“Everybody in line!” screamed a man in a black bandana. He was the leader of the rebellion that had raided our town. I’d heard about the rebels who turned on the government, but I’d never thought they’d reach our town. The leader wore ripped clothes, and his hair was tied in a bun. I kept my head down and hurried to join our neighbors. My best friend, Oliver, stood next to me in line. I had never seen so much fear in his eyes. Oliver and I had been best friends since kindergarten. He was shorter than most kids his age, but he had the biggest personality. Freckles scattered across his pale skin, and he always wore large circular glasses. Whenever I was upset, Oliver would always tell me ‘Alex, you mustn’t dwell on the past.’ The line that we stood in would determine our future, and almost everybody had their heads down in fear.

“Your containment devices,” said the man in the black bandana, “take them off.” I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I had been wearing my containment device since birth. They put it on me before my mother could even hold me in her arms. My father said it was what kept us all sane. It kept us from doing the things that are wrong even when we think they are right. Our neighbor once thought that switching the containment devices between wrists would help with circulation. We never saw him again. If you took it off you would be executed and your family would be considered a disgrace. We had learned all of those many consequences at a very young age in the form of stories and lullabies. The man fired his gun in the air and screamed, “TAKE THEM OFF THIS INSTANT!”

Everybody quickly started fidgeting with their devices, trying to remove them from their wrists. As soon as mine was off, I felt a sense of freedom and strength. I wanted to escape that dreaded place. Thoughts like this had never gone through my head before, it was like my brain had a barrier that needed to be broken. I looked down at my wrist to see the pale cylinder where the device used to be. All of a sudden I felt a chill run down my spine. The government was going to come and kill us all, I thought to myself. However, I didn’t see any of the black SUVs, or the men in dark uniforms with the letters AHDC on them. Everyone knew what those dreaded letters stood for Administration of Human Discipline and Containment. A man came to me to collect my device. He gave me a long hard glace and yanked the bracelet from my grasp. He placed the bag of devices into the back of the truck, and we all knew why: weapons. That technology was so advanced, their weapons would be unbeatable.

The man in the black bandana started going through the line, picking out the weakest and shabbiest people and pushing them into the truck. I suddenly realized what was happening: he was taking people whom he didn’t deem worthy. If he took me, I would never see my friends and family again. As he got closer to me, I puffed my chest and lifted my chin; however, my eyes were still gazing towards the ground. I wanted to show him that I was strong and wasn’t afraid. He approached me and glared hard into my eyes. As soon as he moved past me, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. However, it didn’t last long for he had suddenly grabbed Oliver and threw him onto the ground. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. His sorrowful eyes met mine, and I knew he understood how sorry I was. Two men grabbed Oliver by the arms and tossed him with the rest.

As a woman being loaded into the truck cried for her son, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I heard Oliver’s voice echoing through my head, saying the same thing he always told me: ‘Alex, you mustn’t dwell on the past.’ He was only a memory now. He was my past. I had a lump in my throat, and I couldn’t breathe. After every person that they selected was shoved in a truck, “Take them away,” a demanding voice calls. The man in the black bandana waved his hand as if swatting a fly.