Saturday, November 10, 2012

After Letter 1

Based on the book After by Francine Prose.

It's good, creepy and awesome.





From the Journal of Sara Dale:

 They came during science today. Mr. Mishu had been about to mix the chemicals when they came in and all hell broke loose. Some of the younger kids were crying, the 9th graders. I was too afraid, too in shock, to cry. We were the good ones, right? The ones who obeyed every new rule, every new policy, who read only what was asked, did what little work we had, kept our mouths shut as they stole our rights- in the name of keeping us safe. They made us leave everything, but I saved this scrap of paper and sketching pencil.  Is this how people feel during evacuations during wars? One minute home, afraid but home, the next on a train or bus to the unknown? To death?

  All I know is we are going west. Mom must be so afraid. Surely someone heard the more resistant kids shouting and called the cops, right? Writing this calms me, but not enough. I wish Geric was here, to hold me and say everything would be ok, but he was one of the first to go. Sent away to some detention center because of an essay he wrote. Isn’t that breaking the first amendment? I wish we’d covered more in history, but after the shooting, well…

We just crossed state lines. I remember an old mystery I read--- this is a kidnapping. My mother never would have signed anything! This is against the law! I wish that just saying that would make them stop. It won’t- words of a child are powerless against the-wait Why is the government helping? I see police among the men and women on this bus, watching for- oh no! they see me writing!
Whoever finds this, know that Pleasant Valley high students are being taken to their dooms- tell our parents our final goodbyes. Crap, he’s coming, what do- the windo~

1 comment:

  1. "Is this how people feel during evacuations during wars?"
    Nice line!

    ReplyDelete