I made my way down the dark sidewalk, eyes fixed on what lay ahead. Living near the walls was admittedly quite difficult. For uniformity, every home or hotel had its parking lot on the right. Yeah, try pulling out and not hitting the giant wall of stone right next to you. Whatever, I don't need a car anyways. Anywhere I was gonna go was close enough to make it useless, and I certainly don't need to stroke my ego. I pass by a wall covered in political propaganda.

"Vote me into office and I'll end hunger in the city."

"Vote me in and I'll cure cancer."

"Vote me in and I don't kill you all." This message was written in red spray paint.

'Geez, appreciate the honesty.' I smirk, continuing on. Most buildings on this side of town were still being rebuilt after the Skyscraper incident. It happened ten years back. A particularly nasty storm sent a tree crashing into one of the few giant buildings in the city, leading to the destruction of all of 7th St, about 50 deaths, more injured than I feel comfortable telling, and even did some damage to the right wall. I was a kid back then, I think I was with one of dad's friends when it happened. She'd taken me into the emergency bunker, and held me tight, promising everything was okay. She was a good woman. Never found out what happened to her. I wipe my eyes, realizing I'd been crying. My entire body was begging me to stop, too tired to keep going. I pushed those warnings back, hoping I wouldn't pass out before even getting to the cafe. Vinnie's, to be exact. The only one open at 6 in the morning, and I still hadn't done groceries, so hey, don't have any other options. I stop at the red light when I notice a figure in the distance moving toward me. I pull out my pocket knife, just in case. "Francis, It's Tamilia!" I recognize her once she gets close enough for me to discern her face (which isn't very far, I'm tired as hell.) "Oh, yes, nice to see you again." I pull out a smile, holding out my hand. She takes it with a strong grip. "Firm hand." I chuckle, letting go. "Meh, got bored of waiting around to get mugged." She responds, shoving her hands in her pockets. "Uh, hey, you alright?" She asks, probably referring to my heavy looking eyes. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Was up all night writing." She whistles. "Writing, huh? Alright, hot shot, where's your fanfiction posted?" I scoffed. "Screw off, mate." She waves off my response. "I'm just joking. Jeez, no need to be emotional." "E-emotional?" She laughs at my response. I shrug, yawning into my elbow. "Professional release next month, so I kinda need to catch up before I end up screwed." She whistles. "Well, sounds exciting. You'll be on the shelves with all those books you love so much, ya nerd." "Those who tend to mock others deserve mocking themselves."

She frowns. "You keep quoting those lines. I'm not sure you know what context is." I feel sweat trickle down my forehead. "I-it wasn't that cringe." She nods her head. "No, it was...ya nerd." Her smile returned. "And there you go bullying me again. I demand you retract that-" I stop as a person pushes through the both of us. Something drops in front of me. "Hey, asshat, you dropped something!" I yell, grabbing the red item off the ground. The person doesn't stop, continuing into the distance. I look back at the item. It seems to be a pencil pouch, and in mint condition, to boot. The name "Francis" was scrawled across it. "Huh, I guess we have the same name?" I look at the girl in front of me. "Let's open it." She states, her tone serious with a hint of mischief. "Yeah, sure." I unzip the pouch, opening it wide. Inside was a note. I felt my heart sink into my stomach.

I know you have it.

I thought back to the whole reason I was even up this early. A chill crept up my spine. "Do you know what it's talking about?" I shake my head. "Must be a prank." I remove the slip of paper. There was one left inside.

Do you want to change this world? I chuckled a little, feeling myself relax. What cliche drivel, it just has to be a prank. Still, I can't let go of it. "Well, I don't know Francis, sounds like a pretty good idea." She said in a strange voice. I laugh more, shaking my head. "Stupid pranks. They never quit, do they?" Despite that, I still pocket the pouch. "Hey, wanna grab some breakfast?" I offer. She seems to think about it for a moment. "If you're paying!" I nod, and the two of us leave the moment the light turns green again.

…

"Ah! Never been more full in my life." I watch in stunned silence as she finishes her second breakfast sandwich. 'Maybe I shouldn't have said all you can eat.' I cursed myself, taking a bite from a piece of toast. "Thanks for the food." She wiped her mouth with a napkin, throwing it onto her plate. "Yeah, no problem." I laxly respond, looking over the other patrons. A few wave when our eyes meet. "Wow, you have quite a few friends." She notices the people waving. "Meh, honestly one would be enough for me. Seems I'm just likable." "How arrogant." "Why you-" I give up, leaning into my booth seat. "It's a good idea to have a friend in this city, especially nowadays." She nods vigorously. "Just last night I had to protect my friend from a group of muggers. Everyone here is going mad." She responds. "I mean, hey, how long can someone stay in this small city without going a little mad?" She doesn't respond to that, instead taking a sip from her coffee.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"-and I promise to care for our wonderful community here in Vernice."

