Blue

Chapter 1

----Micah's pov----

I looked out the window of our old van as we drove down the highway. My face was pressed against the window as I watched the barren scenery fly past us, my cheek started to feel numb from how cold the window was. During times like this I always felt calm, like the world's problems paused for just a moment so I could look out a window and enjoy the view. But, everyone in my family knows it's just wishful thinking that times like these come about because we just wanted to take a peaceful drive through the countryside. But it's because we've stayed somewhere for too long and now we have to leave. 

I sighed as these thoughts came to me and pulled my head away from the window, rubbing my cheek thoughtfully to bring some warmth back to it. Once I was satisfied I looked over to my older sister, she was listening to music on our mom's phone. The rest of us have been listening to the radio but she said she hates that kind of music and bullied mom into giving up her phone. 

"Hey....Mom are we almost there" I asked as I looked at my mom who was in the passenger seat in front of me. She looked back at me and smiled. 

"We'll be there in a few hours or so" She said and then looked back ahead. I nodded and looked down at my lap, eyeing my half-eaten granola bar and apple juice boredly. Now I wish I asked for the phone first. I looked at the window again, examining the outside world. It was dark out, the only thing lighting up the surroundings were the headlights from our car and a few stray highway lights. At some point the eerie fields filled with broken down cars and other trash became overgrown forest. I held my breath, looking away from the mirror and at the seat in front of me. People are known to disappear in places like this, and no one would even notice. The highways are barely used by anyone but people trying to escape something nowadays and if you were unlucky enough to be on foot and walking alone then you're as good as dead. This wasn't a coincidence though, at least that's what my dad says. People who are normal or well off never leave their faction, they have no reason to. This has left major roads and areas outside the factions to be open to all kinds of crime. Now, If you're seen outside a faction you're lumped up with the murders and drug dealers of the world and can get 'detained' . 

I let go of the breath I forgot I had been holding and looked back out of the window. The woods were now leaking into fields again. Once factions were developed they started just using all the land outside of it for trash and factories. Yeah, anyone living outside of a faction was either in a town left out of the developed faction areas or just camping somewhere. My family and I were lucky and were able to get IDs so we can enter a faction. But, going to a new one always has its dangers. 

Suddenly my head was slammed against the seat in front of mine as the car stopped abruptly. I quickly looked at my dad who was staring ahead stone faced. 

"What is it?" I asked nervously and tried to see. My dad looked back at me and in a hushed voice said, "It's a checkpoint" 

I went ridgid, this was bad, really really bad. I had heard of the checkpoints but we were sure they were only in major areas where the more populated factions are. "What will we do? " I asked nervously, knowing there was no way we could make it through. We'll be detained for sure and I definitely didn't want that. 

"We'll have to go, going back isn't a option. Just stay calm. " My dad said and the car slowly started moving again. 

I was freaking out a bit but I tried to stay calm. It was all over if we messed up. We'll all be taken in and forced into that program. We should have known something like this would happen ever since the government found those first few people affected. 

We rolled up to the checkpoint, it was just a building and things blocking the road but I was terrified. Ever since these were put up we've been hearing about people being submitted left and right. The car rolled up to the roadblock and the windows were rolled down, letting the cold air  rush in. Then a man in a uniform talked from outside the car. 

"IDs please"