It was at the hour at which the dorm had gone to sleep. All was quiet except the steady breathing of my roommates. I lay on my back staring up at the blank ceiling, mulling over today’s events. So my sister had been taken, the government is trying to control people’s minds and everyone is completely clueless. Either the world has gone mad or I have! It began this morning when my older sister, Shannon, started acting strange.
“Sammi,” she whispered urgently, “Sammi, wake up!” I rolled over, the sunlight piercing through my half shut eyelids as I looked at her. I was incredibly envious of her golden locks and perfect teeth. I was a red-head with braces. Yippee.
“Come on, there is something I need to show you.” I got up slowly, attempting to hide my curiosity. She had a box of fries in her perfectly manicured hands. She handed a fry to me and told me to eat it and tell her how I felt. Although I was slightly suspicious, I ate it anyway. As soon as it hit the bottom of my throat, I was overcome with drowsiness. The world swirled around me, slowly coming back into focus, but not as radiant as it was before. From the look on Shannon’s face, it was clear she knew that was going to happen.
My brain was just about to explode from weirdness at that point. Even remembering it now does my head in. But I fear for her now, what if she was shot..?
The gym echoed with the noise of thousands of hands clapping as the blood red curtains closed signalling the end of the assembly. But I could tell something was wrong. Even over the roar of applause, could hear angry shouts behind the curtain. My ears tuned in on one particular voice. Shannon. My heart thudded as I saw my sister emerge from the curtains, red faced and yelling loud.
“Everybody SHUTUP!!” I had never heard Shannon speak like that, much less sound so angry. The applause died abruptly leaving behind a sudden silence. “Lies! No more junk food! B.R.A.I.N! Slows you down!” She shouted in-between breaths. Two inhumanly bulky guards held her and clamped a cruel hand over her mouth, muffling her desperate cries. I heard a few snickers ring through the crowd. Everyone thought it was a joke. Was I the only one who saw the guns clipped to their belts? Why do high school guards need guns anyway? The gym emptied quickly and I caught the eye of my Uncle Gary - or Mr Foster as I had to call him at school. “Withstand,” he whispered as I passed him.
‘Withstand’ I pondered. Withstand what? What was going on? I hadn’t seen Shannon since the assembly. I hoped she was okay. I shrugged my shoulders and popped a cold leftover fry into my mouth. I immediately felt a familiar deliriousness. I remembered when Shannon came into my room that morning, acting strangely with her fries. Did that have some kind of connection to her tantrum at the assembly? I wondered, staring out at the dull horizon through the window, should I go talk to Uncle Ga- Mr Foster? I padded along in the hall of my mindless classmates. Slowly opening the maths office door, I peered inside to see Mr Foster in a meeting with someone. I was about to knock when I realised how uncomfortable he looked. This isn’t a meeting, I realised, its an interrogation. I slowed my breathing, closing the door softly, leaving it ajar so I could listen in.
“Why do you think I had anything to do with it!?” I heard Mr. Foster say
“The girl knows too much. Where would she get this information from?” I heard a gruff voice state.
“Please let her come back. I’ll vouch for her silence!”
“Oh trust me she won’t be spilling any more secrets,”
“W..what? What have you done with Shannon!?”
“Oh nothing,” I heard the gleeful smile in his voice, “She can come back soon, but she may be a little different.” I wasn’t comfortable with the way he said different.
“I hope to see no changes in my niece. She is a bold girl and I am proud of everything she withstands,” There was that word again, withstand, but what did it mean? The other man gave a slight raspy chuckle.
“Oh there will be no promises there,” I heard the screech of a chair and I ran down the hall as fast as I could, my heart beating fast. I stopped to take in a breath, stood up straight and started to walk, trying to blend in with the herd of people, when I bumped into someone. “Sorry,” I mumbled, not looking up. “Sorry,” they mumbled back. I looked up. It was Shannon! I pulled her into a massive hug.
“Are you okay? God where have you been! I have so much to tell yo..”
“Let go of me,” She squirmed attempting to escape my firm embrace.
“Sorry,” I let go and stood back to look at her. Something seemed different.
“What are you looking at!?!” She squawked, “Is it criminal to go grab some lunch!?” She held up a bag that smelt of cheeseburgers. I widened my eyes, realising.
“No!” I shouted, smacking the bag out of her hand, “You can’t eat that!”
“What is wrong with you!? Gosh you’re so annoying get out of my face!” She bent down picking up the bag, scowling at me. My eyes started to burn. I wiped a tear from my face. She had never talked like that to me. I ran to my room, hot tears now flowing down my face. I sat on my bed watching the sun dip into the horizon, still as bleak as it was every day. I grabbed a marker and wrote on my bed frame, the pen squeaked as I wrote in inky black ‘withstand’.
The End
Copyright © 2019 Withstand - Jasmine’s Not-so-secret Journal
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