She was taken two weeks ago. I don’t know where, but I have a feeling I won’t see her again. I’ve been alive for fifteen years, and yet I’m just now questioning our society. We aren’t allowed to show any emotion. No tears, no smiles, no raised eyebrows, only monotone voices. Of course, we are allowed to feel emotions in our mind, we just can't show it on our face or in our daily activities. My mom sometimes tells me about how the world used to be, before President Crew took over the whole world. She said that people could smile and laugh at jokes. People cried and were allowed to change the tone of their voices. But that was before President Crew took over, seventeen years ago. He took over after the government showed weakness . I don't even think we have a government anymore. It's just him.

  It all happened two weeks ago. My best friend, Val was taken. Her dog died and she found out while we were in school. I was with her when it happened. In a matter of five seconds something came from her eye. It looked like a raindrop, but it wasn’t. It was a tear. We were both in so much shock when it happened, we didn't even realize who was around us.

  We should have known though. They showed up ten minutes later and took her.  She was dragged into a black car, kicking and screaming, showing so much emotion it was overwhelming. It was like it happened in slow motion. My mom came early that day to pick me up.

  I started writing letters to no one in particular, asking questions that were “dangerous,” as my teachers would say. The school tells us not to ask questions about our society and just go along with it. But the more they told us that, the more curious I got. Who was President Crew and  why couldn’t we show emotion? I knew if the President knew I was getting suspicious he would come for me, but at the same time I wanted other people to get curious too. I didn't want to go through this alone.

  I had a plan. It was dangerous, but I could do it. I would create posters that asked questions that everyone else was afraid to ask. I started to make them, making them vibrant and attractive to the eye. The first one said, “Who is The President, really?” and “ Why can't we smile?” Tonight, after mom goes to bed, I will sneak out and put them all around the neighborhood. 

  I didn't want to go out the front door because mom has a security system so I decided to go out my window. The clock officially read 1:30 a.m. and I was ready as ever to do this task. I started to climb out the window when all of a sudden I heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was my mom!

  I quickly threw my stuff under a blanket and jumped into my bed. I got into my bed just in time because a millisecond later my mom peeked into my room. Once I was sure she was back in bed, I grabbed my bag and started to climb out the window. Once I got onto the ground I started to run. I knew I had to spread the posters around the neighborhood quickly. I hung them up everywhere. On the trees, mailboxes, and on windshields. On every other street, there were two or three officers out on watch. When I got home, I was exhausted.

  The next morning I woke up and went downstairs for breakfast. Mom had the news on.

  “This morning residents of multiple neighborhoods are finding posters that question our society. They are calling this mysterious person “the seeker” . She said in a monotone voice, “ The President has demanded that this person be turned in by tomorrow at midnight or he will have to go through extensive protocols to find this citizen.”

  Mom turned off the tv and said nothing as she left the room to get ready for work. I stood there speechless. This could become very atrocious. I knew I would have to keep putting up posters to keep people curious,  it would just be extra dangerous now. I decided to wait a couple days before putting up anymore.

The next couple of days went by fast. I went through my daily routine of eating, school, homework, and sleep. It was different without Val by my side every day. Her memory motivated me to continue my mission of bringing out the truth. I waited a whole week before sneaking out to put up posters. This time, I decided to venture out a little more. I went into neighborhoods and the town square. As I was putting up an especially vibrant poster on the library door, I heard cars coming up the road. I ran into an alley. The people in the cars got out and started to search the perimeter. My heart was beating so fast I was afraid they would hear it. If they caught me, they would take me.

  I heard footsteps get closer to where I was hiding. I held my breath and prayed. It was silent for a long time before I started to breath normally. I got up and walked out of the alley. That's when someone grabbed me from behind. I tried to get away, but they put something sharp in my neck. “I gotcha”, President Crew said.
That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

  I woke up in a white room. At first I was confused, but then I remembered what happened. I started to struggle against the straps holding me down. In a matter of seconds, the President was by my bedside. “ I see you're awake.” he said, “ I was beginning to get scared I injected to much of this special liquid into you.” He started to laugh hysterically. His laugh was cold and emotionless. As I laid there I started to cry, I don't know how I did it, my body just knew how to. “Don't cry, it makes you look weak. But you obviously disagree with that. What were you trying to do with those posters? Start a movement? You people are too stupid to even comprehend why your society is like this.  I'll tell you the real reason why I don't allow you humans to show emotions. It makes you weak. Vulnerable.  Irrational.”

  “You humans?” I asked.

  “Oh, you don't know? I'm made out of steel. I don't have any emotions, I don't even have a brain. But that information will be useless to you, because once I inject you with more of the fluid, you will sleep for hundreds upon thousands of years. You'll be able to join your little friend.”

  “You can't do this!” I yelled. “Someone will find out and finish what I started!”

  “Maybe someone will,” he replied, “but you won't be able to help them. I have business to attend to, so I will make this quick. Nighty- night Cora Alfred, don't let the bedbugs bite.”
Everything went black.