Letting the World Burn

by Graham Dalton

  “What do you mean?” I said. “What else have you done to her? You took her memories, too?”

  “Oh, relax,” Marie said with the wave of a hand. “But you really should be happy for her. She is going to be very successful, and she's living a life that she couldn't if she was a filthy Commoner. We saved her, and we gave her the best genes for success.”

  “You fucking changed her! Against my will! Against hers! You’re all monsters!” I screamed, pushing against the bar. “I will kill every last one of you! I will murder you! I will rip your fucking head off!”

  “Oh, don't be so dramatic.” She turned to her right and gestured someone over.

  A girl stepped into my view. She stood out in the hallway, wearing a blue dress. That was the dress that Anna wore. She was different. The girl appeared like a plastic doll with a fake porcelain tint to her skin. She stared at me, looking inhumane. I could still tell that was my little girl beneath that fake exterior.

  “She's not your daughter anymore, anyway,” Marie said, stepping behind the girl. The woman placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. Marie smiled and said, “Do you know this man?”

  The girl shook her head. Her glassy eyes turned puffy red. “No, ma'am.”

  “Didn't think so.”

  “That's not Anna,” I said. “That is not Anna!”

  “You're right,” Marie said. “Her name is Chelsea now, and she had a loving Elite family.” Marie swallowed hard. “But they were killed during the Commoner tantrum earlier. Are you happy about that?”

  “I will do anything to save my daughter. I don’t care how many of you assholes I have to kill.”

  “Huh, ‘save her’,” she muttered. “How absolutely self- righteous of you. If you really loved her, you would’ve let her live her life as an Elite. She wouldn’t have to worry about poverty or sickness anymore. She had the best life that you could ever want for her.”

  “Anna,” I muttered as I reached toward the girl. The little girl stepped back.

  “Who is this man, Marie?” she asked calmly.

  I stared down at my apparent daughter. She looked like she was made from porcelain, like a doll. She was too perfect, too unnaturally perfect. Vomit climbed up my throat, but I swallowed it down.

  “You disappoint me, Quincy,” said Marie.

  Marie whisked away my daughter, and I stepped back. That wasn't my daughter. There was no way in hell that she was my daughter. This had to be some joke or prank.

  “See you tomorrow, Commoner,” Marie said with a bow. “I am going to fucking kill you!”

  “You have quite the mouth on you,” Marie said.

  “Fuck you!” I screamed.

  She rolled her eyes. “What a witty retort. I would expect no less. Sleep well, Quincy.” She walked off alongside my daughter. I heard her footsteps grow quieter with every step.

  I walked back and leaned against the wall. My heart pounded against my chest. She may be an Elite now, but she was still my daughter. I needed to get her back, whatever the cost.

  “What a shame,” said Leon.

  “Fuck off.”

  “Hey, but how about a plan to break out of here, huh?” said Leon. “I have a few connections with-”

  “Just shut up!” I snapped as I turned to face the wall.

  “Hey, my man,” he said. “Don't you want to-”

  “I said, shut up!” I said as I snapped my head toward him. Leon stood there, staring at me. The man cocked a brow and chuckled to himself. “What's so goddamn funny?”

  “Nah, man,” he said, chuckling to himself. “Maybe we really are going to die in there, huh?” He spewed out hoarse bursts of fake laughter.

  I thought more about Anna while softly weeping. She wasn’t Chelsea. She was my daughter, and she needed me to save her. She was still alive. My girl was still my girl. It doesn’t matter if she was turned into an Elite or not. I was going to get my daughter back.

  I stood up and walked over to the bars. I wrapped my hands around the metal and stared over at Leon, who held that shit-eating grin of his. I had to do whatever it took to save my daughter, even if it meant working with such a shitty person as Leon.

  “You know what, fine,” I said. “It's at least worth a shot. What's the plan? You said you have connections, right?”

  “Well,” he said, grinning wildly. “I don’t have any idea how we’re gonna get in contact with them.”

  “Goddamn it,” I grunted, as I turned around. “You don't know anything.”

