The Institute

by Kayla Howarth

  ***

  As I settle down for the night, the cool breeze seeps in through my window, making me shiver. Climbing out of bed, I go over to shut it, but it won’t close all the way.

  Using all my muscles, I try slamming it down, but all I accomplish is hurting my hand. I shake it off and grab a towel out of one of my drawers, putting it in the gap between the window sill and the glass.

  Climbing back into bed, I think about what my life will be like now. This is my home for however long they say it is. I will hunt down others who share my defect, arrest them, and lead them to a life of imprisonment. Even if they qualify to become an agent like me, we’re all trapped. We have no choices, no rights. I somehow have to find a way to be okay with that.

  I begin to drift off as I contemplate how to get out of this mess.