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*DISCLAIMER* -> This story contains talks of suicide. If that bothers you, please take care of yourself! If you like the idea and want to read more, please upvote because those will determine whether or not I start writing this story a...
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The bell rings from the nine pillars, the sound traveling through the speakers and into the small apartments encircling them. It used to scare me when I was little. I would jump whenever it would go off. It was always unexpected, yet so familiar. It doesn't surprise me much unless it's at night while I'm asleep.
After the third ring, the static sound follows, and then Nico's voice is live throughout all of Dema.
"Attention everyone, please go to your courtyard and into your respective lines." His deep, grumbling voice says in between static. The announcement is not always the same. Sometimes, there is no announcement. Sometimes, what follows after the three bells is a melody. Everyone has to stand from their seats and solute as the song plays. I don't know why we must do this. I guess that it's just another form of control. It's just another thing they can scare us into doing. Rumor has it that if you don't solute to the melody, the watchers will take you to the pillars. I don't know what goes on at the pillars. I know I've never seen or heard of anyone coming back out.
The pillars are where the bishops live. All nine of them. Andre, Lisden, Keons, Reisdro, Sacarver, Nills, Vetomo, Listo, and the leader, Nico. Nine bishops and four districts. Each district answers to two bishops. District one, Andre and Lisden. District two, Keons and Reisdro. District three, Sacarver and Nills. District four, Vetomo and Listo. You're probably wondering about Nico. Well, he controls the bishops. He is like their boss. He tells them what to do when to do it, and how to do it.
Mom comes barreling out of the bathroom, yanking her hair curlers out of her hair, making it frizz up. "Tyler, what are you doing?" She shouts, "Get up! Get up!" She throws one of her sponge curlers in my direction, missing by a long shot.
"Mom," I breathe, "will you please." I get off the queen-sized bed. "I'm ready to go already," I add nonchalantly.
I don't know why she freaks out so much. It's not so hard to walk to the courtyard. After each announcement, we have a ten-minute timer to line up. If we aren't there, we aren't counted, and we do not get food sent to us. I'd understand the anxiety if we lived in row three.
Row three is considered the poverty section, and it's the most significant section, too. Looking at a map from Dema, you would notice it is a circular city. It is cut up into districts and then into rows. Row one starts from the middle of the circle. It is known as the wealthiest row. The bishops pay the most close attention to them. I've heard these lucky few in row one share personal meals with the bishops. I've also heard that they possibly know Nico himself, the one that's never seen. The one that's only ever heard over a staticky speaker.
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