The Day The World Ended | ONC 2024 LONGLISTER

8| queen of the north gate

There were gates that separated the military bases around the country. People were starting to stop using state names. They were starting to call those areas around the military bases by the gate names. There were four main gates: North, South, East and West.

As the news says, the faculty had been in the military base at the West Gate. Simon's little gang was currently somewhere between the North and the East Gates. They were hoping they would be lucky enough to stay out of this whole mess. The "government" had started to go around questioning people. Well, even if they had seen one of the subjects, there was no way for them to know. 

There were no pictures, no photographs, no videos. Only a few CCTV footages that looked like they belonged to the 19th century. Simon wondered whether the government was even sure if the people in those footages were the actual subjects or just some random people.

No smart person would go around in a stolen guard uniform when the ones they stole from were turning the country upside down looking for them.

"They are still looking for them, huh?" Simon said to no one in particular as he squinted up at the giant screen.

"Yeah," A man next to him replied. "I think they have captured two already."

"So there's six more," Simon muttered.

The man hummed in response. "You know, there's been quite the talk around."

"About the North Gate, right?" Simon asked, turning towards him.

"You heard it too?"

"Bits and pieces. I know there's been someone attacking guards. And giving people more food than they get," Simon stated. "Some are saying that the government had been hoarding food without giving it to people."

"Yeah," The man agreed, nodding his head. "People are starting to protest now, you know. They don't want the government to capture those..." He waved his hand. "Subjects, I guess. They call her the queen of the North Gate."

Simon blinked. "Her?"

The man nodded again. "Yeah. It's a girl doing all that. Like, you know, not a woman. A literal teenager."

"Huh? Wow," Simon raised his eyebrows, turning back to the screen. 

So they had tested on children, huh?

Everything seemed to be going downhill recently. There were guards everywhere—searching for the subjects and harassing the general public about them. People were frustrated, and when they were frustrated they started to become aggressive. Even Simon felt it—the urge to pick a fight every time something goes wrong. 

Then there was news that the government had caught a few subjects. But the majority was still out there and Simon had no idea if he should be afraid of them or afraid for them. The government didn't look like they were going to show any mercy to anyone who interfered with them.

He felt sorry for those "subjects".

"It looks like people are ready to start a war at North if they catch those kids," Simon's new friend said, scratching his chin. "They've grown fond of them. If they fight, this will end bloody."

"I think there is no stopping them now," Simon said.

"Yeah," The man nodded. "They are already pissed."

Simon wondered what would happen to them if a war broke off at the North Gate. Will they be caught in it? Will it spread to other Gates too? That would end in complete disaster. If the government got serious, they wouldn't stand a chance. What could their knives and bats do against their guns?