*Please note that when I wrote this, I had one night to write it, and I was very tired. The point of this story for me was for it to leave you wondering. Some parts probably won't make a lot of sense, and you might get kind of confused, but thanks for reading it anyways. Enjoy.*
The Recreation
~Jessica~
It's 12:58 PM. There is a knock on the door. We have just been conquered. I look around, only to see fear filled in everyone's eyes. It's completely silent, until another loud knock erupts from the door. Everyone is frozen in their chairs, still putting on a brave face for the kids. After the second loud knock, I slowly get up from my chair, and walk towards the door. I grab the handle, and feel my heart beating faster and faster in my chest. I squeeze my eyes shut, take a deep breath, and slowly open the door. I open one of my eyelids just enough to peek through it, and see Mrs. Brown, our lab teacher. My eyes opened wide, and I threw my arms around her neck.
"Mrs. Brown, you're back, thank goodness. We didn't know what to do! The girls and the preschoolers are terrified, and no one has any idea of what's going on. It's ok though, because you're here now, right?" I said.
Mrs. Brown hadn't said a word, so I took my arms off of her, stepped back and took a good look at her. Her skin was pale, like newly fallen snow, and now that I had thought about it, it felt the same way. Her hair looked sloppy and unkempt, and her fingers twitched slightly every few seconds. None of that, could come into comparison with her eyes. I stared into her eyes, looking for some sign of any emotion in them, but she seemed to be miles away, like she couldn't even see me. Mrs. Brown just stood there, as still as a statue, looking right through me. I reached out, put my arms on her shoulders, and sort of shook her.
"Mrs. Brown? Mrs. Brown?! What's going on? Where did you go? What's wrong with you?" I yelled at her.
My arms fell down to my sides, I could see this was getting me no where. Something was wrong here, something was very wrong. Just when I felt like all hope was gone, Mrs. Brown's head jerked to life, and she finally noticed me standing before her. As she looked at me, her toneless expression became a smile, big, creepy, yet somehow mesmerizing at the same time.
"Miss Jessica Vanfossen, Early Childhood Education student at Pickaway Ross Career and Technology Center number 5385, so nice to see you. Thank you for helping my students and the preschool children while I was...away," she finally said.
She put a hand on my shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze, still keeping that same creepy smile on her face. I stared at her, utterly confused. Why was she addressing me as an "ECE" student at our school? Why wasn't she scared and concerned with what was happening like the rest of us? I held up my hand in front of her face, and moved it back and forth, but she had no reaction. Her eyes didn't follow my hand, she didn't blink or start laughing like this was all some kind of cruel joke. I wanted to cry, to yell, to shake this woman until she finally started making sense. I swallowed down all of my upcoming tears, and tried talking to her again.
"Mrs. Brown, are you ok? Please Mrs, Brown, please...we're all so scared," I managed to say.
"You see Miss Jessica Vanfossen, I had a bit of a headache, but some very nice people who came to the school made it all go away. Now that I'm feeling better, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop with the questions, and take me to see my students and preschoolers," she answered.
Her grip on my shoulder tightened, she kept her eyes glued onto mine. It had taken me some time, but I finally realized why her eyes had seemed to strange to me...they were pitch black. The blue rings that had once circled around her black pupils were gone.. Looking at her eyes, it finally hit me what had happened. They were here, and they had gotten to Mrs. Brown. She wasn't the Mrs. Brown we had once known anymore, and she never would be again. I knew there was no way I could let her into this room, where everyone was still so scared and waiting. Everyone would be even more scared if they saw her like this, especially the preschoolers.
I quickly came up with a plan to get her away from the room, so I could get back to Brittney, and tell her what was going on. I forced the best smile I could on my face, took her hand off my shoulder, turned her down the hall towards the front of the school, and began to lead her away from the classroom.
"Well, Mrs. Brown...I think maybe you should go talk to the school nurse first. You still look like you're not feeling very well, and I'm sure she can help you in any way needed. While you're doing that, I'll run back to the class, and tell everyone what's going on. I know everyone is worried about you, and I know the kids will be so happy to know that you're alright," I said.
Mrs. Brown wasn't walking anymore. She turned towards me slowly, this time without the smile.
"Miss Jessica Vanfossen, I already told you, I feel better now. No nurse is necessary. I want to see my students now," she said.
Her eyes narrowed, and she started to look really angry. I stepped back, to scared to let her touch me again. I looked at her, my eyes pleading for her to understand what had happened to her. Why had this happened, why Mrs. Brown? She was the nicest teacher at this school. I never expected her to give into their plan so easily, to become their puppet. Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed behind me.
