He pushes me up against the wall, his arm across my throat, making it hard to breathe. "Did you take it?" He asks me. "Did you take my wallet?"

I close my eyes contemplating what to say. I can't lie. I've lied too many times already, three to be exact. If I lie one more time, I'll be dead by tomorrow, but if I admit to taking his wallet, I'll be caught and taken to prison.

In the world we live in there are only four rules, don't lie more than three times in your whole life, don't steal unless you want to end up locked up, don't assault a minor, and don't ever kill anyone. The first one is the only one the government can actually monitor us on, every time someone lies, a chip inside our arm gains one more tally only the government can see. Every morning, the citizens line up and get their chips scanned. If you have four or more tallies, you get executed.

The other two rules are easier to break. Some people, like myself, make a living off of stealing, we're thieves. Nobody ever kills, though because if you are even a suspect, they will lock you up in solitary for the rest of your days. They will also lock you up in solitary if you are caught stealing even a penny, and lock up a person in solitary for even putting their hands inappropriately on a minor.

I run through my options: lie and get killed, don't lie and get locked up in solitary, lie and run away out of town, or tell the truth and kill this man and then flee. What to do?

"Well?" The man asks impatiently.

A half truth, that would not be considered a full lie, there is a possibility a tally wouldn't appear. "It fell on the sidewalk," I begin slowly, looking him directly in the eyes, "I picked it up. I'm assuming this is yours?" I pull out the old ragged wallet I had seen him drop earlier today. He lets me go and takes the wallet. Luckily, I had already taken the deluxe credit card out and have it in the secret pocket in the lining of my boot.

He looks through the wallet and sneers, "I had a credit card in here, where is it?"

I raise my arms and purse my lips together. "You can check me. You know, runs your hands across my figure, but then," I click my tongue, "I would have to report you for assaulting a minor. I'm only fourteen you know."

He glares at me and pockets his wallet, "Fine. If you're lying, I guess tomorrow I'll find out."

He leaves me alone in the alleyway. I straighten up and clear my throat. He shoved me up against the wall, I recall, put his hands on me, even if it was my throat. A plan starts to formulate in my mind. Perfect. Guess one of us will end up in solitary after all. I smile, "Time to go to the authorities." I sing song as I walk out of the alleyway towards the government skyscraper.