No one knows why we still have train tracks. Not a lot of people know a lot of things as far as I'm aware. The people who know the most are the committee elders. The committee of elders controls the city and comprises 10 maybe 12 people 100-1,000. People in this city can get really old if you're lucky enough to live past 25. Most teens are like me, orphans taking care of ourselves. The bad thing about being an elder is everyone you knew is dead unless one or more of your friends also become elders making it a very sad life.
My family has a history of making it past 25 and making it onto the committee of elders, but both of my parents died at 25 so my odds of making it are low. I get back to my house that I share with three other boys, Asher who's family also has a history of committee members, Jameson, and Angel.
"Hey Elias, sleepwalking again?" Asher asks.
"Yes unfortunately how'd you guys sleep" I respond.
"Good" answers all of them.
"Did you hear they're opening the wall today?" Angel says.
"No. Wait a minute, they moved the date to today?" I says.
"Yeah the wall opens at 3P.M" Angel answers.
"Shit I have to go to the market today. Not to mention school" I practically scream. I leave for the market in a hurry after having my coffee. The list they gave me reads
Coffee pre ground
Carrots
Potatoes
Oil for the lamps
Gears for our engineering project
Scrap metal
Spaghetti
Cold medicine
Pasta sauce
Mushrooms
'Right the engineering is due in three weeks' I see a sign that says 'free lamp oil'. I go up to the sign. There is a woman that is clearly on her deathbed "h-h-here have my s-supply of lamp oil I-I-I don't need it anymore" she stammered. I take it and before I can even say thank you she falls dead. I hurry and grab the rest of the stuff. When I get back Angel is hurriedly switching between washing clothes and washing the dishes, Asher is fixing the fridge, and Jameson is working on the project. I set the stuff down and start working on the oven. An hour goes by and we all head off to school.
When first period AP math starts I already want to go home. Eighth period French is easily the best class I have. We get out of school early at 2:30 so we can see the wall open. Me and the others go back to the train tracks and we get home just in time to see the wall open.
"Oh son of a bitch it's just gears really, so the opening is just maintenance" Jameson Screams.
"And that's the reason why I'm going to join the army if I live past 25. Cause in the army you can stand on the top of the wall for patrol considering you still can't go on the other side of the wall" I say They all stare at me agreeingly.
We finished the end of year project last night. Here we graduate at 14. We also have no control over what we study, however, we can choose to leave our engineering jobs at 21 if we want so we can spend our last years happily but most leave at 24. During our graduation we are called the inseparable ones because we do everything together, eat together, live together, and we've always been there for eachother. We all look completely different. I have tanned skin, almost black eyes, and pitch black hair that goes to my mid back when I have it down but most of the time I have it up in a bun, ponytail, or braid draped over my shoulder. Jameson has short white blonde hair, fair skin, and gray eyes. Asher has black collarbone length layered hair, fair skin, sharp features, the brightest, most blue eyes I've ever seen, and a deep voice. Angel has brown hair, tanned skin, and almost black eyes. We look the most similar by far aside from his bowl cut. Asher and I have all of our classes together.
We head home after graduation.
"Well now we all need jobs" Jameson says
"Well you can get one now but I'm spending one last summer unemployed" I respond a snarky tone in my voice
"So am I" Asher says
"Yeah same here" Angel says
We get home, Asher and I go to our room. He learned the hard way not to wake a sleepwalker since last time he woke me up I punched him so hard he had 2 black eyes for weeks.
"Hey" he says laying down
"Hey" I respond
"Do you think we'll die at 25?" he asks and I take a second to respond
"I mean with our families histories we'll likely make to 40 so no"
"Well yeah but both of our parents died at 25 that has to cause some concern"
"Well yeah of course it does but that was just our parents we have all of our other family members to consider, now go to sleep we have to go to the market tomorrow" I say. three minutes later I here snoring. Main story: 999 words
YOU ARE READING
The City of Gears
Fantasythe wall was made to kep them in. But two 24 year olds challenge that. what will happen (they're 14 in the first chapter) Oh and if you don't like gay characters don't read the main characters are gay.