I knew right away they were the echoes of heavy army boots that only men wore. My dad wore them all the time, so I had become accustomed to their sound. I turned around, and froze when I saw them. Two dark figures were walking towards Mrs. Brown and me. They stopped just before us, under one of the florescent lights, and I finally got a good look at them. I searched the figures until I saw two pairs of beady black eyes glaring down at me.
Two extremely tall soldiers stood there, kind of draping themselves over me, creating a long dark shadow over my body and face. They were wearing dark green camouflage suits with hats that matched. Shiny whistles hung from black strings tied around their necks, and both men wore dark sunglasses. Even with the suits on, their muscles could easily be seen through them. The boots that I heard when they approached us were shiny, big, and black. None of this scared me as much as the loaded guns that sat in the holders on each soldiers hip.
"What's going on here? You starting trouble over here?" A soldier barked at me.
They didn't look very pleased to see me out of my classroom talking to Mrs. Brown, and at that moment I wasn't either. I stood there like an idiot, shaking, and gawking at the size of the soldiers. Mrs. Brown put her arms on my shoulders, and began to speak to the soldiers.
"Everything here is perfectly alright. Miss Jessica Vanfossen was just about to take me to see my students. Will Mrs. Mummert and Mrs. Seymore be back from their treatment anytime soon?" she asked.
"You'll find out soon enough. Report back to your class like you were told until further directions are made, and you," the soldier pointed a large finger in my face, "don't let me hear of you making anymore trouble. Understand?" a soldier said.
I shook my head up and down quickly, and headed back towards the classroom. They had heard my name, they knew I was in the school. They would be coming for me very soon.
When I reached the door, I felt Mrs. Brown come up behind me. She put her hand on my back, opened the door, and shoved me inside. I tripped, hit the floor, and heard the click of the lock on the door behind me. I picked myself up, and rushed into the classroom before Mrs. Brown could. The girls and the preschoolers were all still sitting in the same spots as they had been when I answered the door earlier. They saw me, and began to panic even more then they already were. I could tell they were reading the panic that must have shown in my face.
"It's happening, right now! Britt, they got to Mrs. Brown! They picked her first because they knew she could help us, but now it's too late. Now there is no time for us to start the-" I said.
"That's quite enough Miss Jessica Vanfossen!" Mrs. Brown yelled over me, "sit down now!"
I knew if I said anymore, the men would only show up sooner. She put that same creepy smile from earlier back on her face, and gestured towards an empty seat. I gave her one last pleading look, but it did nothing. Her expression remained the same, her arm still stretched out towards a seat. I turned my head to look at everyone else in the room, taking in each and everyone's faces, I knew this would be the last time I ever saw them again. Each face showed panic and fear, each one waiting for my guidance, for some shred of hope that we might still have...but I had nothing to offer them anymore.
I finally lowered my head, and gave in to a seat in the back of the room beside Britt. I looked at her, and tried to think of the right words to say, but nothing came to my mind, no words could describe to her how sorry I was that this was happening. I just looked at her, shook my head, and dropped my head into my hands, tears finally leaving me. I felt Britt's hands on my back, and her shoulders shake as she cried with me. She knew...I knew...it had begun.
Everyone in our neighborhood had tried to warn us for weeks, but of course no one listened, especially everyone at Pickaway Ross. Why should they? All the rich kids that went to this school had learned from their "important parents" that people like us, the scum on the old dirty boot of what we call society, only say what we say, because we're junkies. We're just crazy from all of our "excessive drug use". Since we didn't grow up in mansions, go to palm springs every summer to tan on the beach, and drink fruity drinks topped off with colorful fake umbrella's, we belonged to an insane asylum. We were shit to them, and now look at where it had gotten them...we were being taken over. Of course, the first step was brainwashing anyone who could do anything to put a stop to it.
"Students! Do not be alarmed, and do not be misinformed. What is happening is a good thing and we will be much happier this way," Mrs. Brown said sweetly.
I cried harder, and so did Brittney. This was not Mrs. Brown, she knew what was happening was wrong, and she would have fought it, and we would have defeated it. The signs were all there for everyone to see, we saw it coming, but everyone just tried to ignore it. Now, everyone in my world, the low class world, were going to be plucked off the face of the Earth, one by one, and there wasn't anything any of us could do about it. I could hear voices outside of the door then. I looked up, and the door suddenly swung open. A young, handsome, man walked in with his hands behind his back. He was tall, with a white lab coat on, black, square, glasses covering his eyes. The two guards that had warned me earlier were following in behind him.