  “But they are plotting a takeover of the Elites,” he said. “They aren’t the same people as the rebellion, Quincy! They have connections and ties to the Elites. I heard so many rumors about them, but I don't know who they actually are. I always wanted to find out, though.”

  “So, you don't know anything.”

  “No.”

  I groaned and walked back while tuning out everything that Leon was saying. I sat down, alone again. My stomach growled and groaned. A sickness churned within me as I thought back to Anna. It didn’t matter if she didn’t recognize me, she was my daughter.

  Footsteps sounded again. They grew closer. It wasn't Marie. I could recognize that woman's high heels from a mile away. I stood. I waited to see who was here. It was probably just another Elite to torture me more. I turned away from the wall.

  Mattis stepped into view. I clenched my knuckles as I stomped up to the iron bars. I wrapped my fists around the cold steel bars and pushed my face toward him. He stared back at me with his bodyguard, Francis, standing behind him.

  “What the hell have you done?” Mattis asked. “I thought you were different!” He rolled his eyes and slapped a hand against Francis. The bodyguard snarled at him once Mattis turned back to me. “You're a real piece of shit, you know that? Your daughter never deserved you. We took her from scum like you so that she could finally make something of herself! You would've been the worst thing for her.”

  “I swear to God!” I screamed. “I will fucking kill you!”

  “Go ahead,” he said. I pushed against the iron, trying to break through. I smacked my head against a bar and fell onto the ground. Mattis laughed at me. “Aw, are you mad? Are you really mad?” He made a pouting face to mock me as he then chuckled. Mattis bent down onto a knee and stared me dead in the eye. “It really is true what they say. All Commoners are scum. There's no hope for people like you. I hope you wallow in your misery until we behead you tomorrow.”

  “You kidnapped my daughter,” I said. “You fucking kidnapped her! You changed her! You fucking murderer!”

  “Now, I can see that your small Commoner mind is very angry right now,” Mattis said. “Good. Be angry.” He rolled his eyes. “You hate me, don't you?” He spat on the ground. “You're so goddamn ungrateful. When we saved your daughter, you really became a piece of shit. Your pathetic Commoner body drank every night. I bet you fucked every pleasurebot in this whole damn city. With your weak Commoner inhibitions, you couldn’t resist. Then, you were locked away because you couldn't control your anger. I saved you. I could've let you rot in that goddamn prison, but I didn't. Do you know why? I liked you, Quincy. I thought you were different than the others.”

  “Go fuck yourself.”

  He ignored me. “When I scraped you from the bottom of this goddamn city and gave you a chance to rebuild, I thought you would respect me. I am the governor of this city, and I demand respect!” He snapped his head back toward Francis.

  “Isn't that right?”

  “Yes, sir,” Francis chimed.

  Mattis turned around and laughed at me. “But you're really just a sad, sad man. You're still an addict, aren't you? Drinking away your problems, like the puny, little Commoner that you are? Aw, how pathetic! Chelsea doesn't deserve you.”

  I would kill him. Nothing could stop me from killing him.

  “You stole her from me!” I screamed. “You never ‘saved me’. You’re the whole fucking reason I was a mess to begin with.”

  He ignored me. “Oh, and
let’s not forget Alice. She was such a nice girl. She deserved a hell of a lot better than you.”

  “You asshole,” I muttered, standing back up.

  “She was real pretty for a Commoner,” he said. He cocked a brow and laughed. “I always wondered how she ended up with you, Quincy.”

  That was it. I screamed and shoved my weight into the bars. He laughed and laughed. Hot tears drizzled down my puffy cheeks as I reached out between the bars. Mattis stood just far enough away, smiling.

  “They get riled up so easily,” Mattis said. He laughed as he spat in my face again. I stopped, and he kept throwing insults. Mattis kept laughing and laughing while making more crude jokes about my wife. Then he turned around and faced Leon.

  “And you!” he said. “You were smart for a Commoner. You were smart enough to try and run away. You were smart enough to not get caught. You…you're always running, aren't you? You ran from Marie, and then you tried running from the city. That running only got you locked away. Ironic, isn’t it?”

