Them

Them Chapter 4

The pavement was wet with the morning rain and the road was clean of rubbish from the morning road workers, "Them" always try to keep our environment Clean like a lab, as if a small grain of dirt in the wrong spot might affect their work.
That's what it feels like, an experiment, nothing feels real, everything is recorded and monitored like a reality TV show except this is real without the option to shut the cameras off.
The people walk along the pavement, the streets of busy with every parent of a 13 year old making their way to the town hall. I don't understand why everyone gets dressed up, in happy clothes. Your handing your child over to "Them", why is no one concerned.
But that's how this town is. Oh yay your taking my kids away, well then let's just celebrate. This town is so weird, my father and mother are clueless but I know somethings wrong and this isn't what life is supposed to be.
"Valentine, what happens when you leave for the 'Academy'" Val asks me in the highest voice and I can tell she wants it to be a good thing, but I don't know, I really don't, for all I know I could be taken to be made into hamburgers or worse Spam,
"I don't know May, but you have to be brave" I look at her as I say this and lean down slightly, May wasn't too much shorter then me but I was short for my age.
"Val, will you still visit" as May's words came out of her mouth I remember our conversation from earlier
"May if I don't, it's not because I don't want to, it's because I can't" I explain
"I understand" May's voice is disappointed. She grabs onto me and hugs me, I'm going to miss this, I'm going to miss my family; Fathers sweet voice, mothers gentle touch and Mays hugs. I don't want to leave, I don't, I want to stay.
"May, Valintine are you coming" my mother calls as she exits the grey house that will no longer be my home,
"Yes,coming mother" May replies. We always have to be formal around mother because she believes formal children are well behaved and grow in to responsible adults, but I don't see it that way. When I grow up, sorry I meant if I grow up the jobs for women are limited, for example if we wanted to be in a medical career the best we could do would be nurse of a doctor (a good doctor if you lucky) and in a business the highest career we could get would be an assistant. Iv never heard of a female doctor or even a female teacher, we were just the ones who look after the next generation who will repeat our mistakes. But barley anyone gets to choose their job and as I said befor I could be made in hamburgers for all I know, they probably half the group of 13 year olds, some will grow up while the other half will be taken and turned in sausages if their lucky.
My mother grabs my hand and leads me to the car door, I pull at the handle of the sleek grey car, and the steel door opens with ease. I climb in and sit down on the leather that covered the seats. Engine growls as dad turns the keys in the ignition and the car moves with a jolt and begins to drive to the town hall