Inside, Pt. 1

by Kyra Anderson

  “How can you do this, you sick motherfucker?!” Dean yelled, standing and causing many people to leave their seats as well. Some were moving to get away from Dean. Others were moving to agree Dana had finally gone too far. “She’s a little girl!”

  “And?” Dana shrugged.

  “She didn’t do anything wrong!” Dean bellowed. “She’s six! What threat could she be?!”

  “She was being used to transport the drugs to the next trafficker,” Dana said shortly. “Inside her stuffed animals, the drugs were given to a dealer outside of the city limits.”

  “You lying son of a bitch!” Ryan snapped. Now, four different people were being held back by Dana’s security to keep them from attacking the leader.

  “Do you want to take her place?!” Dana challenged.

  “Bring it on!” Ryan growled, still fighting against the guard restraining him. “Let her go and you can take me instead!”

  Dana looked him over, evaluating his worth, before he chuckled, shaking his head and pulling Julie closer to his leg, his hand resting in her hair.

  “No deal,” he chuckled darkly. “You don’t have nearly as much to offer as Julie.”

  I had to close my eyes and lower my head, trying to stop the nausea overtaking me.

  “Now, I want to make this perfectly clear,” Dana said loudly, once again addressing everyone. “I will be keeping a very close eye on every household in the Commission from now on. I will be stopping by, unannounced, to be sure that no one is continuing to try anything under the Commission’s nose. Just because you are part of this organization does not mean that you are an exception to the law. I am even tempted to revive the Sweeps after this fiasco.”

  Many gasped and looked at one another, shocked that Dana would take things to that extreme. The Sweeps hadn’t been active since the end of the restoration period after the Second Revolution. If Dana was reinstating the Sweeps, Commission men would be going around, house to house, all across the nation and breaking down doors to take people into custody on suspicion or legitimate charges. No one was safe from a Sweep.

  “I have no choice but to believe that I must take extreme measures,” Dana told us. “If I cannot even keep those who are in my own commission in line, then there is no telling the state of things in the regions. The Commission backed off the Sweeps because we were sure that people had gotten themselves in order, but if even the members inside the Commission of the People are straying, my instincts tell me that the Sweeps are needed just to maintain order.”

  Everyone was silent. They were starting to realize that Dana was not asking for their permission to restart the Sweeps. He was going to do it if he felt it was necessary, regardless of the opinion of the Commission. People were scared and angry.

  Dana had unknowingly helped me with the new rebellion.

  * *** *

  It was a silent car ride home. None of us could speak after the horrific scene we had been witness to at the beginning of the Commission meeting. I didn’t want to talk about it, not even to Mykail, who continuously asked me what was wrong when I saw him. Instead, I asked him to hold me as I lay quietly on his bed, replaying everything I had seen.

  I ended up falling asleep in his arms.

  I was awoken by a loud bang downstairs and the sound of many people running into my house.

  “Mykail,” I hissed, trying to shake him awake. He did not stir.

  The noises were getting closer and the voices were deafening as they called out commands and codes.

  The fear hit me in the gut. This was a Sweep.

  The door burst open and I jumped. There were several men dressed in black with indistinguishable faces that swarmed into the room, quickly filling the small space.

  “That one!” one of the men snapped, pointing at Mykail.

  “No!” I screeched. “Mykail! Mykail! Wake up!!!”

  He still did not move, even as I shook him violently, screaming. I felt hands on me, pulling us apart, yelling nonsensical things as I continued to scream at Mykail.

  They pulled him out of the bed, but he still did not wake. I screamed, hoping to at least wake my parents.

  “No! You can’t do this!” I bellowed, fighting against the two men holding me.

  “Yes, he can,” a familiar voice said behind me. It was my mother. I tried to crane my neck around to see her, but I could not make out her form in the darkness. I just knew she was there.

  “It’s alright, honey,” my father’s voice also sounded behind me. The pain was overwhelming. My parents had called in the Sweep. They had told Dana about me and Mykail. They were turning us both in.

  Mykail was still unconscious as one of the men lifted his gun and pointed it at Mykail’s head.

  “No!!”

  The gunshot was deafening and Mykail fell to the ground with a thud. I could not see him, since he had fallen on the other side of the bed, but I still felt him. I felt as though I was falling beside him.

  The man with the gun removed his dark glasses. There stood Dana.

  “It’s alright, Little Lily,” he said with a smile. “You’ll be safer at the Commission with me.”

  I woke up with a jolt, sweating, my breath stuck painfully in my throat. I was so disoriented at first that I didn’t realize I was in my room, in my own bed. It wasn’t the first time Mykail had moved me after I had fallen asleep in his room, but it always confused me when I first woke.

  I took a few deep breaths to calm down, but my heartbeat was still irregular after several minutes, so I decided to take a shower, hoping to distract my anxious mind.

