Equals

Chapter 2

          “S-Special? Like…more than equal?”

           “No, I mean special. You have learned that word by now right?” I nod my head, because I do know that it’s better than equal, it’s…different. I know it’s an old language word. Nobody uses it. “Good. Now, like I said, I have a job for you.”

           “Okay.”

           “Tell me something Azurite; have you ever been outside of the city?” Outside of the city!? That’s outrageous! Nobody’s really been outside of the city, even when you’re let go, you go to another city, but never into...the wild.

          “N-no ma’am. Why do you ask?”

           “Would you like to go there?”

           “It-it seems…risky…”

           “Do you like adventures?”

           “I’ve always wondered what they’re like. Reading about them in old history books, watching old movies…they seem daring and exciting and—yes, I-I would.”

           “Perfect, I knew you were the girl for the job.” Her strange, equal eyes—no, not equal to me anymore, now they’re special. Her special eyes flash with color and excitement, as if I’ve made her whole world change just by saying yes.“Have much do you know about the ancestors, Azurite?”

           “Only that…they weren’t like us. They thought of people individually, and made some people better than others, that’s why we’re all equal now, to save everyone from battle and conflict.”

           “Exactly, now, we’ve always wondered if there could be more, like people still practicing what they would do. Thinking of each other in different ways, thinking of some people more than others, and we have to stop it.”

           “I don’t understand what this has to do with me.”

           “I need you to stop it, Azurite.”

           “What!?”

           “You’re going out into the wild, we’re going to track you, once you find wherever these people are hiding; let us know by pushing the button on the tracker. Then, we get there as soon as we can, and…let the whole place go.”

           “L-let it go? You mean…destroy it?”

           “Good guess, Azurite.” Now I know what it means to be let go. You’re not going to another city to be taken care of until you die—you’re murdered. “Everything will be fine; we’ll supply you with everything you’ll need. Sleeping bags, food, water, everything will be at the touch of your fingertips.” Everything seems exhilarating and frightening at the same time. In some time I don’t know when, I’ll be leaving the place I’ve been inside for my entire life, going somewhere I have no idea where it is. It’s nothing to go on, really, but something tells me I should go.

           “Okay…okay I’ll do it.”

           “Wonderful! You’ll leave tomorrow, five a.m. sharp. We don’t want to wake your caregivers.” I forgot about them! They’ll be worried about me, not moving up; disappearing like I did, and now I’ll have to leave them. Our caregivers are the two people who take care of us until we reach age sixteen, and then we’re on our own. Our ancestors called them weird names. Together they were called parents, and individually the female was called, ’mom,’ and the male called, ‘dad.’We call them by their names. Once you’re sixteen, you go to parties, do anything you please until you’re not seen as an equal and you’re a new Caregiver to a zero. She says that’s all of the instructions she has for me, I’m sent home to my Caregivers.

           “Brandyce, Mylo, I’m home.” Eventually they come to see me at the door. Brandyce immediately embraces me in a hug; she was always the more…nurturing one of the two. Mylo waits his turn and hugs me after.

           “So, Azurite, are you feeling less equal?” Brandyce starts heating up some coffee for the three of us.

           “Less equal, no I-I feel okay. Thanks.” Less equal wasn’t even beginning to describe it. I felt cheated, manipulated, excited, nervous, everything I had never felt before was coming to me, and all because of the adventure waiting ahead.”Uh…Mylo, Brandyce, could you…sit her for a moment? I have something to tell you.

           “Alright Azurite, what do you need?”

           “Well, I had a long talk with Judge Maria after the ceremony. She has a job for me. It’s fine, really, I’ll just have to leave town for a couple days and then I’ll be back. No big deal.”

           “Well of course it’ll be fine honey, never think that Judge Maria would be anything less than unfair and unequal to you, I mean, she’s one of the leaders of equality. Have a good trip dear.” That’s the only nice thing about Caregivers, since you have no blood relation to them, there’s not much emotional attachment, so talks like this are short, sweet, and to the point. I go to bed by nine thirty, and once I get my instant message from the Judge, I wake up. I realize she’s left me a hologram to watch, but I really don’t have the time. In the message it says not to pack to heavily, because they’ll make sure I’ m equipped with everything. All I’ll really need are the clothes on my back. Once I’m changed I head out to the Headquarters to go out. I reach the doorstep, and once my foot is on the censors I know I’m on video to the security inside.

          “Azurite you’re finally here!Come in, come.” She explains the plan once more to me, and I get all of my gear. Before I’m completely done, she clips on a little chain around my wrist with a small golden rose on it.

           “What’s that?”

           “It’s your tracker. Once you’re ready, push the small red button in the center, and we’re on our way. That’s all you need to remember, now are you ready to go?”

           “I’m ready.”