My walk from school is usually quiet, maybe a fight every other week but nothing like this. Armed soldiers walk the streets, their rifles pointed at the ground. One or two chance a glance at me but no one moves from their formation to talk to an eighteen year old girl obviously walking home from school.
This increased security is in part because of a powerful magic user who is supposedly among us. The other reason is to find the Rebellion of magic users who are threatening to overthrow our government.
I approach a testing checkpoint shortly after several of my classmates. I see two of my friends and wave at them.
“Joshua! Maya!” I call out, a smile on my face. They pause, allowing me to catch up. Maya links an arm with one of mine.
“I heard they’re going to be testing all of the students tomorrow at school,” she whispers. “The Wizard is apparently our age. I heard my dad talking about it last night to Mom."
Our government is terrified of magic users, calling them a plague that tears apart our structure. Maya’s father happens to be a lead government official, second only to the President herself. It comes in handy, because I get to know all of the latest information.
Joshua smirks. “I doubt they’ll find the person. I mean, come on. Three thousand high school students? Unless they mass test, which leaves room for some to slip through their system, nothing is going to turn up.”
I nod in agreement. Ahead of me, my classmates form a single file to pass under the Detector. It’s a fast and simple way to test for magic ability but it’s also easy to bypass.
As I pull my ID card (issued to each person by the government) from its location in my jean pocket, a buzzer goes off ahead of me. My head flies up and my eyes instantly focus on the checkpoint.
Alura, a beautiful brunette from my class, is being rushed by armed soldiers. Alura tested positive for magic?! I rack my brain for information on her. She was always quiet in class and passed everything with flying colors. She was also kind to everyone and everyone loved her.
One of the soldiers that has surrounded her pulls a Taser on the struggling girl. There is a muffled scream and I take a step forward to help her, anger boiling in my veins. A strong hand on my arm is the only thing from stopping me running to her aid.
“Kendra, you can’t do anything,” I hear Joshua state. “She’s already being carried away. Just,” he pauses as I hang my head. “Just let her go.”
I lift my eyes to watch as a now handcuffed and unconscious Alura is dragged to a prison truck that sits at the checkpoint in front of us.
There is a small sniffle from behind me. I swing around to look at Maya and instantly see the tears that run down her face. This checkpoint was set up by her father in an effort to protect Maya on her way home. I can only imagine the guilt running through her mind.
Soldiers yell for order amongst the high school students who are protesting at the check point. I walk to my friend and do the only thing I can, I wrap my arms around her and hold her. This does two things. It seems to calm Maya down and it keeps me from running to beat those soldiers' unemotional faces in.