  I stayed under the water’s spray for an indeterminable amount of time, thinking about the previous night. The images were so sharp they left a pain in my chest that made it difficult to breathe. Miranda and Julie had both looked frightened, confused and, above all, innocent. Their expressions were burned into my memory. I didn’t know them very well, but considering the behavior of everyone who did know them, it was hard for me to believe that the two girls were guilty. Particularly in Julie’s case. My heart fell into my stomach at the thought of what could happen to the six-year-old in Enterprise lab.

  I needed to find a way for them to escape. It was another thing I had to research while finding a way to get experiments out.

  After a very long shower, I walked downstairs to see Mykail helping my mother in the kitchen. It was something that had started a few days previous when Mykail had quietly started doing the dishes after dinner one night. Ever since, my mother had been happy to have him help in the kitchen and around the house. She figured it gave him something to do.

  “Good morning, honey,” my mother greeted tiredly.

  “Good morning,” I answered mechanically, looking my mother and father, who both appeared to have not slept. I guessed I wasn’t the only one with nightmares.

  I walked to Mykail and we shared a quick glance. He was confused and worried. I hadn’t told him what happened and even though I was ready to talk about it now, I couldn’t with my parents’ close proximity.

  The family ate a small, silent breakfast.

  No one could speak of what happened. I was sure all of us were processing what we had seen. Even if we had wanted to talk about it, there was nothing we could say. We were part of the Commission. We were stuck in that horrible world.

  After I helped clean up breakfast with my mother and Mykail, I grabbed my phone and texted Becca, asking her if we could meet at the park and talk. It wasn’t long before I got a response saying that she would meet me in half an hour.

  I told my mom I would be meeting with Becca and would call her to let her know when I would be home. As I was gathering my phone and keys, I heard a small voice from my bedroom door.

  “Will you please tell me what’s going on?” Mykail hissed urgently.

  I glanced at him and then peeked around him to see where my mother and father were. They were really close, sitting in the small living room the bottom of the stairs.

  “I’ll tell you tonig
ht,” I promised quietly.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To meet with Becca.”

  He looked me over nervously.

  “Alright, be careful,” he whispered, gently brushing his fingers over my cheek. I was unable to stop the smile that invaded my face at the touch. I nodded, grabbing my purse and heading out.

  I had to rush on the buses to get to the park in time. Becca was waiting for me on the same bench from the previous weekend. I ran to her, trying to catch my breath. She stood to greet me, and I smiled weakly at her.

  “Sorry,” I grinned. “I hope you didn’t have any plans today.”

  “No, it’s fine. I was sitting at home, bored,” she smiled. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I just ran here,” I panted. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

  “It’s fine,” she chuckled. “You didn’t have to run.”

  I sat next to her on the bench and caught my breath.

  “So, what’s up?” she asked. “That seemed like a really random text. Are you okay?”

  I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

  “Honestly? No,” I said. She turned to me fully, her face full of worry.

  “What is it?” she whispered. I took another deep breath and looked around to be sure no one was listening.

  “I’m not supposed to talk about this, but I really need to talk to someone,” I hissed. “You know Miranda?” She nodded. “She was taken by the Commission.”

  “She was taken?” Becca gasped. “How do you…what happened? What did she do?”

  “They said that she had a gun and was smuggling drugs,” I explained carefully.

  “That’s insane,” Becca hissed. “She would never do that.”

  “That’s what everyone was saying,” I nodded. “They also took her little sister because they said she was somehow involved.”

  “Her little sister?” Becca breathed. “Not the six-year-old little sister…” When I nodded, her eyes went wide and she turned away, her hand covering her mouth. “Oh my God…”

  I also fell silent. I wasn’t sure if I should tell her the rest. But I needed someone outside the circle of the Commission as a confidant. I needed help from outside and I knew I could trust Becca.

  “It’s a Sweep, isn’t it?” she whispered.

  I lowered my head and bit my lip.

  “Oh God…” she groaned, her eyes closing.

  “It’s not a Sweep, yet,” I said. “Dana is talking about starting the Sweeps again, but nothing is official.”

  “Why would he start the Sweeps?”

  “Because he’s Dana fucking Christenson,” I said coldly. “He can do whatever he wants.” I took another slow breath. “I want out…The things that happen in the Commission…” I breathed, staring at the sidewalk under my feet, “I can’t…”

  “Lily, this is tearing you apart.” Becca placed a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

  “I…” I hesitated. I was frightened. I wanted to tell her everything I was planning. I wanted to tell her about the experiments and Dana and everything else, but that would put her in danger.

  “I can’t tell you,” I hissed. “You’ll be in danger…”

  Becca stared at me for a moment, her expression full of conflict. She finally took a slow, measured breath.

  “Lily…if Sweeps are starting again…I’m already in danger.”

  I did not know what to make of the statement.

  “What do you mean?”

  Becca was silent for a moment.

  “If you tell me what’s going on, I’ll tell you,” she whispered. “I have to see if I can really trust you.”

