The Web

Chapter 1

We have a system here. One that only people on the inside know about. It started around 40 years ago when a father and son realised how parts of the point system worked by accident.

If you help someone that has fallen, back to their feet you will be given 5 points. So now the elders have a way of deciding who falls, and who needs help with points. Once an elder has been chosen they will find someone with low points and tap them on their right shoulder three times than their left shoulder once. Next, you both memorise each other's faces, you only have five seconds to do this before people get suspicious. During that day or the next, the elder that chose you will fall over somewhere you can see them. You need to stop whatever you're doing and help them back up to their feet, it is always good to be genteel, smile and be polite. After that, you go back to your business and don't get attached to them so it seems as you did it purely out of the goodness of your heart. It's hard to teach newcomers this system without the outsiders knowing what's going on, I don't even know the custom for initiation, I think one of the outsiders is working with us. I don't talk to any of them just in case.

I have only been chosen once, I was 13. It was near the start and my points were near the elimination line. I still remember the elder's face, the one that chose to fall for me, just so I could scrape up some points. She had a hard set jaw, I remember wondering how long she had been here. She looked like she had been hardened and beaten over the years, she looked almost menacing, but her eyes gave her away. You could tell she was a kind soul by the way her eyes gleamed. I didn't know her name, I would never be so selfish as to ask and possibly ruin the system, but in my head her name was Betty. I saw Betty sometimes just walking to her room. I have counted 8 falls over the last 3 years by her, she is my hero. It's risky to fall for people so much because you lose a point for being uncoordinated. That is why we have the rule, you must be over 60 to be an elder and you must have over 400 points to be able to fall for people. But there is a maximum of 13 falls a year. This is just one of our smaller systems to beat the big system we are stuck in.

I like to call the big system, "The Web". For it is a web of lies that lures you into a trap. Once you are in the trap you must relax or you will get deeper into the trap and it is, not only harder to break free but can lead to the spider coming for you early. If you relax and follow the system already inside the Web it is possible to find your way out, however unlikely. But ultimately you are eaten by the spider. I was halfway through my first year when I came up with that. I never told anyone about it though, it would be seen as criticizing the government and I've heard of people losing up to 10 points for that.