WILLOW
ELLIE JOHNSON, 11
“...AND remember, do not under any circumstance leave your house. We must be unifi ed.
Have a pleasant day, America!” A polished, delicate plate fl ew through the air, exploding into the television screen. “Honey!” A stern, middle aged woman with dark, buzz cut hair screeched at her husband, whose arm was still extended from his throw. “The virus could kill me for all I care, but what the hell happened to my freedom?! I thought this was America for God’s sake.” The burly man’s veins practically popped out of his forehead. Willow could hear her father’s yelling from her small, cubicle-like pod of a room, like always. She knew it scared her mom to hear him scream like that, especially since the government issued security cameras in every household in the country. Willow let go of the pull-up bar mounted in her door frame. Her slim physique glimmered with sweat which she wiped from her face with a white, sterile cloth. She quickly discarded it in the waste containment system, or WCS. The WCS could destroy anything potentially contaminated by NOHL - 26, a virus that spread like wildfi re tens of years ago. She pulled the hair band out of her long, dark, curly hair to let it stick out at every angle. “Willow, honey! Could you come in here for a second?” Willow’s mom stood patiently beside the kitchen island with a letter in her hands. “What’s that?” Willow inquisitively asked as she entered the kitchen and living area. “Your offi cial letter of testing! Isn’t it wonderful?” She replied, handing the envelope to Willow. “After you pass the tests you can fi nally get your own rations, living quarters, and…husband.” She nudged Willow on the shoulder happily. “You’ll be your own person, not just my smart daughter.” A grave nervousness washed over Willow. “So soon? I’m not scheduled to fi nish my schooling until next January. That’s when my testing is supposed to start, why did my letter come so soon?” She stepped back a little and braced herself on the kitchen’s island. “Honey, what’s wrong? This is what we wanted! Your grades were so high, so your dad and I called city hall and submitted a request to let you graduate early! Isn’t it exciting?” She responded. “Yeah...exciting.” Willow opened the letter. “In three days?! Mom, I’m not ready, that’s so soon!” A few moments passed, and tears began to pool in her emerald green eyes which she sniffed back. She crumpled the paper and threw it at her mom. “I won’t do it.” “Baby!” Her mom tried to stop her to no avail. Willow stormed out of the living area and slammed her bedroom door behind her. “She just has to accept growing up. I did.” The woman said under her breath. “What did you say, dear?” Her husband asked from the couch. “Nothing. Could you please go talk to her? She’s being tested on Wednesday whether she likes it or not, and she needs to behave. And do not give her any of your rebellious freedom talk. Now is not the time.” Willow’s mom sternly replied. He nodded and made his way to Willow’s room. “Get out, mom.” Willow stood facing the small window on the far side of the room in her fl owy, gray leisure pants that cinched at the waist and ankles as well as a cropped, dark green tank top that was tight and high-necked.
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