The Valley of Plastic

The Valley Of Plastic 25

"It's true, I seen it wit' my own eyes on Sunday." Niall whispered into the ear of the older man, sat slurping porridge. He shakes his head in disbelief. "They have everything we used to have, we don't get none of it."

It was less than three hours before I heard the news, off of a women in the plastic heap. The workers were abuzz with murmers and whispers. I could literally see each and every person being ignited, like a row of candles on a large plastic birthday cake. The fire was lit. There was no backing down now. I stood in awe as I watched it being passed from one person to another. The change in their facial expressions, their entire engery. They were angry; more aggressive picking up the plastic, separating it with grunts and huffs and pants. Although the information was spreading, it seemed no-one knew what to do with it.

"Ya know what? Fuck this." One women took off her bag and slammed it onto the pile, making the plastic crinkle beneath the force. She stormed and headed directly towards the soldiers,

"What do you think you're doing?" one of them asked, he was blonde haired with green eyes and his skin was blotted with acne - he can't have been much older than seventeen.

"You tell your commander," she used her fingers to put up air quotes, "that I will continue this big clean when we're getting the same as everyone else!" Without giving the boy a chance to respond, she turned and walked away. People stood watching for a second or two, waiting for a reaction. It never came. One by one everyone dropped their bags and made their way back to their huts. After no more than four minutes, I was the only person still stood there. I walked over to the boy and handed him my bag, "They're angry. They have every right to be." I walked away.

It has begun.

I practically sprinted back to my hut, it was empty. I turned and let the door slam behind me as I ran down the row. Matthew was stood with the commander, perched on the familiar table- that has been sat in the same place for so long a quarter of the table legs was submerged in the grassy soil beneath it.

"Ah Miss Laurence, where is Niall?" The commander asked as I approached, clearly seeing the panic on my face. I shrugged, trying to catch my breath. "Ah don't play coy. It'll be better for him if you tell me now."

"I've just come from the heap, I don't know." I looked at Matthew, who widened his eyes as if telling me something. His pupils flickered as though signalling to me. I recognised where he meant immediately.

"Why are you looking for him?" I added a fake smile in an attempt to back up my story. It didn't work and the commander glared at me, "I was actually coming here to see if Matthew knew where my sister is?" I turned to Matty, ignoring the look on the commanders face.

"She'll be in the mess hall with Olivia." I smiled, half-heartedly and walked away trying to not look suspicious.

After heading towards the mess Hall, I looked back to see if they were watching. They weren't. I quickly changed my route and headed to the only place I know he would be. The hill. My casual walk turned to a sprint as soon as it felt safe. The pain tore into my sides as I ran, willing myself to run faster.

He was sat at the top. Looking at the sun blaring onto the plastic heap, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"It worked, didn't it?" I didn't answer but flung my arms around him, and let out a sigh.

"They're refusing to work, until everyone is being made to work."

"Good. It isn't about stopping the clean up. That isn't pointless. But a divide based on years past income that is pointless."

"Niall, they're looking for you," he nodded, as if this wasn't new information. "The commander, he's not happy he as-"

"Ah yes, let's go and see my old friend."

He stood up and stretched out his hand to help me stand with him. He didn't drop it once I was stood, and we walked linked back down to the rows of huts.

As we walked down the rows, people noticed. They looked out of the doors and many of them soon started walking behind us. It gave off a sense of unity that was overwhelming. I squeezed Nialls hand three times, I-love-you. He squeezed back. As we approached the table, with the worker filled army gathering behind us, Niall took the first word,

"I hear your looking for me, sir." His tone was patronising and it was immensely satisfying to hear.

"We need to talk," The commander looked at everyone gathered round, "in private." His tone was stern, and his eyes were threatening.

"That's not going to work for me, I'm afraid. No more secrets. You've got something to say, say it." Niall dropped my hand and gently pushed my to stand behind him, in a protective manner.

"OK." The commander stood and straightened his tie, before coughing in an authoritative way. Everyone fell silent. "Whatever this person has told you, is lies. He is trying to cause a divide in this community and make us all perish in a waste filled hell."

"We're already there!" A male voice yelled from the crowd.

"There is no divide in the classes just because they aren't doing the work you are, they are required elsewhere and we are united."

"Ah commander, there it is, your fatal flaw." Niall turned and addressed his followers, "Did anyone mention a class divide to the soldiers?" he looked around, "or any authority figure? Or the fact that they weren't working?" The crowd filled with shaking heads, "So," he turned back to the commander, "how did you know that was what everyone was stopping working for?"
He raised an all-knowing eyebrow. "because you see, commander. I did not tell anyone there was a class divide, or that we are being treated like slaves. You did. I simply told them that there was people in the world who still had access to luxuries we were denied. You, however, just confirmed that this system, this great system, the great government designed caters to the wealthy and the important, whilst putting us commoners to work."

Their was a unified gasp. The realisation setting in- Niall hadn't told them the full truth. He had told them that the people living in an actual building had luxuries, whilst implying they don't do the same amount of work the people in this extract did. The commander had just caused an entire system to collapse. Letting the people know, they aren't as important and the rich and priviliged.