The Island

Prologue

It was meant to be kept quiet. It was a secret that could not get out to the general public, or the United Nations would be tossed into a third world war. Children. They were just children. Not even high school graduates. But we had to do what was necessary to keep the world safe. Some of them were our own blood; daughters, nieces, grandchildren. But how could we ignore the horrific certainty that they were completely out of their minds? They were a danger to the world. They couldn't be stopped, couldn't be taught wrong from right. They had taken a small obsession and turned it into a deadly neurosis. This was our only choice.

[To the legal guardians of the disclosed, 

It has come to our attention that your child has been involved in a series of terrorist threats via the social networking site Twitter regarding the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Terrorism is a severe offense, regardless of level, race, ethnicity, sex, or age. This threat is not to be taken lightly, and is currently undergoing investigation. As part of said investigation, your child must oblige to multiple interrogations and evaluations to clear their name. We ask that you do not refuse, or all family members will also be named suspects. You will find the dates of all trials, interrogations, and evaluations for your child at the bottom of this page. Thank you for your cooperation. 

The Security Council of the United Nations]

"Mom, I'm not crazy you have to believe me I'm your daughter you know me! They're lying please listen to me!" I screamed at my mother. I was in hysterics, my eyes were swollen from crying so much. She wasn't going to let them do this to me, I wasn't crazy! It was a joke! Why does no one believe me?! We do it all the time on Twitter, we send horrible messages and threats to famous people all the time, why was this being taken so seriously?

"You sent death threats to the President of the United States! That's what terrorists do, Mia! This obsession with this boyband has driven you completely out of your mind. What were you thinking?!" she screams, her hands waving in the air. I'd never seen my mother so angry, yet so scared at the same time. But she wasn't scared of what was going to happen to me, she was scared of me.

"Mom please just listen to me!" I screamed. "IT WAS A JOKE! IT WAS A DUMB JOKE I DIDN'T MEAN IT, I BARELY KNOW HOW TO WORK THE OVEN, LET ALONE BUILD A BOMB. ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF RIGHT NOW?"

"MIA, THIS ISN'T EVEN ABOUT THE THREATS ANYMORE. YOU FAILED YOUR PSYCH EVALUATIONS. EVERY SINGLE ONE. PROFESSIONAL THERAPISTS AND DOCTORS ARE TELLING ME YOU'RE INSANE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK?"

Her eyes get wider as her voice gets louder and more tears stream down my face. I shake my head and close my eyes. This isn't happening. "I'm not crazy." I say quietly. I collapse on the floor and cover my eyes with my hands. We've been fighting about this for hours. It's no use. My own mother thinks I'm fucking insane and there's nothing I can do to make her think otherwise.

"You are a danger to your father and I, to your family, to your classmates and neighbors. We can't let you stay here. You need to get help, Mia." she says, her voice eerily quiet now, echoes from her screaming just a few moments ago are still ringing in my ear.

"You can't send me away. I'm in high school. I'm underage. Please." I cry.

"It's not just my decision. You're in trouble with the government. The United Nations, for God's sake. We have to let them send you away. We have no other choice." She sits down on the couch and looks at me with a look of pity in her eyes, like I'm a wounded dog and she can't do anything but sit back and watch me die. "You'll be sent to some island in the Pacific with all the other girls that are the same as you. You'll get help there."

"How long do I have to stay there?" I ask, wiping my eyes.

"As long as it takes." she says.