I look to the t.v and see a man dressed in a nice suit talking nonsense. "Sure you do." I say a little too loudly. "I don't know, he may be good." I roll my eyes at her weak defense. "Yeah, fair." She places her chin in her hand. "Well, maybe one day." I mutter. Tamilia grits her teeth. "No. Not if someone reasonable doesn't decide to join the running." I'm shocked by her sudden, clear hatred. "Maybe you should run." I say. "Huh?" "I can't say anything about your leadership, but you seem to have the right idea." She chuckles, cheeks going red. "I-I don't really think-" her bob bounces as her shoulders jump. "Well, why not? It's not like anybody else is going from your angle." She responds, "That's...not it." I make a motion to show interest. "I...don't think I'd be a good leader." She admits. "Oh. That's a shame." She looks at me. “Again, I don't know you all that well, but I do know that, with how things are going, I think you should give it a shot. Who knows, you may actually do better that that guy in the nice suit." She smiles. "Francis?" "Yes, milady?" "Thank you." I feel myself start blushing. "No problem. I just don't want you to waste your potential." She declares, (almost promising, really) "I won't."

…

My day went on without further incident. I received a few friendly nods and waves, even had some discussions, but mostly, I was alone. At five, I checked in the books I'd read, checked out another, and left the library, ready to grind out another few chapters. The walk back was mostly calm, until I noticed the smell of smoke. As I got closer to home, the smell worsened. I felt my lungs crying out for fresh air. That's when I saw it. 7th Street had been lit ablaze. A group of people wearing masks, packed in an old minivan, roared past me, one person taking the time to throw a rock that hit me in the arm. I was stunned, unable to respond, when I heard a scream come from a house. I sprung into action, throwing my bag to the ground, racing toward the house I heard the noise come from. I charged through the door, stopping myself before I fell into the sea of flames. "Hello?! Is anyone here?!" I heard a scream from upstairs.

Rushing to the stairs, I hopped up each step, feeling a few break under my weight. Arriving in the upstairs hall, I saw him. A boy I'd come to know during one of my observations; Chris. He was a good kid, working hard to support his family, who had been injured in the skyscraper incident. "Francis, It hurts!" I bolt to him. He was being crushed under a cabinet. I gripped the long side, slowly pushing it up. Once I'd gotten it off him, I finally saw the real damage. The cabinet had dug into his back, probably breaking his spine. Blood poured out onto the ground, and the sight of his insdes froze me up, until I remembered I had a first aid kit in my bag. "Chris, this is gonna hurt, but I'm gonna help you. Do you trust me?" "Yes! Yes, just please help!" With his permission, I slowly lifted him up. His pain filled screams echoed in my mind as I made my way to the stairs, dragging his feet across the floor. "Just hang in there. We're almost out." I slowly made my way down the rotting wood staircase. The last stair breaks, sending me falling onto my face. "Ahhh!" He grits his teeth, tears falling down his face. "Just relax! Were getting out!" I slowly picked him up, pushing myself forward and, finally, out the door. I rushed over to the lawn, leaving him on the porch to grab my bag.

"Okay, Chris, I need you to be absolutely still, okay?" I ripped the first aid kit out of my bag, trying to ignore the whimpers coming from his mouth. My hands were shaky, but I managed to bandage the wound quickly. I'd been screaming for help during the process, but It seemed no one was around, or I was being ignored. I hastily open a call window, typing in the emergency number. I waited in tense patience. They didn't pick up. "What the hell?!" I try calling again when I feel the weight in my arms change. I look down, and see his lifeless eyes staring back up at me. The boy was dead. His body weighed heavy in my arms. 'You failed.' I didn't know how to respond at first. I even thought for a moment it was just a hallucination, and that the boy was only being still from pain. But, no. He was most definitely dead. "Ah...ahhhh...aaa." I felt my throat choking up, and I couldn't even form a word as my eyes filled with tears. 'His mom, his dad, oh god, what would I tell them? Would the realization kill them? Those...those thugs that drove past me...did they do this...they did this and I didn't even bother remembering their fucking plate number!' I grit my teeth as my hands clenched around the boys arm. People like them wouldn't just do this once. They'd do it again. And again, and again, and again, and the useless prices of shit meant to protect us won't do anything. They're useless! All of them! Laughing it up like they're some bringers of justice. The words rose from my throat, like the screech of a dying man. "I'll kill them! Every last one of them!" I paused, tears clogging my throat. "I-I will find justice."