I wake up to the sound of vehicles storming down my street. Little light shines through the small gaps in my blinds, but still enough to see my fraternal twin sister, Livia, cocooned in a thick duvet, her face as fresh and gorgeous as usual. Her seemingly small and slim body makes her look youthful as she gently turns to lie on her other side on top of the bumpy and torn mattress she has had for years. I can never understand how she can sleep so seamlessly when outside of our safe haven, all hell has broken loose.
I fling on the woollen sweater that my deceased gran made me as a present for Christmas 3 years ago - the last Christmas where everything was normal. I dismiss Liv's groans of annoyance as I pull the rope connected to our blinds which abruptly springs each wooden panel upwards. A queue of tractors and vans run down the road, and busy men in helmets and heavy boots stomp up and down the streets, retrieving things from parked cars and four wheel trucks. I know what they carry. Everyone does.
The cannibals have started to become more creative in their attempts to breach the walls. Suicide bombers getting too close before our guards can shoot them down, tractors ramming into our brick section to the west, explosives, anything you can think of, they have begun to do it. This Is the day where the walls get extended and double layers are introduced. Today also marks The Day of Life.
"Wow. Things must be pretty bad outside the walls. And we're far too close to them for my liking!" Liv exclaims as she peers over my shoulder and retrieves fish food from a small cupboard which is decorated with a square fish tank containing Salt, Pepper, Chilli, and Sweetcorn - her 4 small and utterly useless fishes. If the fishes remember me, they definitely hate me, because every time I get close, they hide under some sort of bridge monument that Liv insisted on buying them. I only forgot to feed them on four separate occasions before I was accused of deliberately trying to kill them to upset my sister, which certainly wasn't the case. Admittedly, there was a time where I was caught flicking the tank over and over again, but in my defence, I just wanted them to come out of their hiding places, and at least flash me a look at their scales and actually do something for once in their short lives, but I failed miserably and was called insensitive to which I couldn't deny.
Today - being such a special occasion within our city - is a day off. The wall building has been going on for months, but clearly the authorities want the new and improved defence mechanisms to be finished by today, exactly why they have forced thousands of adults - on what is supposed to be their day off - to help with the transportation and handling of materials - my parents included. But today is not a relaxation day for me as it is for most youngsters. The Day of Life is a big event for everyone; it praises our survival skills and the guards who protect our walls and risk their lives to do so. It's especially a big deal for Liv - a chance to dress up and impress, and to see her ex-boyfriend, Jem, return home for a day. Unfortunately, being the twin of the city's most popular 16 turning 17 year old, I am obliged to be by her side from morning 'til dusk.
"Nads," Liv calls from our shared bathroom, "I'm going to meet Will and the rest. Up for a trip to the treehouse?" she says as she combs through her hair and neatly parts it to either side of her face, framing her small head and highlighting her angular cheekbones and hazel eyes. "Sure," I reply before pulling on some black leggings, all black converse trainers and braiding my hair into a loose side plait that rests against my shoulder as I patiently wait for Liv to get ready.
"Quick as usual!" She says as she hurries out of the bathroom, grabs her backpack, and heads downstairs and out of the door, followed by me. Our zone is still crawling with vehicles and people with clipboards and huge crates of bricks. Predominantly men with broad shoulders, strong arms, and red hands, swarm the pavements carrying empty crates yet to be filled, many of whom have long since stopped trying to wipe the dust, sweat, and dirt, off their foreheads and hands. They still have many hours before the celebration begins, less time to get ready of course.
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Action"You can try all you want to pretend this isn't real and this isn't happening. But it is real. And it is happening. And we will all die if we don't fight." Nadia and her twin sister Livia's world spirals out of control when they are thrust into a jo...
