16RedPoppet's SongFic Contest

Round 7 → Semi Finals

Today is one of these the day. Well, let's say today is the day.
It's 1am on July 1st, 2400.
While everyone is sleeping, I'm lying on the roof of one of the buildings that I hate. Ok, I can't say I hate the building. What can a couple of tons of steal and concrete do to you? Right, nothing. It's the people I dislike, the whole system is doing rubbish.
When I hear the stories from before, from a time that is over for almost 400 years, I secretly wish I could have been living then. Not now. The people believed in the so called democracy, they believed in hope and faith and they even believed in something called God.
People could go their own way, they have the freedom to choose what they want and what they don't want. I know, this is not what our headphones are teaching but this is how I imagine the world ages ago. And to be honest, I'm kind of jealous because the system I'm living in does not support our individuality. There comes an order from above and we're just doing what we're told. Without thinking about it.
But sometimes I feel so wrong by doing those things right. For example when we have our training lessons and we have to hit the smaller kids so they learn how to defend their selves. It breaks my heart to do that.
It's forbidden to leave the building without permission, whoops, I'm lying on its roof without permission and it feels good.
Today is the day. I tell myself several times by looking into the cloudless sky. Today is the day.
An hour later I decide to leave the roof to go back to my bed. Bethy, my room mate is waiting for me for sure. She always recognises when I leave the house. But she never told anyone.
"You're back," she says emotionless when I enter the room.
"Yes, I'm back," I reply shortly and change my clothes before I head to my bed.
"Are you ok?" She asks. "Your hands are shaking."
"Yes, I'm ok. I'm just nervous about today."
"Me too. This year's celebration day is going to be really big. What do you think we get for... Are you already fallen asleep?"
Yes, yes I am! I pretend to sleep because I don't want to talk about today. I have my own plans.

7am
My alarm clock makes me sit straight in my bed. I take three deep breaths and rub my eyes before I get up.
The inside of the building is decorated and we all wait in a line until we're called up.
"Room 46-27-492"
That's Bethany's and my room. We step forwards and walk to the huge table in the middle. All eyes are on us.
We get our presents, the first thing in the row of several things that I hate on this day.
The man hold my gift bag up and though I say "Thank you." he ignores me and calls up the next room.
Bethy unpacked the bag immediately after we walked into the next room.
"Oh my president! See what I've got!" Bethy holds up a letter with a heart on it. "Someone send me a love letter!"
My stomach convulses in pain. But I love her...I never told her.
I already planned our future: after today, we would be free, we could travel around the world, we could have bring children to this world, we could also just lie down and face the sky, we could stay there for the whole night and count stars.
But whoever wrote this letter, she belongs to him now.
"What do you got?"
I unwrap a lighter and some pieces of paper.
"What the hell is this?" She asks.
"That's... That's so called money from ... From the time before we were bred." I answer while I could not believe what I am holding in my hands.
"Room 46-27-492, please go on." The speaker on the wall says.
In the afternoon, we all are sitting outside. The president wants to hold a speech for us.
I don't listen. My thoughts are far away, people used to say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not. I'm a plan maker and it would not last long until MY first thing get started.
Approximately in the middle of his speech something explodes. Everyone, including me, turns around to see the Great-Building being on fire.
"This is not possible." The president says. Then is view goes through the crowd of us and I feel his eyes in my neck. He walks down the platfrom, straight to me. He grabs my arm. "What have you done this time?!" Everyone turn around to me and I feel it was the right time for this. I've been hiding it for so long. "Nothing, dad!" I couldn't lie anymore about this.
A murmur goes through the crowd and changes to a whisper. "How can yoube so disrespectful and bold to me?" He pauses and adds in a whisper "and how do you know?"
I pull out the lighter and the money. "I'm tired of this system, I'm so tired of you all! You're just doing what you're told. No one even thinks about it. I can say it now, I believe in God, I believe in emotions and I believe in true love."
I inflame the lighter and hold it under the money.
Then another explosion. "You're a dead man!" I hear someone shouting from the crowd
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive.
I start smiling. "Catch me then!"
Immediately people are coming closer. I run away, down to the river. Here I placed a tiny boat made of wood for a case like this. I jump in and push me away from the bank.
But some men are jumping into the water. They swim after me. When they reached me they start to destroy the boat.
I can't swim.
The boat is destroyed now.
I can't swim.
They aren't helping me.
I drown.
But I smile. It feels right. It feels like I can fly.
My lungs scream for air but they should know that I don't do them this favour.
Out of the reflexes, I breath in and the cold water fill my lungs.
Then I feel my awareness fading away. The last thing I see are thousand of little stars right before my eyes.

Counting Stars by OneRepublic