The Differents | ✓

T H I R T Y - O N E

We had been walking for a few hours when I wasn't looking where I was going and accidentally stumbled onto a very strange piece of land. I fell onto it, barely caught myself before my face hit the ground, and looked around in quite the state of shock.

It seemed we had stumbled upon a road.

It stretched in both directions as far as I could see, and was overgrown in most parts with plants and dirt. I clawed away some of the thick layer of plants covering the part I had almost landed on and was met with concrete.

Sniper gave a little laugh and stepped into the road, jumping on it. "Where do you think it leads?" he asked.

An idea dawned on me. "Probably to Old Victoria," I said, looking down the road. A little while away, something was sticking out on the side of the road, and I jogged over to look at it. It was a pole shaped like an upside-down L, jutting out of the ground beside the road, and hanging from it by some rusty chains, was a sign. I took it into my hands and wiped the greenish surface clean with my sleeve.

Victoria, 26 km

"I think we've found the way!" I yelled, holding up the sign to Sniper, who was walking over. Once he had caught up, I tilted the sign to him and waited for his response.

"Yeah, that looks like what we're looking for," he said, smiling. "It must be a very old sign for it to still be called Victoria."

"I'm guessing it's this way," I added, pointing down the road. "It was probably used to show travellers which way to go, back when this road was still being used."

"Well then, let's go." Sniper dropped the sign, which swung back and forth on its squeaky hinges, and started down the road. I adjusted my backpack and followed him, happy to finally know which way to go.

We had been walking for several hours when I remembered the notebook I had taken off one of the Masks Sniper had killed. I slowed down a little to open my bag and fished around for it. Once I had found it, I caught up to Sniper and showed him it.

"I found this on one of the Masks when we were hiding their bodies," I said. "Maybe it can tell us something about them or at least we can write down our own thoughts in it."

His eyes lit up. "We should keep a journal, so that when we make it to the history books people can read about our first hand experience!"

I laughed. "I mean, sure. If you want." I flipped the cover open and turned to the first page. It was filled with swooping, cursive handwriting, done in ink. Small drawings occupied three out of the four corners of the page and the date was written neatly at the top. I started reading it as we walked.

18th September

Today is my first day as a dissimulo. I was picked to be one by the commander of my region as compensation for a rule I broke in my community. I can't exactly remember what it is that I did, nor did they tell me, but I remember that I chose to become a dissimulo instead of facing a different punishment. They didn't let me bring the majority of my belongings with me -- that or I never had any to start with, seeing as I awoke in my room with barely anything -- but I did have this notebook. The other dissimulo told me that I could write anything I wished in it, and that I should use it as a place to help myself unwind. So I have decided to keep a journal of sorts. This will be my first entry on my first day.

As I write this, it is late afternoon. The commander or whoever is in charge here took me and a few other new dissimulo through an introductory course. We learned the rules and how to do our jobs. Apparently if we work five years of exceptional service, we have the chance to be promoted or to even be pardoned.