986 (Complex Series, #1)

Chapter Four

“There is no way of describing the extent of my Gratitude. I often wonder how anyone can be that gracious to one person, let alone thousands.”

We were encouraged to use a feature on our MCC called a thesaurus. They wanted us to use big words.

“Ellen and Derek Windsor. How do you illustrate two great people? They observed children in anguish and assisted them. They liberated us, you and me, for the horrifying Disease.”

So far, nothing has been changed. My same lying speech.

“I don’t know if there is anyone else in this world, past, future or present, who would have the love, kindness, and courage to do such charity. It caused tremendous expenses beyond all exceeding imaginations. But they did it all for us. They built this secure habitation for uninfected infants to grow up. To experience the perfect life without the dilemmas of the outside world. The infants didn’t have to agonize over the Disease. All due to Ellen and Derek Windsor.”

Perfect environment. Not really.

Unless perfect doesn’t include happy.

“While the Disease raged, Ellen and Derek weren’t concerned about their security or future. No, they were anxious about the well-being of the infants.”

            The middle of my speech passes. Nothing has been changed. If the Official didn’t change my speech, why has she returned it? Is she still working out the details of my departure of my Unknown? Does she want me to pay my gratitude to Ellen before I’m dragged away? Did she change the end so it would all blow up in my face?

I look out at the faces of my audience. Everyone watches me. Not because of their own interest, but because they’re told to. The Officials in the back aren’t even looking up. They record notes on our speeches and send them to the heads.

I glance down at the words again. I can’t find my place. I stumble, a few girls frowning. Others wince as though sharing my pain.

I find my place, telling myself not to look up again.

“I don’t know Ellen personally. But if I did, I’m sure I would love her. She must be filled with compassion and have the most caring heart. Everything she does is for the good of others, nothing for herself. I am sure she leads a joyful life and knowing her would be a treasure.”

While I was writing my speech, I found myself at a loss of what to say. We don’t know that much about the outside world, what Ellen actually saved us from. We don’t even know if there’s an outside world left. We haven’t been told too much about the Disease, just that it was terrible. Ellen herself is a mystery. I’ve only seen her in person a few times. She hides away in some deeper part of the Complex, letting the Officials do all the work.

Most of my speech repeats what I’ve said before. Just in different words. All praise, honor, and glory to Ellen Windsor. Just as we were told to write it.

“It takes an abundant amount of brilliance to run a flawless world like this one, to completely isolate us from the horrors of the outside world. It takes tedious planning to lovingly care for thousands of children. It’s hard to find the perfect word to describe Ellen. There may not be such a word.”

I’m nearing the end of my speech. What are the Officials in the back typing about my speech? Am I passing the test?

What about my Renewal Official? Did she change the end? I want to scan ahead, but I know it’ll only mess me up.

“As I said when I started, there is no way to describe the abundance of my gratitude. There isn’t such a word for it. You couldn’t describe it in a sentence. Not in a paragraph, a page, even a hundred pages. Maybe there isn’t a word perfect for describing this extent of gratitude because there has never been such amount before Ellen. Ellen has done an act of gracious compassion that has never been done before. No one may ever do such an amazing act again. Ellen has changed the lives of thousands of children for the better.”