The ear-splitting alarm went off.

BEEP. BEEP. EVACUATE. Over and over again at 7:00am.

I thought the walls kept us safe.

Everyone exited their rooms at once and we ran, well… we tried. We were all huddled up like we were at one of those concerts, from the old days.

It all started over two years ago. September 24, 2040. The day I lost everything. My family and home. All my friends too, except one.

Occasionally, Jane and I sneak up the tall entrance gates. We sit on top of the cold walls at midnight, with a view of the town. The vibrant town we once lived in, now remains desolate and gray. Houses, parks, restaurants, and schools, where people made memories, now are occupied by nobody but the Reborn. I often gaze at the stars and see a glimmer of hope that the world will be better one day.

Me, Jane, and hundreds of residents are now standing in a line outside of the wall. We all are just a number. I was once Eileen, but now I am #83. Jane is #82.

The military eyes each person up and down, choosing who should go into the shack.

I clutch hands with Jane. I shut my eyes and dissociate from this ugly world. I imagine the lives we should’ve lived. With our families. With our friends. With our husbands. With the children from our dreams.

Me and her.

I hear a crack and everything ends.

Well… it didn’t quite end.