Disturbed Utopia

The Selection.

The shots of guns ran through the streets. Shot after shot. The people of Altea cower in their homes, the crime in their beloved city reaching an all-new high. Their desolate faces streaked with tears.The last of the council members of Altea had passed away that very morning. Of natural causes, the medicine men informed the people.
This was the chance criminals used to get revenge against gangs or people who wronged them; you see, when there were no council members left, there were no laws, until a new council was formed. Which routinely took 2 days to complete.

Altea Academy was the place to discover the new members. Within two days the students will all go through testing to see if they are suited for the job. No one knows of the testing process, but a rumour says that if you are chosen, you will endure great pain; therefore people would hope that it was not them who were chosen.

During these two days, many murders were committed, the street walls painted with blood, the sky seemed gloomy even with the bright sun shining down as it always does, never a cloud in sight during the day.
Government forces tried to protect the people, still doing their vowed duty, yet could only try to persuade the criminals to seize their hate. The government forces pleaded for the day they could find these murderers, and be able to lawfully arrest them.

...

Lance. Lance... He was a boy, with tanned skin, skinny limbs, yet a pretty face. Lance wasn't the kind of boy that would ever become a top student of the academy; but he is there, that was a feat in itself.

As Lance lined up on the second day of council selection, he couldn't help but feel bored. He knew in his mind that he would not be chosen. Heck, he didn't want to be chosen, his pain tolerance was much too low.

Yet, as a requirement, punishable by imprisonment, he had no choice but to withstand the wait. There were already four out of six new members of the council, all of which were found on day one. The Government officials had hoped they were all found on that same day as to stop the crime Lance was sure was ensuing in the city. Yet he couldn't care, he was safe here within the academy walls, and he had no family out there to worry about.

He drew closer now. Student after student disappearing into a room that was specially designed for these trials. Each student comes out without a look of exhaustion, the universal sign of not being a council member.

A scream interrupted the mummers of the anxious students. Lance looked over towards where the scream irrupted, curiosity getting the better of him. A small body walked out of the room, this person looked defeated. They didn't seem to even realise the hundreds of eyes staring at them.
This, he found, was a rare sight to see. Usually when the new council member was extracted their faces would be covered as to keep their identity secret until the announcement was made to the city. Yet Lance could see this person was a young girl with short hair and round glasses. She wore a green uniform, which indicated she was in the 9th year of schooling at Altea Academy, whilst Lance's blue uniform indicated him being in his 11th year.

He shook his head, feeling very sorry for this child, who was at least only 15 years old at this time.
Now she had the weight of Altea's problems on her shoulders.

"I SAID NOW!" a sudden loud booming voice startled Lance out of his thoughts. Before he had even realised it was his own turn for the trial.

"Geez, calm down. I'm going," he told the red-faced Government official.

He opened the black door and took a step into the brightly lit room.

. . .

Lance couldn't comprehend what was happening. One second he was complaining about the brightness of the room, the next he was back in his childhood home.
He sat in a chair at the kitchen table, facing the back that had belonged to his mother. She was humming as she cleaned the kitchen after a family breakfast.

"Mom?" Lance nearly whispered out. He could hear himself, but somehow he sounded different, younger even.

She turned and faced him. And her eyes... They were not her eyes. They seemed hollow, seemed as if they were nothing but a void. Her eyes that were once filled with nothing but love for her children, were now empty.

"Yes, dear?" She smiled over at him. The smile he had once adored now looked horrifying with those eyes that didn't belong to her.

Without any control of his words or actions, he asked, "Can I go out and play now?"

She smiled again. "Of course my love."

Lance involuntarily hopped out his chair and walked to the door. He knew this day. He had lived this day once before. This was the day everything had ended for him, creating a hole in his heart that could not be filled.

As he turned the door handle his mother called out to him, a thing that he didn't recall actually happening on this day.

He looked over his shoulder at her.

Without notice his mother stood right behind him, her face much too close to his for comfort.
"Oh and baby, please never ever forgot you were the one to kill us."

...

Lance broke out of this misinformed memory and fell to his knees. Tears rushed out of his eyes without warning. He screamed at the thought of what he just heard. He killed them. Yes, he did. There was no one to blame except himself.

Lance further fell down and now lay on his side, tears stills falling, but the screams had subsided.

As he quieted he heard an announcement being made in the hall outside of the small bright room he was in.

"Please everyone, return to your classrooms and resume school as normal. The last member of the next council has been discovered. Thank you for your participation and patience."

One word ran through Lance's mind. *fuck*