"Hello students, Mrs. Brown. My name is Dr. Montreal, and I'm the supervising technician specialist at Patriot Royal Laboratories," he said.
He started looking at all of the girls, searching each one's face, as if he were looking for one particular person. I knew what they were here for...the soldier on his left tapped him on the shoulder. He whispered in his ear, and pointed in my direction. The doctor straightened himself, and spoke again.
"Today students, we are giving out IQ tests. These tests will determine if some things that you may or may not think about need to be adjusted a bit," he said.
He smiled, showing teeth that were white as pearls, and sparkled like diamonds. Half the girls practically drooled all over themselves right there in front on him. This was insulting. They were already going to start brainwashing people that could help me, and all it took was one god like smile, and a few good looks. This didn't matter to him though, he was here for one thing...me. They had been warned about me, and they weren't going to take any chances. I was the one who knew their plans from the beginning, what their real intentions were with these girls and everyone else they would eventually get to. No smile was going to make me forget that, or who I was and where I came from. What they had planned for me however, just might. The doctor walked over to me, bent down, and whispered into my ear.
"It's over. You're finished. Throw in the towel now, before more blood has to be shed than what is necessary," he said.
I closed my eyes, and let every word he said sink it. Everything was going to be destroyed. We were all going to be swept away as if we were never here. Anyone that would survive would be forced into slavery, never remembering what we once had. Everything we had worked for and accomplished would never be recognized...we would never become part of the history books. Dr. Montreal took a step back, and help out his hand for me. I took it, and started walking with him towards the door. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I did. Mrs. Brown patted me as I walked by, making me shake harder than I already was. We were almost to the door, when I jerked my hand away, and ran back to the classroom. I looked around until I saw Brittney. I knew this would be the last time I would ever talk to her.
"I'm so sorry Britt. I don't want to give in like this, but what else can I do? There's no one left to help us. Even if I still tried to end it, they would find a way to stop me. They would kill you, your family, even my family just to prove they'll stop at nothing. It's just not worth it! I didn't want it to end like this...but it's over...after hundreds of years of preparation, and planning...it's fucking over," I yelled at her.
I felt the wind get knocked out of me as a guard grabbed me and threw me out of the classroom into the hall. I kept my balance as I was knocked into a wall, and ran back towards the doorway. They blocked my way, but I pushed past them enough to get one last look at my best friend, the sister I never got, one last time.
"I love you Brittney," I yelled.
"I love you too Jess," she said.
We stared at each other, both knowing no matter what happened, no matter what they did to us, we would do everything we could to remember each other, to remain a part of each other's lives. After saying my final goodbye to her, I stopped fighting, and gave in to the guards. Each one stood beside me, grabbed my arms, and lead me down the hallway.
Once we made it to the end of the hallway, we made a right, heading towards the front exit. They pushed through both sets of black doors, and I felt the cold air sting my face as we walked outside. A white van pulled up, and came to a screeching halt in front of us. The back doors opened, and the guards began to lead me inside, but I shook their arms off. I raised my head high, and walked over to the back of the van, Dr. Montreal close behind me. I took a final look at the school, took in my one last breath of freedom, letting the cool air fill my lungs, then slowly stepped into the van.
The whole van shook as Dr. Montreal slammed each door shut. I listened as he climbed into the front with the driver, and felt the tires start to spin, as we drove away. When I was finally alone, surrounded by nothing but darkness, I closed my eyes, laid down on the floor of the van, and silently awaited my fate.
~Brittney~
I got up from my seat, and ran past everyone towards the door. I twisted the handle as hard as I could, but it was no use, the lock wouldn't budge. The doctor must have locked it when Jessica finally cooperated with the soldiers. I kicked the door, and listened to the glass shake loudly. I turned around, leaned against the door, and slid down onto the floor. It was over, it was actually over, and I knew I would never remember her. Jessica was my one and only true friend, my non-biological sister...and soon she would be washed from my memory forever. She was the one that showed me how life can truly be beautiful, and not the way these rich brats made it beautiful. She was real. I couldn't believe I would just forget her, like an old combination to a locker. I wanted to believe I wouldn't...in my heart, I wanted to believe we would always be together, and be a part of each other's lives.
I wrapped my arms around my legs, let my head fall down on my knees, and cried. She was gone now...it was over. The Recreation had finally begun.
