The Wall

The Wall

I passed it every morning on my way to Military Education, but never really thought much about what was on the other side. Although, I heard rumors of a sub-human race that wasn't civilized, so the wall was built for our safety.

Everything I learned about "the wall" was from Master Lucas, my ME instructor. But I learned so much more when I met a boy from the other side. His name was Zane, and what he taught me to open my eyes to a world I never imagined existed.

As I sit here in shackles in this cold cell, I can still remember the day that changed my life forever, and that got me here, awaiting execution.

****

It was the new semester at ME. I was 13 now and ready to train to patrol the wall. I walked past the wall, running my hand across the bricks on my way to school. I felt grown up and ready to protect our side from whatever grotesque creatures might try to tunnel or climb the wall and invade our society.

The bell rang just as I sat down in my seat. Master Lucas stood behind his desk with his arms folded in the small of his back inspecting each of us as we filed into to the room.

"Cadet Morris!" He yelled out.

"Yes, Master Lucas," he replied rising from his seat.

"You have a button missing from you uniform. Why is it not repaired?"

Morris fidgeted with the empty buttonhole on his jacket. "My sincerest apologies, Master Lucas. The button fell off on the way here, and I did not have to time to repair it."

"You know the rules, Morris. You must inspect and repair any damage to your uniform each night so that you show up for ME in pristine condition."

Morris dropped his head. "Yes, Master Lucas."

"Go!" He pointed to the door. "Superior Menz can decide your punishment."

Morris quickly left the room.

"Now, everyone stand so I can inspect your hair length." Master Lucas walked up and down the aisles between the desks, stopping to measure hair length. "Everyone seems to be at the right length. You may all be seated. "

As he walked back to his desk he spoke about the wall. "This new semester brings on more responsibility. You are all teenagers now and old enough to start training to patrol the wall."

He pointed at a map setting on an easel. "I know you've all heard rumors about the wall, but it's imperative you know why it was built and what you are protecting our society from. He took out a pointer and placed it on the map. "This is our society, The Western States of America. We are a civilized people who believe in equality for all people and engaging in practices that benefit us as a society." He pointed to the other side. "This is the other half, the Eastern United States. This is an uncivilized group of people who hold on to old ways that are outdated and lead to nothing but poverty, disease, and war.

I raised my hand. "Master Lucas, may I speak?"

"Go ahead, Landry."

"Why do these people attempt to come over the wall?"

"Good question, Landry. These people are unsanitary, filthy and disease ridden, so they are constantly running out of medical supplies. They sneak over to our society to steal our medications and medical supplies."

"Thank you for answering my question, Master Lucas."

"You're welcome. Now, we'll continue." He took out a small plastic tool. "This is a stun gun. You will each carry one of these when you patrol the wall, and one of these." He held up a walkie-talkie. "If you catch an uncivilized coming over or under the wall, you zap them this," he held up the stun gun, "and call for the General on duty with this. Everyone follow me out to the wall and I'll assign you each a partner and a position."

****

We all stood at the wall, feeling proud to be old enough to help protect our society. We all paired off as Master Lucas called our names and were assigned a portion about meters long to patrol for our sector.

Master Lucas filled us in on more history. "It was 125 years ago that the wall was built to protect us from people who refused to cooperate and do what is best for society.

He kept talking, but my mind wondered. I couldn't help but imagine the people on the other side, and how horrible it must be for them.

Master Lucas finished the history lesson and told us to practice walking our assigned section.

I was partnered with Cadet Louis, and was told we'd start patrolling alone at the end of the week after our training was complete. I would meet Zane the second night of patrol after my training was complete.

****

Cadet Louis and I were assigned the evening shift from 4 pm to 11 pm. We had our stun guns strapped to our sides and our talkies ready. We were to start in the middle of our strips and walk away from one another in the opposite direct and then back to meet in the middle, it was when I was alone at the outer stretch that I heard digging.

I bent down and noticed a tunnel with a patch of the earth laid out beside it. My heart raced as I look around. My training taught me I should call and report, so I reached for my talkie, and just as I brought it up to my mouth, something struck me on the head.

I woke up sometime later with a nasty throbbing bump on the back of my head. Standing over me was a person with long hair, short pants, a wrinkled, baggy shirt and strappy shoes.

I reached for my stun gun, but it was gone. The person bent down beside me. "I took it. I can't let you turn me in. I just came to borrow this." The person shook a medicine bottle. "My grandma is sick, and she needs these antibiotics."

"You uncivilized, dirty thief. Maybe if your people would learn to follow rules, you wouldn't have to steal. You could live in a society like ours."

"I'd die before I'd lived like you."

I swung at that smug face but missed.

He wrestled me to the ground, and when hand rubbed against my chest, he sprang up. "You're a girl! I can't fight with you."

"What? I'm a human being!" I kicked his shin and pulled my jacket close to my chest.

"That offends you? There are two genders you know--male and female."

"Just because my body looks a little different doesn't make me different. I'm a Cadet just like every other young person in our society."

"What?" He shook his head. "You're a girl and I'm a boy, and I don't fight girls, even if she does have a crew cut."

"It's better than having long stringy hair like a filthy animal."

The boy sat down and lit a cigarette. "They sure do brainwash you people over here, don't they? You know what go ahead and call in your general to come arrest me. I'll be down that hole and home before anyone gets here."

I don't know why, but I felt drawn to him. His large brown eyes seem to look through me and when he was on top of me, wrestling with me, it made me feel funny--a feeling I've never felt before. I stood over him. "I won't turn you in this time. Besides, if I do it now, the Superior will punish me for allowing you to get that medicine."

"I'm just trying to help my grandma. You people over here have plenty of medicine to share."

"Well, I guess I can understand. I love my grandparents, too. They'll both be up for extermination in six months, so I'll miss them."

"They exterminate people here?" He put his cigarette out on the wall behind him.

"Of course. When a civilian reaches 72, their lifetime is up. It's for the good of the society."

"My grandma is 82 and I'll do everything I can to keep her alive. You people are sick."

"How old are people on the other side?"

"All different ages. My neighbor is 91."

"That just a waste of medication, housing and medical care to keep someone so near the end of life alive"

"The Bible says humans can live up to 120 years."

I laughed. "That old relic is full of fairytales about an imaginary all-knowing God. There's no truth to it."

"Yep, you're brainwashed. There is no hope for you. I got to get this to my grandma."

"Wait! Where's my stuf?."

"Under the bush," he called as he disappeared down the hole.

I picked up my things, and brushed the dirt off my uniform. I had a button missing and some loose threads. I found a way to hide the damage until I got home.

I don't know why, but I covered the hole with the patch of grass lying beside it to hide it. I knew it was wrong, but I kind of wanted to see him again. And I didn't want to get into trouble my first week of patrol.

****

I repaired my uniform as soon as I got home, and went straight to bed.

Pictures of that boy were embedded in my mind. He didn't look sub-human. He looked like us, except for his hair and clothes, and he didn't look dirty or diseased. Maybe the people on the other side weren't what others described. I mean after all, how many of us have ever seen them?

Anger took over as I thought about him calling us sick and saying I was brainwashed. How dare he be so crude when he's one of the uncivilized? I decided if I saw him again, I'd punch him and then turn him in. Okay, to be honest, my feelings were all mixed up, and I wasn't sure what I'd do if he came tunneling back up on my watch.

****

More to come....