Have Faith, Iris
When you reach eighteen years of age you receive an injection with a formula designed to eliminate your ability to feel love in any form for the rest of your life. You’re forced to forget how you feel about your loved ones and people you hold close to your heart. The way I view it is your heart becomes this frozen object inside of you, dormant and broken. It still fuels your life and continues to pump blood throughout your veins, but it becomes broken in a different way, it’s unable to love. The formula in the injection is created to stop signals that are sent to the brain that regard love or feelings of adornment, resulting in the complete absence of the emotion all together. This was all explained to me by my father when I was little. He’s on The Council for the city; they’re sort of like our government. They carry out the laws that our founders based our society off of. The major law, and the one that is the most stressed, is the law against love.
To our founders and to The Council, love is a major distraction to what is important in life. Our society is all centered on one thing: succeeding. We’re born and raised to be prodigies, expected to do nothing less than perfection. We’re expected to complete all of our phases of education at an exemplarily level, graduating into the world ready to execute the job in our desired field perfectly. The jobs in the city are strictly to enhance education and the laws, no jobs connected with a passion are an option. Anything that prevents this sequence from flowing must be terminated. According to our law, love clouds one’s vision and alters what they see as their main priority, which strays from our societies beliefs. The injection was created by our founders to stop love form interfering with their perfect idea of life. My father told me the reason why we aren’t injected at birth is so that we remember who our family is, remember that they mean something to us even if we don’t feel anything for them. Even though we aren’t allowed to feel love for our family, we still are allowed to realize that they are special to us.
Before our eighteenth year, laws are set into place to prevent love in the form of a partner from entering into our life. It’s simple really; we aren’t allowed to fall in love. We take classes from the moment we start school on how not to be attracted to the opposite sex. However, these courses are not designed to eradicate reproduction. Therefore, sex is advertised to just be sex, no passion or feelings attached. We also must take courses that explain why love is fatal in our society, and why it is ultimately banished from it. This is all designed to turn us away from love, to not even consider it. Our schooling is supposed to get us in the habit of being perfect, to execute everything in our life to the best of our ability with no distractions yet again.
What our society doesn’t understand is what we really want.
To be free.
To be free to make our own decisions and live the life we desire to live, because the truth is, not all of us want to be perfect. The Council may try and force their theory of this perfect society down our throats, but that doesn’t mean we have to take it, or agree with it. Because in secret, not all of us do agree with the law. I am one of these people.
When I was sixteen, I fell in love in a way words can’t explain. It happened like a wave crashing onto the shore, quick and immediately on impact. Ander and I have always shared this unique bond, I guess it can be compared to the way I love my family, but, not exactly. This was the kind of love my society feared and wants to keep us guarded from. Despite all of the lessons I take that are supposed to push me away from love and the law that states it’s wrong and forbidden, all it did was push me towards love. Towards Ander.
Tomorrow, I am scheduled to have the injection to take away the love that is present in my life, even the love that no one knows about, my love for Ander. I’ll remember who he is of course, just like I’ll remember my family. I just won’t remember the love I have for him that burns deep within me in my heart. We haven’t told anyone how Ander and I feel about each other, because that would lead to banishment from the city. No one knows what’s beyond our cities walls, and no one whose been banished has ever been allowed to come back and tell the tale.
There might be other minors like Ander and I who are in love and against the law. But we have no way of knowing, because that must be kept a secret from everyone in this city. Ander and I have kept our love a secret for three years now by sneaking off together, not socializing with one another in school, and most importantly, saying we agree with the law to blend into society and not raise suspicion. We both knew the day would come where we are forced to get the injection and give each other up against our will. I’m still not sure how to accept it or how to deal with it; Ander has always been stronger than I am. On the outside, he appears to be doing okay, but on the inside, I know he doesn’t know how to cope with it either.
~
“I can’t give this up,” I feel Ander whisper on my lips, anticipating a kiss to follow his words, but it doesn’t come. Our eyes are closed and we lay facing each other, and I can feel his heart beat lightly against my chest because of how close we are. The still silence of the night is lingering around us as a chill from the air outside seeps through our secret tree house where we come to be together. This is the only place we can be alone and exclusive, where no one can find us. The only sound I hear is his breathing on my mouth, and mine on his.
“Iris?” He presents my name as a question, my response to him still unspoken.