  Leon shook his head. “Hey, I'm going to break out of this city! Just you watch.”

  “Oh, I'd like to see you try, boy,” said Mattis. The governor turned to Francis and clapped his hands. “All right, Francis. I've had enough fun for one day. Let's move along.” He turned away and marched off. Francis groaned and followed close behind.

  Leon stared down at his feet, and I walked toward the wall. I stared off for a while. My body was overtaken by a chilled emptiness.

  I clutched both fists and swore to myself that every last Elite adult would perish. After stealing our children for generations, there was no redemption for these sacks of shit.

  Chapter 21

  Ispent hours fruitlessly searching for an escape. Burning sunlight flickered through the slotted window. My sluggish body stood up. This sickness I felt inside had worsened.

  I heard the familiar sound of stilettos tapping down onto the concrete floor. I clenched my fists, ready to pounce on her as soon as I had the chance. I was getting my family back, no matter the cost.

  Marie walked up to my cell.“It's time,” she said.

  More footsteps sounded, and seven guards came into view.

  The guards unlocked my cell and rushed in. They shoved me to the floor, smacking my face into the concrete. Blood oozed down my forehead as they carried me out into the hall. They dragged my body down a long, narrow corridor. I glanced to my right and left. There were several corpses of Commoners rotting in each of the cells. My nose scrunched at the awful odor. They dragged me down another hallway and pulled me through a third. It felt like hours before they finally brought me out into sunlight.

  The light burned my eyes. I winced when they carried me down a flight of stairs into a street. My feet dragged, scraping against the pavement. My head ached. I looked around, as they dragged me through the crowded streets. Elites surrounded me, dressed in gold and purple robes. They were all so beautiful yet disgusting. They looked like dolls made from plastic. They looked so perfect, with their elegant curled hair. Most had flawless skin without a single blemish. The women had voluptuous, oversized breasts that nearly burst from their robes. The men were thick and muscled with the perfect jawline. They cheered for my execution, spitting on me as I was dragged up onto a stage. The guards shoved me onto the ground. My head smacked onto a wooden stage.

  “Kill him!” they cried. “Cut off his head!”

  I heard another man screaming behind me. So, I cocked my head back and watched as Leon was dragged onto the stage. He was thrown to the side of me, and the man cried out.

  “Hey, you don't want to do this!” Leon proclaimed. “Hey, hey, hey. I'm innocent. I tell you, I'm innocent! Please, it was all Quincy! Just kill him! He's the one you want.”

  A tug at my collar pulled me onto my feet. Mattis stood before me, smiling. He enjoyed this too much. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to strike him down.

  “You think you're so clever, huh?” he snapped. He tilted his head toward Leon. “Bring him to his feet!”

  Francis dragged Leon up to his feet. Leon looked over, shaking in his ragged clothes.

  “You don't want to do this!” he screamed. “You really don't want to do this! I'm telling you, Mattis! Quincy, he's the one you want.”

  “Oh, he'll suffer, too,” said Mattis, as he walked over toward Leon. The governor placed a hand on Leon's right shoulder. “You fucked everything up, you ungrateful little weasel! How dare you! How fucking dare you!”

  “M-maybe, we can talk this out,” said Leon.

  “No!” Mattis screamed. He turned around and extended his arms. “This man is the enemy. He is a traitor of the state. He's murdered hundreds of our people, many of them children.”

  The crowd chanted for death.

  “I never did anything like that,” Leon said. “I didn't murder anyone.”

  He glanced over to Francis. “Fetch me the blade!” the governor barked.

  Francis nodded and walked off. Leon stared back at Mattis, mouth ajar.

  “Blade?” Leon said. “No, don't! I didn't do anything.

  You have to understand, Mattis, I'm-”

  Mattis stomped a foot. “Shut up! Shut up!” He flung a finger into Leon's face and stared into the man's shaky eyes. “I am in control of this city! Not you! Not you!”

  “But sir!” Leon screamed.

  “Shut up!” said Mattis. He slammed a foot into Leon's right leg. The prisoner released a sharp yelp.

