Excerpt: The Unwanted

Kate Austin McKinley. Seventeen years old. Group XI. Number 04920.
“I’ve always thought that saying things out loud makes everything clearer. It straightens things out, puts it right there in front of you, away from the confusing jumble of your mind. I always thought it helped. So that’s what I’m doing now, I’m saying everything out loud. Somehow, I don’t think saying it out loud is going to make any more sense. Nothing makes any sense, not anymore.
I’ll start at the beginning, because that’s usually the best place to start. Pause; lasting twenty one seconds, sigh. It really was an overnight thing; one night, the city settled down to sleep. The next morning; everything had changed. Every single thing. The current, democratic government had been overthrown and replaced with a harsh government of dictators. The people of the city just accepted this; there was no resistance. It was like everyone had been brainwashed. People went to work, made money, went home to their happy, shiny family, slept a dreamless sleep and woke up the next morning to do it all over again. The city had changed completely. The first day was a huge shock - we went about doing things in a citywide uniform way; perfectly in sync and unable to notice what was going on. Pause; lasting eleven seconds. I didn’t think it was strange at the time, I’ll admit it.
But my parents did. And that was why things went downhill. Pause; lasting nine seconds. I don’t know how long we lived like that; time was meaningless, every day blended into the next - it was impossible to tell when time had actually passed, or if it had passed at all. A long time, I’d guess a few months. But my parents couldn’t take it. They stood up for what they thought was right. Long pause; lasting one minute and fifty two seconds.
They’re gone. So is Abby. I snapped out of it after that. I ran, and ran and ran. I had no idea where I was going; where was I supposed to go? Once they’re gone, as far as the government is concerned, anyone connected with them is gone too. I didn’t exist. Long pause; lasting three minutes and fourteen seconds.
Then I found Gray. He took me in, signed me up. I fought for him. What else could I do? I’d lost everything. I had the anger a young fighter needed, the determination - I was a rebel with a cause. Laughter. I suppose you could call me that. That’s what we all are, that’s what everyone who comes to Gray’s is. Young rebels, kids who’ve been done wrong, kids who want to make a difference. Call us what you want. The government calls us terrorists. Pause; lasting nineteen seconds. But you know what they say - one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”
End tape.