An Investment To Last A Lifetime

I punched the guard as I made a sprint toward the door. My muscles were already burning, but the urgency to leave overrode the physical pain.

"4027! You are to report back to the procedure room, immediately!"

I ignored the request and never once looked back as I the distance between me and the door decreased. I had almost made it when the guard caught my arms and held them behind my back. I kicked backwards, and he staggered in pain but his grip only tightened.

"You will never control me!" I yelled as he hauled me away, not saying another word.

I never stopped attempting to escape as I was strapped to a chair and a needle was injected into my arm, causing the world to disappear in a haze around me. I stayed awake, giving my best effort to fight the serum. Just as I was about to give up, another person walked in the room. They walked over to the chair and held my hand, softly singing a non-coherent song to me. Then other voices joined in, but they were not singing, they were shouting. The person was viciously dragged away and I blacked out, never knowing who joined me in my room or anything else for that matter, except what they wanted me to know.

<><><><><><><><>

A mild breeze swept through the town, picking up dirt and dust as the air creeped between buildings and rubble. People were walking absentmindedly up and down streets, occasionally stopping to pick up trash or sweep debris off the mostly spotless gravel road. Though the town was calm, an unsettling lull was present. No one was speaking or even so much as glancing at those around them. Everyone was compliant to the rules administered by a force that was not present. I could not understand it, but no one was questioning the state of our society. I felt as though there was an element missing, or something we were doing wrong. Everything about where I lived was perfect in every way but in a way that made my skin crawl. I felt like I was surrounded by bolts and wires as opposed to flesh and blood.

On this monotonous day, I stood in an alleyway, sifting through piles of trash, my hair ashrewn and my eyes showed obvious signs of late nights and worry. A flash of light reflected from a nearby area, and I walked over to the entracing light. Though as I was reaching for the mysterious object, I heard footsteps approaching, so I quickly picked up the broom that was long sense tossed to the side. I brushed around the area, pushing garbage around to give off the appearance that I was completing my assignment, but when the footsteps started to fade away, I quietly placed the broom down and walked back to the reflection of light.

I had to move a few items around me, which created a small mess, but it was worth it for what I found was a small, ruby ring. Tears sprung to my eyes, smearing the dirt on my face, as memories flooded through the forefront of my brain. Happy memories of dances, bright lights, freedom. I started crying as I held the ring close, remembering my life before everything flipped upside down. I could still hear the advertisement that rang through the streets, "Invest in Stocks from Bill and your pockets we will fill."

I collapsed against the brick wall and sighed as I thought back to that day. Images flashed against my mind like a movie as I replayed the events.

<><><><><><><><><><>

*Flashback*

I was riding the tram back home from work, scrolling through the notifications I had missed while my phone was turned off. I laughed at an image my friend Sasha sent me of a cat wearing a suit and tie. "Adorable," I typed out with a laughing face emoji to accompany the response. I felt the bus screech to a halt as the driver called out, "Cashmere Road?"

I quickly got up and raced to the front. The bus driver laughed as I sped to the sliding door as he pretends to drive off. "I can see you woke up in time for you bus stop, Danielle."