The warm summer breeze flew in through the open modernised windows and into the crowded classroom, but it was impossible to tell whether the students shivered from the breeze sweeping through the room or the subject that the teacher took every opportunity to remind them of. The bare, plain white walls and clean cut floors no doubt just added to the student’s nerves, and all hints of character and colour had been stripped from the room, leaving it cold, and desolate. You would never imagine that 60 students were sat in overbearingly close proximity to each other, all with one thing one their mind. Rose was no different.
“30th of July” the teacher drawled, quickly skimming the group of children and mentally summing them up. “You have two weeks. Two weeks to prepare, and do I even need to remind you what it would mean to fail? This is no ordinary test, and im sure your aware of the implications” Rose suddenly found her thumbs the most interesting thing, focusing with all her might on anything other than the teachers words. She knew too well the consequences of failure. Her parents since infancy had never let her forget them. “You have to strive, push yourself” her father would say. “Yes daddy” “Just remember your brother” her mother would weep, “Yes mummy”. The last thing she needed was to be lectured by someone who could never understand. She was born AFTER, Rose thought. She’s one of the lucky ones.
The date quickly drew nearer, and before Rose knew it she was walking through the large steel doors of the Examination centre, the time had finally come. She took in the queue that seemed never-ending, teeming with children, some she recognised, others not. She took in the clock, with its incessant ticking just reminding everyone there that these minutes, hours, may be their last. Rose was so deep in thought she was knocked back into reality when the stern enforcer shouted “Rose Richards”. That was her. Swallowing her fears and forcing away the tears, she boldly walked through the cold white corridors, coming to the conclusion that if the rest of her appeared so out of control, weak, at least her steps will assure people she was strong, a fighter. The oak wood door of Room 1 loomed above her, and she had to summon all her courage not to run out of the place, to the forest. She knocked.
“Come In” a raspy voice murmured, and Rose gulped, the gravity of the situation setting in. It was the time she had spent her life preparing for. There was no time for working harder, everything rested on her performance in this moment. She entered the room and took in the sight in front of her. Three desks stood in a row, one red, one black and one blue. She knew every decision could affect her result. She chose blue. Blue was safe. “Rose Richards?” said the voice she knew now belonged to a middle aged man, who seemed like he could break down walls with just his fist. “Yes, sir”. “The examinations will begin shortly. Watch this now”. It was only then she noticed the huge projection screen that encased the whole of the back wall, and somehow, in this state of mind, she even thought an inanimate object was menacing.
The film rolled. “In the past 50 years, our population has rose to dizzying heights. Our earth is unable to support us all, and resources are quickly running out. With the population approaching 50 billion, the nations decided it was time to take action. After a long meeting with governors from every county, we reached a conclusion which would ensure the survival of our species. At 16, all children must take a test, in three areas they will be scored. Academia, Physical Attainment and Morality. Those who come in the top half will be granted a sum of money to start of their life the pride in knowing you earned your right to use everything god intended for us. The lower half, they will be terminated. It is the ONLY way to ensure our species doesn’t die out in the next 100 years. To all of you, good luck”. The screen went black.
It was nothing Rose had not heard before, but finally being here; knowing what it meant it suddenly seemed all too real. She felt bile rising in her throat but she held it down. “You have 5 minutes to prepare yourself before Academia, I will be back shortly” the enforcer snarled, a look that said he was already mentally checking her name off on the list of ones who had not survived. She just couldn’t take it, and suddenly, rage took over. “Good Riddance”. It had sounded stronger in her head. The man simply flashed his teeth at her, if he hadn’t hated her before, well, he certainly did now. And with that, he left the room.
“It will be okay” Rose consoled herself. “I am ready, I have nothing to fear”. “I am a survivor” She repeated these words again and again, until they no longer held any meaning, and were just syllables strung together in a hope that she could distract herself from what she knew was inevitable. “I am a…” Suddenly the oak door that seemed so sturdy was broken like it was simply paper, and fell to the floor. Two children followed in, stepping over the door that once stood tall, as if it meant nothing. The boy’s blonde hair shone as the light from the small barred window hit it, and his green eyes quickly scanned the room, as if an enforcer was hiding behind a desk, ready to pounce. Next to him stood a girl, and her long black hair was stark contrast to the boys, her brown eyes contained a fire which had never lost its spark. Ruby stood up abruptly, cowering away from them as if simply looking would dig her a grave. The boys eyes were suddenly comforting, as he realised the girl in front of him was shaking. “I’m Jack, no time for explanations, and this is Dana. We are getting you out of here”
Rose had no time to respond before she was being lead through corridor after corridor, the sound of sirens and guns all around, smoke creeping through the building like a snake. She just ran, and suddenly, she realised nothing has ever felt more natural. In the flurry of action, Jack has explained to her that he knew a place, a place in the forest, where all children could live without the expectations thrown on them by society, without the uncertainty that they would even live to see the sunrise the next morning, no worries in the world. Even Rose could see this was too good to be true, but for once, she didn’t care. As more children had joined their little escape group, and they approached the exit of the centre, She forgot about the risks, what could happen to her. She forgot about her brothers letter 2 years ago stating he had failed. She forgot everything.
She barely even felt the bullet that pierced her side shot by the very man who had taught her class for 10 years. She barely heard the screams of the children as one by one they fell, dreams crumbling to dust that they should have known better to believe in. For even though, to the nation, these deaths would just be classed as collateral damage, inevitable for protecting the future they envisioned only possible on paper, Rose knew, they all knew, they had struck a match, lit a flame, which other children would follow, all around the world. This was not the end of this battle. It was just the beginning.
