EVERGREEN

A small city filled with common civilians. it's your every day city nothing to out of the ordinary, but when you look around, everyone's dressed the same. The same blue jumpsuit with numbers, written in white on the front of the jumpsuit.

No one's ever questioned why we all dress alike. It's all we've ever known. and personally, I don't mind it, but when I read the books, my grandfather left behind before he died. I can't help but wonder what it would be like for everyone to be able to dress differently. in the books my grandfather left, he wrote about water that spread for miles and creatures that people kept in their personal buildings as pets. Families that had buildings to themselves it all sounds so crazy in the books but I can't help but wonder what it would be like.

I often get lost in my own thoughts like this

"I think I see Theo over here!" I hear a voice in the distance yell I am quickly broken out of my thoughts as I recognize this voice it's the same guy who's been harassing me my whole life with his group of friends I get up from the tree that I'm sitting under, and I begin to run. I run, until I finally find some bushes and duck into them hiding as they run past me.

" I'll never be safe I'll never belong here. I wish I could just run into these books that my grandfather always wrote about and just live there. He always spoke of these books as if they were true, but there's just no way it's all so impossible. These are all make-believe stories."

When the coast is clear I leave the bush and I begin walking back into the city it's about time for dinner and then back into the sleeping chambers. I feel when I'm out of the city is the only time I'm able to find peace. Maybe I'll be able to dream about the things my grandfather wrote about.

As Theo walks away a faint cracking noise can quietly be heard behind him it's so faint he doesn't hear it as he continues walking back to the city.

A light begins to shine into the crack everything these people knew was about to start changing.

As Theo makes it to the city he heads towards the cafeteria a major one, in the middle of the city. Everyone in the city eats at a cafeteria at their designated scheduled time. As Theo grabs a tray and begins walking towards his table he's tripped but luckily uses his levitation power to stop himself from falling face first into his tray. Moments after this successful save there's a foot on his back pushing him into the tray "where were you today Theo? you know curfew is at five we went looking everywhere for you." a male voice spoke. The voice alone sent fear into a Theo’s body "thought we saw you outside of the city, but you wouldn't go that far without letting us know would you?" a female voice spoke and let out a laugh. These voices belonged to Blake and his girlfriend Amber. They harrassed Theo ever since they were children. These two and all of their friends were the reason Theo could never find peace.

Theo tried pushing himself up from the ground his arms shaking as he tried to push against all the force Blake put on his back. The cafeteria erupted into laughter as Theo continued to push against Blake but to no avail. "I'll ask one more time where were you." Blake said as he continued adding pressure onto Theo’s back at this point Theo couldn't breathe "I...wahh..." he couldn't get out the words as the laugher in the cafeteria got louder and louder.

Then suddenly silence. The entire cafeteria went completely silent and the foot was taken off of Theo’s back as the foot steps began to slowly back away Theo took this chance and got up catching his breath before looking around and noticing everybody was looking towards the door of the cafeteria. A tall man with long white uncombed hair and dark eyes stood in the doorway. It was Silas no one would dare ever mess with Silas or even talk to him for that matter he was dangerous. Most days he would just sleep, but on his bad days. He'd kill anyone who got near him.

Theo didn't have time to think about this he didn't feel safe and while everyone was distracted he grabbed his book his grandfather left him and ran past Blake and out of the cafeteria. This however caught the attention of Silas as he turned his head watching Theo run a small look out curiousity coming across Silas’ face before he continued through the cafeteria.

Theo ran and ran his chest was heavy, and tears fell from his face as he ran. He ran out of the city as far as he could make it before falling to his knees and sobbing. His back hurt from the amount of pressure. Blake had put on it. They had always been cruel, but never so cruel to the point where they could've killed him.

Theo continued to sob for what felt like an hour, before BAM a loud thud, followed by the sound of glass shattering "what the hell..." Theo said quietly before walking toward the sound "why would there be glass this far out of the city?..." when he got to the source of the sound, he saw huge shards of glass that looked to be a bit mossy and dirty on the outside. He touched them and looked around out of confusion before hearing chirping overhead. "Huh?..." he said quietly. There was a piece of the sky missing. And there looked to be more sky outside....

Theo hesitated at first but his curiosity slowly began to get the better of him as he found his body lifting from the ground he levitated towards the opening without even realizing. Then he saw it. "The water that spreads for miles...".