“I’m sorry, I…I guess I’m too busy enjoying this to think about tomorrow.” My hand clenches the blanket tightly, my knuckles turning slightly white as I think about tomorrow and what I will be forced to do. I squeeze my eyes shut hard, attempting to keep my tears form coming out. The last thing I want is for Ander to know I’m upset. We’ve both shed enough tears and sadness over the injection that I didn’t want to add onto our sorrow. A faint sob escapes my mouth and floats gently onto Ander’s, communicating to him that I am, indeed, not okay. Ander takes my hand and untangles it from the blanket, intertwining our fingers together, my anger dwindling down instantly when I feel his touch.
He whispers softly on my lips, “You know we have an option, Iris. We don’t have to get the injection tomorrow.”
“Yeah, our option would be banishment from the city, exiled from everyone, even our families.”
Ander lets my hand go and tightens his arms around me instead. “That’s not the option I’m referring to,” Ander whispers as he takes me into his embrace. My eyes spring open to meet with his blue ones. Although I couldn’t see them in the darkness, I didn’t need to; I’d know those eyes anywhere.
“What are you talking about?” I ask softly.
“I’ve been hearing whispers around school, nothing confirmed, but something that still sounds promising to try.”
Ander keeps his voice at a hushed tone as he explains the rest to me.
“Apparently there’s this serum that grants immunity for the injection, created by The Resistance who are against the anti-love law. Just as you reach the city’s boarders, you can get some with being unseen, The Resistances headquarters are buried deep underground, in the old subway systems. The way it works is, if someone were to take it before their scheduled injection, the injection wouldn’t work on them. They would still be able to feel love,” A sliver of hope peeks through his voice when he says that last part.
“Immunity serum? The Resistance?” I shake my head and sit up on the small twin size mattress we snuck up into the tree house when we first found it I’ve heard of The Resistance, I’m sure the entire city has. But it’s just rumors flying around; I never believed them to be a real secret organization undercover in the city somewhere. I could feel my head spinning around countless ideas that I know I should not be thinking about. “But Ander, that goes against the law. It goes against the fundamental ideas of our people, the fundamental idea that my father is on The Council to enforce into our society,” I say.
Ander sits up just then, “I know your situation, Iris. But I also know you have never agreed with your father and what The Council makes us believe,” he sighs heavily and runs his hand through his bronze hair. “I thought you would do anything to be with me.”
“Ander, for all we know, this talk about the immunity serum could just be some myth. Like you said, there’s no confirmation.”
“All we can do is try, Iris. I’d try anything if it means I’ll be able to be with you,” he gently takes my hand in his once again and I can feel his eyes staring at me. I could feel my tears rushing back, like they desperately want to escape from my eyes.
“Ander I…I don’t know,” I choke on my words as they come out. I think about my father and the horrified expression that would be painted on his face if he found out that I am in love. He would have no choice but to banish me, his own daughter, from the city. “I can’t just go against my father, Ander. It’s not that simple. He works hard on The Council to keep this city in order. I love my father Ander—“
“You love your father, but after tomorrow you won’t love anyone. Not him, not your mother. Not me,” I could hear the pain in his voice and it rips me apart inside. He was right, but at the same time, the idea of taking the serum and going against my father is so wrong.
“Iris I—I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have said that. Come here,” Ander takes me into his embrace again, and this time I let the tears come gushing out. “How about you sleep on it, okay? Tomorrow we’ll figure this entire thing out, together.”
~
Outside of the building where the injection is administered, Ander and I stand in a secluded alley way. Signs and billboards promoting the forbidden love law litter the streets and walls of buildings all around the city. Since its injection day, these signs act as little reminders for why it’s our duty to get the injection. I’m still not certain if I’ve given this decision as much thought as I could have. But the truth is, I’m out of time whether I like it or not, every billboard and sign my eyes fall on reminding me. All I know for sure is that I don’t want to let go of love for the rest of my life, and if I have the opportunity to prevent that from happening, I need to take it. No matter what would hold me back from taking the serum, I have to ignore it. I have to ignore how disappointed my father would be, and I have to ignore my fear of getting caught. Ander is worth it, Ander is worth anything to me, I can’t and I won’t give him up.
“How do we know this is really going to work?” I ask Ander, looking around frantically making sure no one is looking at us. “I mean, are we even sure what this serum is made of is actually safe?”
“Iris, relax, it’s made by The Resistance, scientifically tested on humans subjects way before us,” Ander takes my face in his hands and his touch is instantly calming like always. “All we can do is try, and have faith that our love is strong enough to overcome anything. Even the injection.”
He offers me a small smile then removes his hands from my face, shoving them into his jacket’s pocket, revealing two small vials of the immunity serum. Ander hands me one of the vials and I take it, staring at the purple liquid contents. After Ander opens his vial, he looks at me, giving me an encouraging nod that I needed. I open my vial and throw the cap to the ground, not taking my eyes off of Ander. He steps closer to me and wraps one of his arms around me.
