“Breathe...just breathe. The independent clause comes before the dependant clause and there is a comma in between. The weight limit for a trampoline is 400 pounds. The Civil War ended in 1861. Plastic lets off fumes that can kill people. Ruth Graves Wakefield made the first cookie. Okay Mom I think I’m ready.”

As Sami walked out of her house the mist filled her nose and darkness sunk in her eyes. She wore her favorite grey shirt. It wasn’t like her others, it was a lighter shade. She walked to Keaton’s house, which was about a mile away but she didn’t care. As long as she got to see him before the test.

“The test” said a woman as she ran back into her house. She yelled to her kids, “Hide, just hide and they won't find you. Act sick, just act sick and they won’t make you go. HIDE!! ACT SICK!!”

The woman was ill in the head. She didn’t even have kids anymore. They got taken a couple years ago.

Sami arrived at Keaton’s house and heard yelling and glass breaking. It was probably just his dad. He’s been sick and has a risk of breaking things. Keaton ran outside and they hugged like never before. She didn’t want to let him go. She was too afraid to loose him. He was smart, but they only take 9 out of a class of 28. They do this because the population is way too high. Babies are born every second here in Thinland and it never stops.
“Are you ready?” Keaton whispered while holding Sami’s hand.
“Keaton, I’m scared” she started to cry.

“Sami, Sami Jo. Look at me.” He pulled her face close. “You will do great. I love you.”

“Okay.” He kissed her on the cheek.

Hand in hand, they walk into the school. Sami and Keaton get separated a couple seats apart. They pass out the IPads and a loud speaker exclaims, “You all know why you are here right? The population is out of control and has been for the past 8 years. The test will begin after this short speech. You will have 30 minutes to answer 45 multiple choice questions. The questions will vary from subject to subject and there are also some fun facts thrown in there. You can thank Central for that. And may the Lord bless you with wisdom that will set you free of consequences. Bye.”

Sami gives Keaton a thumbs up and they both begin the test. 30 minutes later a crew of buff men walk in and start looking at a paper that the mistress handed them and they go behind and grab a bunch of people. She had her eyes closed, praying that she wouldn't get taken. She opened her eyes because she heard a familiar scream yelling her name. When she looked up. Keaton was gone. And so was one of the smartest people in the class. Why did she get taken?

“Why would this happen to her?” thought Sami. All of a sudden they point at Sami and they whisper, “What about her? Her dad. He took my son. How can you let her live?”

As soon as the test was over, Sami ran home and packed a gooey peanut butter sandwich with some water and shoved it into her backpack. Out the door she flew like a kite in the air. She ran up to Keaton’s house to tell his parents what had happened He said that Sami had come at the wrong time and that she should leave. But she was determined to tell him what happened to Keaton. Sami started crying and she ran up to central. She was going to find Keaton, no matter what it was going to take. Central was gated and guarded but she found her way in. She saw bright screens showing houses in her community. They had been watching her… watching everyone in Thinland. She saw a screen of Keaton’s house. His dad was clawing the floor and eating his arm. There was blood everywhere. She found herself in a dark room. It kind of looked like an old library. In the middle, she found a huge book. Being as curious as she was. She opened it. Inside were family trees of everyone in Thinland. It seemed like every other one had an X on the faces. It hit her then, it hit her like a brick. Centeral would kill a whole family line if there was even one bad person. All this time she was afraid of Central and what they could do, when it should be that Central is afraid of the people. She grabbed the book and ran to Downtown.

She ripped the loudspeaker from a construction worker and yelled, “THIS, THIS RIGHT HERE IS HOW MY BOYFRIEND DIED. HE WAS KILLED BECAUSE HIS DAD WAS INSANE. CENTRAL WIPES OUT YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY LINE IF THERE IS EVEN ONE BAD PERSON IN IT. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT. PEOPLE CAN CHANGE. PEOPLE AREN’T ALWAYS LIKE THEIR PARENTS OR RELATIVES. WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS FOR OUR LIFE!”

Everyone in town cheered and then they all ran down to Central. By the time that they left, central was in ruins. But they never found the bunker of where they put the people for the mass murder. Sami was walking home in despair that she didn’t find her true love, Keaton when she tripped over something. They kept them all in an underground bunker. She opened it up and out flew her 19 classmates. Keaton came out last. He was in tears and thought no one would ever find him again. They leaned in for a kiss and he choked her. Her lifeless body lay on the dead grass. The misty air flowed through her. And an exhale was the last thing to come out of her. The worst thing about being lied to is knowing that you weren’t worth the truth...