  Shortly after, Francis returned with a sword. Mattis stepped back and clapped his hands together.

  “You do the honors, Commoner,” said Mattis. “Make him pay for his disobedience!”

  The crowd went wild. They cheered for his head. Leon kept screaming, begging for mercy. Francis shoved the man to his knees. The servant stood high, raising the sword into the air. Leon screamed louder. He cried out, desperately demanding to be spared. Francis stared down at him, with the sword raised. The executioner lowered the blade, slicing Leon's head right off his body. The headless corpse fell to the ground. His head tumbled off the stage. The crowd continued to cheer even louder than before.

  “There will be no rebellion, no 'resistance,'” said Mattis, as he turned around. “Isn't that right, Francis?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mattis walked over to me and stared into my face. He smiled with perfect, fake golden teeth. Everything about him was fake. “I will kill everyone that you have left.”

  “I've got no one,” I said.

  “We'll see about that.”

  Mattis clapped his hands together and barked orders at Francis, who scurried off. I lowered my head, as a pounding ache kept thumping against my skull. I glanced behind me and saw Max, Alice, and Jessica as they were each individually dragged up onto the stage by a trio of guardsmen. I turned back around and stared at Mattis, who laughed madly.

  “Who should be next?” he asked.

  The three of them were all pulled in front of me in a line. The guards pushed them all to their knees. I just watched silently.

  “It's time you realized your actions have consequences,” said Mattis. “You're such a puny, little Commoner. You try to act all witty, but you are just a little man.” He chuckled to himself. “Any last words, Quincy?”

  “Fuck off.”

  “What great last words!” Mattis turned to Jessica and shook his head. “And you. I trusted you and believed in you. Commoners can't be trusted!”

  “You're kidnapping children and turning them into...you,” she said. “You're evil. We know what you did, Mattis! We know what you've been doing! You're a monster!”

  “No, how many times do I have to tell you? We're the good guys! The good guys! We're saving your people.”

  He stepped over to Alice. “And you. What have you done?” Alice kept silent and stared at the ground. “Pathetic.”

  He turned around and waved his hands. “And to all the Commoners out there, this is your leader.” He pointed a finger at me. “This is
the man you rallied behind. Have you forgotten the countless times he sold you out? Have you forgotten that you once hated this man? Have you forgotten that he was once a 'traitor' to your people?” He turned back to me. “Who's going to die first?” He glanced between the three trembling people and then fixed his eyes on Max. “You! Max Rodgers. You’re just another ungrateful commoner.” Mattis pointed toward Francis and gestured him forward. “Francis, do the honors.”

  “Ungrateful?” Max spat. He laughed. “Don’t fucking act like you people ever did anything for us. Our people lived and died so you could walk your perfumed-fucking dogs and live secluded in your perfect mansions. I’d rather be fucking dead than be loyal to you.”

  A twinkle flickered in the governor’s eyes. “Very well.”

  Francis nodded and stepped forward. The bulky bodyguard raised the sword and gazed down at Max, then shifted his eyes toward Mattis.

  “Strike him down!” Mattis proclaimed. “End him! End him! End him!”

  Francis stared at Mattis for another couple seconds.

  “Are you going to fucking kill him or not?” Mattis asked. “You obey my orders!”

  “Not anymore,” said Francis.

  The man swung the blade down toward the Elite. The steel sliced into Mattis’ stomach. The Elite fell back with his hands cradling the wound, blood seeping through the gaps in his fingers. Several of the Commoner guards opened fire into the Elite population. One of the guards stepped behind me and unchained me. I turned around and gave the man a nod.

  I rushed over to Mattis, who lay on the ground, clutching his wound. The man screamed while choking upon his own blood. I grabbed the blade and held it above Mattis' head.

  “Quincy!” he gagged. “You don't have to do this. We can make a deal.”

  “I’m done making deals with you,” I said.

  I chopped his face repeatedly, shredding through that perfect little face of his. Blood and oozing brain matter spilled down his perfect little suit. His perfect little body fell back against the floor. I tilted my head over to Francis.