If I Wasn't 16

My eyes stung as they filled with tears, but they weren't happy tears. I let out a shaky breath. I was sitting in front of my birthday cake as the candles that had the number 16 spelled out, illuminated the dark room. But this was no time for celebration.

10 minutes until I turned 16, it was 11:50pm. Most people would be celebrating with friends, maybe even going out for their 16th birthday. My sweet 16. For years, I had been waiting for this moment, to say I was finally a woman. But all that came now was the deep fear of death.

4 years ago, the population was getting out of hand. Families were practically piled on top of each other, with 4 siblings in one small room. Big companies built condos, pushing most people who originally lived in my town to a smaller area. The people who could afford it, moved to the condos, but most of us couldn't. I don't know what it is, but the people in my town really liked having children, or maybe making children. So it was very common to have 3 or more siblings.

The government had started noticing. My town was communist, which means the government controlled what we could do. The government would watch us, everywhere, but you would never actually see them. In our town, we have this huge hill, where when I was young we would roll down it and laugh, until they took over. Its this big black factory with steam coming out of it. It's intimidating, and no one ever dared to go even close. And no one wants to know what they do in the factory.

So, the government decided that they had to cut down on the population. So when I was 11, they told everyone that was born in 2003 through 2007 would get killed at their 16th birthday. Unless, you could pay for it, which not many people could. I was, unfortunately born in 2004, which meant I would die right when I turned 16.

My mom talking to me pulled me out of the memories of the past. People say my mom looks like me, she has the same light brown skin, curly dark brown hair, and thick eyebrows that point slightly down.

But mom doesn't have my signature freckles, or personality. "Tabitha, honey, we're gonna sing to you before they come." I nodded my head, and I felt a warm tear slowly go down my cheek.

Aimee, my friend, who I had known since 4th grade was standing over me, she loudly sang the first few lyrics of "Happy Birthday" Aimee and I are inseparable, and we never go anywhere without each other. But we can't stay together when I'm dead. Aimee is a couple months younger than me, most of my friends are too, so they have time. I'm one of the first of my friends. Everyone started chanting. I looked at my watch. 11:55pm.