Numbered

Chapter One

[ Inspired by the short film animation Zero ]

Kylie held the guy down on the ground easily. She was a lot stronger than he was – even though he was twice the size of her. She could see the frustration clear in his eyes. His face was red with anger, and she knew how humiliating it would be to have lost to a girl. She didn’t care.

She wanted to win. Her friend had bet her money that she wouldn’t win – and she really needed that money. He tried to struggle against her. She held his wrists on the tarmac, and she could see, burned clearly on one wrist, his number. Number 2. Of course, he had thought he would be able to win, purely because he had thought he was better than her. On her own wrist, was a black zero. A clear mark of where she belonged in Society – at the bottom.

Society had been divided this way for decades. She remembered her grandmother telling her stories of how it used to be. When people had freedom. She had said that there were classes in society then. But people were not permanently divided like they were now. Now people were divided by the marks on their wrist – the branding they received when they were three years old. Society went from zero to five.

Kylie also knew that Society was the reason her parents had been killed. It was forbidden for a Zero to have a relationship, or have children. And her parents - two Zeros - had broken both of those rules.

And so when the time had come to be branded at her primary school, there had been no record in the school of what numbers the parents were. And so the Officials went to visit her parents, discovered their secret, and murdered both of them.

Kylie smiled as the crowd began the countdown. “Three….two….O-“

Before they could continue, Kylie was pulled off the Two, and her arms were wrenched behind her back. She kicked and struggled. “Get off!!”

She felt something click into place, and she was released – but she realised that she was in handcuffs.

Kylie turned to face who had handcuffed her, and found herself staring up into the hard face of an Official. Most of the crowd had run away now. They were scared of the Officials.

But Kylie wasn’t. She stuck her chin out, and met the Official’s stony gaze.

“You’re coming with me,” the Official stated. He grabbed her by the arm, and stared down at her wrist in disgust. “You’ve caused enough trouble fighting in the street, and its about time you were punished for it.”

Kylie peered at the Official’s wrist to see his number, but a black band covered it. Of course, she thought. All Officials hide their wrists.

The Official marched briskly, almost dragging Kylie behind him. Kylie realised that he was walking towards a black van, and her heart told her to get away. She broke out of the Official’s grip by giving him a swift kick. Kylie had always been good at surprise tactics in her street-fights.

She sprinted down the street and turned the corner, past May’s house with her garden full of flowers. Her feet pounded on the tarmac, and she could hear shouting behind her and the roar of an engine. She kept running, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Kylie was scared now. She didn’t want to be caught. She had been caught before, and let off with a warning – but she knew that the Officials would not be lenient on her the second time.

She turned a corner, and someone ran out and pushed her to the ground. It was the guy she’d been fighting!

He held her on the ground, and this time she couldn’t get out. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back, and she was helpless.