  “I have to see if I can trust you,” I responded. “This is something that could get me taken by the Commission, also…”

  We were silent, looking at one another seriously. I could see the fear in her eyes. She had a secret she was terrified to let people know, something that could get her taken by the Commission. There was something about that that intrigued me, yet worried me.

  “How can we be sure we can trust each other?” I whispered.

  “I think it’s a leap of faith for both of us…”

  “Okay,” I breathed, straightening and turning to her fully. I had to take another chance. Everything inside of me screamed to not tell her, but I had to. I needed help.

  “Okay,” Becca said, relaxing visibly when she realized she did not have to speak first.

  “I…” I hesitated, closing my eyes and preparing myself as best I could. “I have been thinking…that the Commission needs to be taken down…”

  “That’s because you want out,” Becca nodded. “Treasonous thoughts are normal as long as they don’t turn into actions.”

  I fixed her with a serious stare. I didn’t say anything, and that spoke louder than words. Her eyes widened.

  “You…what have you done?”

  “Nothing, yet,” I assured quickly. “But…” I looked around. “I am planning to do something.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean why?” I snapped. “The Commission did what it needed to do during the revolution, but it’s not needed anymore. Do you even know what it does to the people it takes?”

  There it was. I had said too much. If I was going to disobey the non-disclosure agreement, this was it.

  Becca hesitated.

  “Do they kill them?”

  “Worse,” I breathed. I leaned in close. “I should not be telling you this, but they test on them.”

  “Test what?”

  “They’re trying to make a weapon out of humans,” I hissed. “They take in these people and make them into monsters and then give them to people in the Commission as gifts.”

  “You’re making this up,” Becca shook her head quickly. “It’s not funny.”

  “Damn right it’s not funny,” I said, once again looking around the park to be sure no one was around. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. I had broken the non-disclosure agreement. I could be taken into the Commission for treason and become one of the creatures I was describing to Becca.

  “So…Miranda…and, no, not Julie…”

  “There are so many other sick things that happen the Commission.” I told her quietly. “Dana Christenson is insane. There is no other way to describe him. He attacks and molests the children of the Commission and he sleeps with all the members, both men and women—”

  “Wait, you can’t be serious. Doesn’t Leader Simon keep him under control? That’s illegal!”

  “I haven’t met Leader Simon yet, but either he is in league with Dana and doesn’t care, or he is afraid of Dana, just like the rest of us.”

  I looked over Becca carefully, who was staring wide-eyed at the grass below her feet.

  “Please, believe me…” I breathed.

  “I do…” she nodded, fear causing her voice to shrink. She swallowed hard. “But…Lily…if that’s the case, how do you plan to fight?”

  I hesitated. I really didn’t have a plan, yet…

  “That’s something I’ll tell you when I trust a little more that you share my position on this,” I said carefully. “Wouldn’t you want the Commission taken down?”

  Becca knew it was her time to speak.

  I waited patiently. I was worried that she would not trust me enough to tell me what she was hiding, leaving me the only one who divulged a secret. In that sense, I would have given her complete power over my life.

  She turned to face me fully.

  “I guess that if we both know each other’s secret, we can’t tell anyone else because we’ll both get thrown into the Commission,” Becca whispered. I felt a wave of relief crash over me. I would never do anything to betray Becca. She had been my first friend in Central and she had welcomed me with open arms. I trusted her, but even then, I knew I had to be careful. I was going up against the Commission of the People and Dana Christenson. There was no room for error.

  “I could
get taken into the Commission…” she started quietly, “because of Jill…”

  “Jill?” I blinked. “Why?”

  Becca looked around nervously and then leaned closer, her voice tight.

  “I was thirteen when I met her…I thought it was just an awkward phase…” She took a deep, shaky, breath. “But I…I never grew out of it…”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I…I love her…” Becca barely managed to breath. She dropped her eyes to the bench and lifted a hand to her face. “I know I shouldn’t…but…”

  It took me a moment to comprehend the confession.

  I was floored. Becca was in love with another woman. I couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable with the knowledge. Homosexuals were people that one heard about as having an illness and going against the nature of society, which was why the Commission took them into custody. I had never had personal experience with someone who was attracted to their own sex, so it was an awkward situation for me.

  “Well, is it just Jill?” I asked once I found my voice again.

  “No…”

  I didn’t know what to say so, instead, I placed a hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes tight and pressed her fingers into her eyes to stop the tears.

  “That’s the first time I’ve told someone…” she near-sobbed. “I just…I was…I was always so afraid…”

  “I won’t say anything to anyone,” I promised. “Thank you for trusting me.” I hesitated. “But, maybe you should tell Jill…”

  “No,” she said shortly, lifting her head. “No. There’s no way.”

  “You two are close friends. She won’t say anything that would get you in trouble.”

  “I don’t want to push her away,” Becca shook her head. “It’s better for her to never know. She likes Devon. That’s the end of it…”

  My mind clicked and I remembered how Becca had looked when I had said that Jill liked Devon. She had been dazed and surprised. Her heart had been broken.