Where Fans Go To Die

Avia

I stare out the train window at the ocean rushing by. They installed ocean trains only a few years ago. Before then, people flew in things that I think were called airplanes. I would love the view, but I'm too scared. There are large men in suits on either side of me, and too-small handcuffs are digging in to my wrists. I wince as I remember why I'm here.

"Mom! Mom!"

"Yes honey?"

"I found this really cool band online and they are so amazing and you're gonna love them so much!"

"Um, Avia? Sweetie? How did you come across this band exactly?"

"Oh this really amazing site called YouTube where you can watch videos that people post and it's so cool."

My mom closes her eyes and exhales loudly..

"Honey, go play with Charlie." I walk in to the other room, but ignore my little sister. Instead I listen to my moms phone call.

"Hello? Lindsey Grey. I would like to report one? It's my daughter, Avia Grey. Yes. YouTube, even. Two hours? Thank You." I try to shrug it off and hang out with Charlie. Playing with a three year old is hard.

I had almost forgot about it when two men barged through my front door. They walk up to me.

"Are you Avia Grey?" One of them asks. I nod silently as they grip my arms and pull me up. They put me in handcuffs and lead me out my door where Charlie is screaming and crying because the men scared her.

And now I'm here. Being arrested for who knows what. I feel myself tearing up and try to fall asleep. The sounds of the train are so relaxing. Suddenly, one of the men speaks, ripping me from my peaceful state.

"Don't you have any questions about why you were arrested at 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday?"

I think for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I do. First, why was I arrested? Second, where are we going? Third, why are these handcuffs about four sizes too small?"

"We are going to the fan prison in London.You were arrested because you are a Fangirl. A while back, the U.N. decided that Fangirls and Fanboys were dangerous to society and should be imprisoned, so they put SOPA in to affect, and now we have to arrest you. Even worse, you found YouTube, which makes you even more of a threat. The handcuffs are too small because we ran out. We have imprisoned over 80,000 of your kind. These are the only leftovers. " The man replies, coughing.

A few hours later, the train comes to a halt. The men grip my arms and lead me to a giant grey building. I hear a scream echo from somewhere inside, and I shudder. This is where I will live out the rest of my life. They drag me to the front door. There is a woman at the front desk peering at a checklist and sneering. The two men shove me to the ground in front of her. I see a boy screaming as they carry him off. They pause to slap him and then keep walking. I turn my attention back to the woman.

"Avia Grey?" I cringe as she says my name wrong. She hands one of the men some dark jeans and a white t-shirt. "Dress her." She snarls. The men start to remove my clothes and my face flushes. They pull on my new outfit and walk me to a room. They tattoo a number on my arm. I don't look at it. Maybe if I ignore it, it will go away. They drag me to a cell which I suspect corresponds with the number on my arm.

I scan the room. It's made of cement and is fairly plain. There is a chair in the middle with a variety of straps and belts on it. I let out a sob. Bad choice. The larger of the two men ties me to one of the metal bars so my back is facing him. I hear the noise of the whip coming down on my back before I feel it. A sharp pain shoots through my entire body, shaking my being and ruining my composure. He repeats the process twice more before untying my hands and sitting me in the chair. I look down and see blood on the floor. My blood. The men leave and I stare at the boy across from me. His eyes shine like diamonds despite the dark of the cell.