“I love you,” he whispers.
“I love you too,” I whisper back. Simultaneously, we both raise our vials to our mouths and let the purple serum enter our bodies. I swallow the serum, doing my best to ignore the awful taste of it.
“Have faith Iris,” Ander whispers, and then presses his lips to mine softly.
~
I now sit in a waiting room that is full of other minors who are scheduled to have their injection today. The room is painted a soft ivory color, the same signs found in the city decorating the four walls of the room. The chairs we sat in were clear plastic, the tables all matching accordingly. The whole building is decorated like this room, sleek, simple, colorless design being the theme. When you first enter the building, you’re immediately hit in the face with the glass ceilings and floors, reflecting everyone who walks through the doors. The receptionist who sits at the front desk will confirm your appointment to receive the injection and then have a security guard escort you to your assigned waiting room. Ander and I did this whole process separately to avoid raising suspicion. Thankfully, Ander and I were assigned to the same waiting room, and he now sits across from me.
I play with my soft red hair as I recall Ander and I kissing in the alley way. Even though we both are relying on this serum to override the injection, we both consider our time in the alley way as our final goodbye. I felt a lump in my throat form as our kiss replays in my mind. Holding back my tears becoming more impossible as I remain seated in my chair, itching to look up at Ander but knowing I shouldn’t because then the tears would come for sure.
“Xander Burke,” A woman standing in the doorway calls and Ander looks up at her. He stands form his chair and walks towards her and she leads him out of the room. Before he exits, he looks back at me and mouths something. I could have sworn it was I love you.
I could feel my heart begin to pound in my ears as my palms become sweaty. The names of the minors in the room start rapidly escaping the woman’s mouth now, time going by even quicker that before. I had no idea where Ander was or where the injected minors are taken after. I could still feel my tears wanting to come pouring out of my eyes as I think about Ander. I hope he is okay and somewhere safe. I hope he is still in love with me.
“Iris Pierce,” the sound of my name tears me away from my thoughts and my head turns to look at the woman. I take a deep breath in and then stand from my chair and follow the woman out of the room, just as Ander did. She leads me down the hallway and into another room that has a medical table and a heart monitor hooked up to a thin glass computer screen. Next to that is a table with the injection in single syringes, ready to be injected into us.
“The injection administrator will be in shortly. Please, take a seat in the chair,” the woman says blandly and then leaves the room. I gulp lightly and walk over to the chair and take my seat. My entire body is shaking and I couldn’t keep my breathing under control. I closed my eyes shut and pictured Ander’s face as well as my families. I need all of them to help get me through this. Just then, the injection administrator walks through the door and shuts it quietly.
“Hello Ms. Pierce, my name is Rebecca and I will be administering the injection to you today,” she says in the same bland tone as the escort talked in. “I’ll ask you to lay back and relax, there is nothing to be afraid of and this will all be over soon,” she states, touches the glass screen a couple of times and then grabs a syringe. I do as she says; my eyes focused on the syringe in her gloved hand.
“I’m going to inject the syringe on the side of your head here, Iris,” Rebecca says as she touches where the needle will enter the injection into me. “The pain will only be for a moment. The injection will cause you to go unconscious for a couple of minutes, but I assure you, you will be fine. Nod your head when you are ready for me to proceed with the injection.” My mind immediately goes to Ander, trying to think about what he would have done in this moment. I smile slightly and then nod my head, knowing that Ander would have faith in the serum, and more importantly, our love. Rebecca then places the needle where she said she would and then presses the syringe down. I only felt pain for a second, and then everything went black.
~
I wake up lying down, but not in the same room. I slowly sit up, my head feeling a little fuzzy. I lay on a white linen bed, the room full of them. I am the only one who remains in the room, every other bed empty. This must be where you are taken after receiving the injection. As I look around, I notice signs with arrows pointing to a door, presumably the exit. I get up slowly and walk towards the door. The last thing I remember is laying down in the medical chair right before Rebecca injected me, thinking about what Ander would do – Ander! I still love him! I still love Ander! I think to myself. I have to get to him.
I break into a sprint out of the room following the arrows which lead to the exit of the building. I had no idea where Ander could be, but I just had to find him. I reach the buildings exit and burst through the doors to find Ander sitting down right outside of the building. When he sees me, he stands instantly and smiles. He waited for me to be awake and okay. I let out faint breath and smile back at him, my heart burning with passion, not dormant, but still full of love.