Eternal Flame

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at the "X" shaped chip showing on my neck. I squeeze my hands into fists, trying to stop the little-detailed memories from playing in my head.

I am considered one of the most intelligent, observant, and sharp-minded people in this country. However, being able to remember every little detail of my past, even when I was just born, seems like a curse to me sometimes.

I still remember the sudden pain in my neck and my struggling body when the chip was injected into me. The chip injected into my skin glowed with such intensity at night sometimes I couldn't fall asleep for a while. I remember the talk my parents had with me about this world. The government made it mandatory for everyone to get injected so we could prove our loyalty to them. But later on when I got older, I discovered the truth only some people believe in; The chips are the only source the government have that made them stay in power for so long. It is something that everyone fears. It's the only way the government can control, track, and hear our conversations 24/7 by one touch of a button. I even remember the horror and disbelieve I felt when I'd found out that the chips can kill you. One false move and you might be a target of death. We fear for our lives.

Mom once told me to never drop out of school for my own safety, but I always thought it was because she would never let me hear the end of it if I did end up dropping. However, when I was thirteen and considered dropping out, I found out she wasn't kidding at all. My friend, Kyle, explained to me the three things the government cares deeply about: education, powerful inventions, and the law. He'd warned me if I dropped out of school, broke the rules in some way, or showed any signs of rebellion, my life would be cut short to a month, if I'm lucky.

"how do you know these kind of things?" I had asked him, curious but scared at the same time.

"Let's just say I have my ways," He had replied, biting into an apple. "Anyways, they can transport a kind of poison into your chip that will slowly shut your body down, depending on how much they put in there. Usually it's enough for you to live another month. Sometimes not even that." He had said that with ease, as if he's said it a million times before.

A faint knock sounds from outside my door, snapping me out of my thoughts. I open it, revealing Rose, who leans against the doorway. Her past-the-shoulder blond hair is flowing naturally on her shoulders, with two pieces that are braided and tied back. She wears a plain blue dress that goes to her knees, and a pair of beige sandals, with straps wrapped around her ankles. Her beady green eyes shine with excitement.

I form my fingers into letters, and she does the same.

I'm done here, go ahead. I tell her.

Great! I can't wait to see you up on that stage. She replies with her slender fingers.

Rose, who was born fine, became deaf after the chip was inserted into her because of a sudden infection. She is a living example that whatever our president or government creates, it always turns into a monstrous end.

I sometimes wonder if she prays for a day when she could hear and speak. A day when she doesn't have to walk down the school hallways with people whispering and pointing at this extraordinary girl. But to me, she is the sweetest, most intelligent twelve-year-old a brother could ask for.

I give her a small kiss on the head and step out of her way. She looks up at me and smiles, and that smile is like a sun shining down on you on a cold day. It lights you up and gives you a push to keep going in life.

Walking down the hall, I glide my hand against the wall, feeling its cool surface; It sends a tingling feeling through my fingers. When I was smaller, I often wondered if there're secret passages in these walls of the house. If maybe these walls contained secrets too. But after my discovery about the country's secret, I realized that some things are better left unknown.

A grandfather clock stands between my bedroom and Rose's bedroom, ticking loudly, a reminder of the time passing by. I don't dare to look at the time, to see how many seconds or minutes I've already wasted just by walking down a hallway.

Stopping at the end of the hall, I make a left turn into my room. In there, I find a neatly folded tux on my bed. It stands out from the messy laundry that's scattered all over my room; Some shirts and boxers that somehow got onto my desk and is now mixed with my homework, and pants that're hanging upside down from the weirdest places.

I sigh, then walk closer to the tux and discover that it's my father's from when he was my age. Delighted that my mother is finally letting me wear something of my father's, I pick it up delicately, then close the door in my room so I can put it on.

About half an hour passes before I manage to put everything on without making something look crooked or out of place. At last, I glance in the mirror, feeling satisfied for the job I've done. The white collar shirt peeks out from under the one-button dark gray tuxedo, and satin peak lapels are folded neatly from my neck to chest. A chest pocket with white lining matches the edges of the sleeves, and a black bow tie gives me a classic look. My dirty blond hair is slicked back, leaving the middle of my head puffy and the sides looking bald.

Damn, Kyle is gonna get a kick out of this when he sees me in this ridiculous bow tie. I sigh and turn away from the mirror.

I survey the room once, thinking maybe I can clean it up before I go. But when I get to the clock that's hanging on top of my desk, it reads 12:30. The competition starts at 13:25. But competitors need to be there at exactly 13:00. Time for me to go get Kyle.

Downstairs in the living room, I find my mother watching the news on our holographic T.V., her honey blond hair still pinned up into a loose bun, with pieces of hair falling out and onto her concentrated face. Her simple white shirt peeks out from the clean apron she's wearing, and her jeans have a couple of stains on them.

When she sees me, a genuine smile crosses her face and she comes to hug me. Her strong arms embrace my body, and the smell of lasagna hits me, sending waves of warmness coursing through my body. When she lets go, her hands move to my shoulders and she looks at me with her gray, misty eyes.

"Oh Jack, you look just like your father." She says it cheerfully, not a hint of longing to him.

I force a smile, hiding the sudden rush of sadness that is threatening to drown me into the darkness again.

"Are you nervous about the competition?" Concern replaces her smile that was there a second ago.

"Nope," I reply, trying to sound more confident than I felt. But my knees felt like they could buckle at any minute.

She raises an eyebrow, not convinced.

"Ok, I'm a bit nervous," I give in. "It's a big deal to me."

"You'll do great! Stop worrying." She walks off towards the kitchen, smiling. She sounds just like Rose.

I sit down on the couch and look out the window. Dark clouds hang gloomily in the sky, and the trees rattle in the wind.

How can she be so sure that I will do well?  I think to myself. But I can't screw it up either. I need this prize. This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I've been training for. This is my only chance to give my family a better life. I can't screw this up.

End of chapter 1