Population Control

Chapter 1

"Are you going to pay for that?" asked the lady.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I've been off this week." said Mathew as he snapped out of his daydream. "My employer can't afford any grace tickets for the employees since they raised the price per ticket last year."

"You know what, keep it, you need it." said the lady as she handed Mathew back his money and gave him the bag of bread he was buying.

"Thank you, thank you very much." said Mathew graciously as he scooped up the bag and began walking down the overly crowded street towards his home.

On his way home, he saw an enormous billboard; there was an ad for grace tickets on it. At the sight of this he remembered the money he still had, since he had already gotten food. He quickly sat on a bench being grateful that he knew how to count, and counted it... He had 11 dollars, which he knew was just enough to get a grace ticket.

He quickly shoved the money in his pocket and looked around in fear, as if everyone knew he was getting a grace ticket and were going to take it from him. He went as fast as he could through the gridlock of people to reach the ticket store. As he ran inside the security guard met his eyes and he slowed down to a walk and filed into the line.

He glanced over at the timer that was counting down the time left until all the ticket stores closed... It had 2 minutes left. Everyone else saw this too and was getting very anxious. When it was finally Mathew's turn he quickly grabbed his crumpled ball of money out of his pocket and said,

"One grace ticket for Megan Ansleigh, spelled A, N, S, L, E, I, G, H."

"That's gonna be 10 dollars." replied the ticket man.

Once he handed him the money, the machine in front of the man searched the database for her and then a ticket came out with her picture on it. While the ticket man started filling out the form, Mathew dared another glance at the timer. It had 17 seconds left. He stood there feeling the tension of the people behind him.

It felt like eternity before the man finally gave Mathew the ticket even though it took only seconds. Once Mathew had the ticket he walked as fast as security would let him out onto the streets, because he knew what happens when the ticket store closes. And almost like clockwork, he saw out of the corner of his eye, people holding handguns storm into the place. He heard them demand the tickets and the shots that followed, but he just kept going towards his house.

By the time he was at his house the sun was setting over the still crowded streets. The majority of people had gone or began to go inside their homes as the sound of police sirens could be heard coming from somewhere off in the city. He glanced around slightly as he reached the door before going in, wondering what exactly he would say once he saw her.

As he walked in Megan shot up out of her chair and hugged him asking where he went to that took so long. He didn't reply while he was setting his bag down and grabbing the ticket; but when he held it up she just gasped.

"How did you, I mean where, wait, where's the other one?" she asked as she grabbed it to check if there was already two in his hand.

"I didn't have enough money to get both of us one, but at least you have one." replied Mathew.

"Why did you get it; what if you go and I stay?" she asked worriedly.

"Then it would have done its job." replied Mathew confidently.

Megan knew that she wasn't going to win the argument; so she sighed and then thanked him, but said that the discussion wasn't over. She then walked over to their bedroom still admiring the ticket even though she had had them before; this was the first time she was without one until the last minute.