by Joni Bing
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My eyes refused to open the next morning and when they finally did, they burned too much to be kept that way. I had been crying all night and now all I could see was Z's blurred chest. I wondered what it'd be like to be blind. I thought about how being that way must've been like for ON kids who were born that way. Good thing Man created The Cure.
There were so many sicknesses and diseases that The Cure had saved our nation from. Fevers, poxes, even the common cold. The Cure was a shot every newborn received six days after their conception. It was a complimentary shot each family received when the mother agreed to conceive in a Nation certified hospital.
Back when I was born, Nation certified companies weren't bad and untrusting. They were what made this Nation so promising and great. Then the day of Evanescence took all of the promising and great people, Carl Dickface became dictator, the UIP formed, the Great Shutdown occurred, cutting off transnational communication of any kind between two citizens. Things changed. Newborns can't even receive the Cure shot in their heart without having at least one surviving parent who pledged Nation membership or mutualism. I wondered how that really affected anyone. I stopped caring. Not like I could change anything.
My sight became clear and focused on a metal looking chain hanging from Z's chest. The charm on the chain was a pair of metal angel wings. Where had I seen that design before? I knew it could've been anywhere, but I was sure I had seen the design more than one time in the same place. If I could just...touch it to remember—
Before I could wrap my fingers around the wings, Z rolled on top of me with a knife to my throat. I couldn't utter anything but I'm sorry his entire rant.
“Are you crazy? Were you really tryna take this from me?! The only thing I have left of my life?! Don't expect me to come in here and watch you again, got it? I never wanted to anyway! I never even wanted you here!”
The I'm sorrys stopped there. He left the room in a rush before I could push him out and I was pissed that I hadn't thought of doing so sooner. I was even more PO'ed when I realized how much power Z still had over me. I hated him, I hated this commune, I hated Borealia, and I especially hated Carl Dickens and the UIP!