When the Past Becomes the Future

Chapter 1

It was just a dream.
I tell myself this again and again until my breathing returns to normal. Of course it was a dream. The Government sent a letter saying Sam had died in battle fourteen years ago, I was two at the time; I'm sixteen now. They never sent a body. Too many to sort through them all I guess. I remember my mother saying she would believe them when she saw a body but about three years after The War ended she gave up. This was around the time my father died from injuries he got while fighting.
So it's just my mom and I now. She lost it after Sam and my father died and she never was quite right after.
I get up and walk out of my drab room, shaking off the remnants of my nightmare as I look around the small, undecorated house. As part of the treaty that finally brought some semblance of peace back to the country, America must pay back all of its debt. Factories stopped mass producing "useless" items after The War. Those who could afford luxury items had to go to special shops and have their orders custom made. Taxes went sky high and most civilians are dirt poor with no jobs and no help.
I walk down the hall passing the bathroom to get to my mom's room. All the walls in our house are an off white color and the floors are a mixture of mud and sand As if whoever made it could not be bothered to actually lay a floor before building the walls and ceiling. It can barely be called a house due to its size. It's more of a shack with its four simple rooms all about the size of a walk-in closet.
I pull open the door and walk into my mom's room. She lies awake staring at the ceiling. My nightmares are nothing compared to hers. The War took everything from her. It took her son, her husband, and shortly after, her sanity. Yet, she believes every lie The Government tells us. They say the debt is almost gone, that soon we will be able to go back to how things were before The War. But then why, I wonder, do the taxes still go up? Nothing's getting better.
"Good morning" I say.
"Elizabeth." That is all she ever says, like she needs to remind herself I'm still here.
"It's Monday"
"Good Elizabeth" She always calls me Elizabeth, though I tell her again and again that I prefer El.
I walk down the hall to the kitchen. Its Monday, a work day. Girls my age are supposed to stay home and learn to cook and clean from their mothers. Boys get to go to school and men go to work. But, that's not an option so I had to get a job. It was hard to find someone who would hire a girl but eventually I came across a job as a maid for one of the five Officers who run the country.
I head to the kitchen and make toast. I sigh as I see how low we are on butter. It's an expense I'm not sure we can afford right now. Nevertheless I sparingly spread some butter on the toast and bring it to my mom. She is still staring at the ceiling. I doubt she will move at all today. I leave it on the nightstand so she can eat it when she wants.
Then I walk to my room and get dressed. I put on khakis and an off white T-shirt. All of both my mom's and my clothes are various shades of off white, tan, or grey because the dye in other colors makes the clothes cost a lot more. This is how most people tell how much money you have. Off white, brown, and grey and you don't have much, any other color and you have at least enough to buy dyed clothes.
My mom used to say she remembers a time when a loaf of bread didn't cost thirty dollars. She remembers going to school and learning about the Great Depression. She swears it's worse now.
When I'm dressed I take a look in the small mirror on my nightstand and hesitate to look away from the eyes I shared with my brother. I manage to pull my eyes away and quickly brush my hair. I walk to the kitchen and think about making myself breakfast, but decide against it. I'm already late for work. Almost no one can afford the cost of gas for cars now. So I walk twenty minutes to get to work from my house. I pass houses identical to mine at first, and then as I get closer to the Officer's house, they get bigger and fancier, with bright decorations and colors screaming their wealth.
Then I come up to the giant wrought iron gates that terrified me on the first day. The manicured grounds are surrounded by an eight foot fence made of the same iron as the gate. It is topped with barbed wire but no one is crazy or desperate enough to attempt assassinating Officer Knight. Not even the rebels.
I follow the fence around the grounds until I get to a tiny gate. I am not allowed to go in through the front entrance. I open the gate with a loud squeak from its hinges and walk down a path lined by small trees to the house. I enter through the servant's door in the back of the huge house. In fact the Officer's house is so big it could easily be called a mansion.
"You're late," accused a voice behind me. "Again!"
I turn to see my best friend, Taylor, standing by the door.
"Yeah, I know. It's just I had to make my mom breakfast and the streets were extra busy today-"
"I know, I know, but you owe me. I've been covering for you for an hour." She interrupts.
"Yeah, and I love you for it. I'll split my pay with you today."
"Don't bother. You need it more than I do." I don't argue this because it's true. She has three older brothers all working great jobs. In fact, the only reason she got this job is to show them she can work too. She has enough money to have nice clothes even if they are still a light tan color. She has pretty clips to put in her long blond hair and lavender scented lotion on her tan skin.
I'm just about to thank her when a deeper voice says from behind me "Good, you're finally here."
I turn and look at the tall boy with brown hair and crooked glasses leaning against the doorway of the small entry hall.
"Good morning to you too, Charlie" I say to him.
"It would be better if you got here on time."
"Hey! I'm getting better. Saturday I was an hour and a half late."
I know he's frustrated that I'm late so often but he still gives his crooked smile and says "Yes, yes a great improvement".
This is perfect, joking with my two best friends in the whole world. I wish that I could just do this all day. But then Charlie says "Here's your schedule for the day" as he shoves the list of jobs for me to do into my hand and I remember that I don't get to just joke and have fun. I remember the circumstances by which I met these friends. I look to Charlie's face and it flashes with worry. "One more thing" he says "Officer Knight wants to talk to you."
Officer Knight, like the other four Officers running America, was a general in The War. After the treaty the country needed someone to turn to, so it turned to the people that led it through The War. They decided to split America into five equal Sectors, so that each could look after their Sector. I understand Charlie's worry immediately.
"What? Why?" I ask even though I know Officer Knight would only want to talk to me for two reasons. I could get a promotion but it is more likely I will be fired.
"I don't know. Just go talk to him and find out." Charlie says with a frown. I look over at Taylor and she seems just as worried as him.
"I'm sure it'll be fine." I say for both them and me.
I turn and start to walk down the hall, toward the library where Officer Knight spends most of his time
"Good luck" says Charlie.
"Thanks" I say over my shoulder. I'm going to need it.

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