“Tick Tock, seven o’clock! Time to get up!”

I got up at that moment, not because I wanted to, but because I had to.

“Time to go to work! Stop lollygagging!”

Damned clock never knew how to shut up.

I didn’t want to go today, for I thought that something terrible was about to happen, an atrocity of some sort, but who am I to think? The government thinks for me. It thinks for all of us. Why think when I don’t need to stress my brain?

“Come on! Come on! Get up, brush your teeth and go to your job!”

Words I hear everyday. It’s all the same. Who needs new things anyways? Not me…

“Time to go! Time to go! The car is waiting for you!”

It’s been twenty years since I’ve had to manually drive a car. Times have changed. No more books, they all burned. No more shoes to tie, teeth to brush, children to take care of. Don’t even start me up on the nurseries. I heard a couple once died in one of them, could be a rumor though.

“Ding Dong! Ding Dong! 8 o’clock! Why aren’t you gone?!”

I wanted to stay inside. The feeling, the thought that something terrible was about to happen kept me locked in my house out of fear.

“Get going now! Gotta get to downtown! Turn your frown upside down and stop sitting around!”

I heard it, but I ignored it. Something terrible would unfold before my eyes the second I stepped outside. If I stay in maybe it won’t happen. I might get fired, but I’ll just find another job. No reason for alarm.

“Alarm! Alarm! If you don’t leave now, there may be harm!”

Perfect. Now I was stuck between going outside into the chaos, or staying here and having the authorities called here. I might as well go out. I hit the big red button on the robot, subtitled “Gone to Happiness!” This probably helped some people forget about their situation. I grabbed my coat off of the coat hanger, I grabbed my cold toast which the kitchen had made for me a few minutes ago. Lastly I grabbed my bag, it had all my papers in it. I was ready to go.

“8:30! 8:30! Fifteen minutes left! You’ll be happy today, just like all the rest!”

I prepared to walk out. I closed my eyes before I walked out to rely on my senses. I touched the doorknob, it felt as cold as my father. I heard crackling noises, similar to those in a fire place. I stepped outside, breathed through my mouth and tasted unflavored barbecue. I heard yelling. I smelled burnt paper, a smell I hadn’t smelled in at least five years. I walked to my car, stepped in and turned the radio on.

“Breaking news! Breaking news! A person has been found with books! Many books! Not to worry though! His house has been baptized with Fire! Glorious Fire!”

I knew this wouldn’t be it. Something else would happen. In that moment I felt that everything would be on fire.

8:56. A few more minutes until I got to work, or at least it would have been.

“Breaking news! Breaking news! The firefighters have not suppressed the Fire yet! It is rapidly spreading to other houses! The Fire rages on! There must be more people with books! The supreme judgement of Fire would never betray us!”

Idiots, all idiots. They worshiped fire as if it were some god. It has no qualities of a living being. It isn’t like us.

“Breaking news! Breaking news! The Fire continues its crusade around the city! The book owners are in for it now!”

They’re pyromaniacs I tell you, or maybe just maniacs in general. Crazy nonetheless.

“Breaking news! Breaking news! The whole city is on fire now! Book owners had it c-“

No more was said. Everything had already been engulfed in flames, nothing could’ve possibly survived. How did I survive? I instructed the car to drive in the opposite direction after I heard the first news alert. There was now an extremely powerful and overwhelming burnt aroma. I feel sorry for all those people, but at least I’m safe.

This is where the power of the leaders has crumbled. Now they are leaders no more, or maybe they lead some things in hell. It doesn’t really matter though. After all, who am I to think?