Cogitators

Prologue

One month before the test

Finally. Finally some fresh air. It was only now that Ada noticed how much she had missed the sound of nature. From her place, she could listen to the melody of owls, squirrels singing, leaves falling, and the sounds of various unnamed insects. After being compelled to study relentlessly for this year's feared test, Ada's parents granted her a break—albeit reluctantly—after multiple pleas and discussions. As the eldest and only daughter of the family, this year was highly looked up to by her parents. She was very well aware that this year held high expectations and she knew she didn't want to disappoint them. Taking care of her two younger brothers, none of them knew how it felt like. They couldn't fully grasp the pressure she was under anyway. In life, she only knew how to work. She recalled her father's singular remark, "You better succeed in this test," knowing that Ada could potentially lift them out of their community for a better life. At times, she found peace in being alone, venturing into the forest to sit beside a small tree that had grown alongside her. Some days she would lean against it and doze off, while on others, she would immerse herself in Kafka's books for hours. She didn't know if she was happier that way but didn't really mind much. She couldn't fully recall the last time she sat down and spoke with her parent like a normal family. She knew what her parents thought of her. She knew she was not intelligent enough to even enter the 90th community.

She knew she was not enough.

So, for the first time in twenty years, she decided not to care anymore. Her efforts were never seen, and talking was useless. She decided that, on the day of the big test, she would try her best, to make sure to stay in the 86th community. Even if that meant failing, something that was feared by every human in this place. However, no one had to know it, this would be her little secret, hers and the little tree's one. She needed to think about herself. For once.

For now, her only worry was to finish Kafka's Letters to Milena book. She did not why but this book was bringing her too much comfort. Someone being so open about feelings kept her intrigued. She knew this book was written more than a hundred years ago but she couldn't help herself wondering about how life, in the past, could have been different. Was it even possible to be that passionate, she thought to herself. In her lifetime, in this year 2060 everything was made up to fit into communities. No one could really leave their attributed place, them being highly guarded. Feelings were brushed off, only letting the brain work. That was their idea. For the structure, feelings were the weakest part of human nature, and none of them were good for people's brains. None of them. That is why a test is held every year. One can only participate once in his lifetime. The structure made everyone understand that life would be better if people were assimilated within the same community of the same intelligence. As time went by, the structure's goal became to shift directions. These tests were specifically designed to follow one's desires rather than "testing intelligence" as they would call it. Finding every drop of emotion, to eradicate them. That was all it was about. Erasing feelings from the human. Ada could remember communities starting from the 86th community, being the lowest to the 100th being the best of all communities. The better your community was, the higher you were guarded. Guarded from people thrown away by the structure. They are usually the ones who did not want to pass the test or had a too low score to even enter the 86th community. People over 100th are directly sent to the structure. Yes, they, are the ones in control.  That may have been one of the reasons she wouldn't want to go to a higher place. At least, here, they had opportunities to go inside forests or even lakes. She loved being here and the idea of not being able to walk into a forest after the test made her sick. She did not know why but her community was not heavily guarded, much to her advantage.

☆          --            ☆

"ADA ! ADA ! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK LITTLE GIRL"

Her eyes opened wide. Her little bubble exploded. She knew she was late but she wanted to finish her book. 

Only 5 pages left.

"ADA, I KNOW YOU ARE SOMEWHERE OUT THERE."

Only 4.

"ADA IT'S RAINING YOU'D BETTER BE HOME IN FIVE MINUTES."

Her mom was right, while taking a glance at the sky she noticed that the rain was getting heavier, her last wish was to be soaking wet. She would probably get scolded enough and didn't want to add more fuel to the fire. She immediately stands up and runs towards her home, leaving behind her beloved book.

 Only 4 pages were left. 

She was tired. Tired of not being able to finish her book, tired of the pressure. Tired of all those expectations coming from everywhere. Would have life been better if she had been born with the intellectual elites? Or maybe Kafka was right. Perhaps, she needed to be selfish. But, It was decided. She would do her best to fail this test. It would be pretty easy and since no one believed in me I wouldn't have to explain myself, she thought as she promised herself to come back tomorrow to take her book back, even if it was wet, right under the leaves she put on the book.

☆       --      ☆

1. A.M

Everyone was asleep. Hopefully, she didn't have to explain herself about this afternoon's walk.

Walk. That is what she had said to her mother hoping that she would believe it.

She did and even let her sleep before them.

She, on the other hand, couldn't sleep during the whole night. She needed her book back. She had to. So without thinking she rushed into the forest praying that the book would still be near the little tree.

After only five minutes, standing in front of the tree, her eyes wandered around. Her book was nowhere to be found but she had noticed that the leaves on top of it were spilled around her. 

How? 

She has never seen anyone here for years, so how?

As doubt began to emerge in her, she reasoned that perhaps it was just some insect. But why would they target my book? she said to herself trying to look for a rational explanation.

"Sst, Is this what you are looking for, hen ?"

A man's voice.

Hen ?

"And here I thought I was alone, 'guess I was wrong"

No, that is simply impossible.
All those times she thought she was alone, appeared to be wrong. Was he a guard? Why was her book in this stranger's hands? Internally cursing at herself she tried to take a step back, in vain. It felt like she was glued. She didn't know why, she just felt like she needed to stay.

To just talk with him.

She finally turned her body to face the man. The full moon only shows some parts of his body. He was holding her book. With a smile on his face that she could see, even in the darkness. The most surprising part was that her book was intact.

As if it had never been buried in leaves.

As if it had never rained.

🌼

Hi!!!! thank you for reading this prologue!  I hope you already like this trope! We'll get to know more about Dunn soon !! ;)

Any guesses about his personality?

let me know in the comments what you think about this prologue

Love ya hens!