Fear. Pain. Despair. Oppression. That’s all the people of Zone Four knew. Long ago, before the reinstatement of the 18th amendment and the prohibition of alcohol in June of 2072, life was peaceful. People were free to drink as much as they please, but after adverse reactions made drinkers immensely violent and homicidal, the government had no choice but to step in and make all forms of alcohol illegal. The reinstitution of the 18th amendment resulted in the unexpected downfall of society. The economy crashed. Hyperinflation caused the US dollar to become virtually useless. Banks closed, the demand for food and basic necessities skyrocketed, and water and electricity were no longer available. Martial law was put into place, giving the military control of the public. Many suffered, having to fight just to survive. Buildings once praised for their ingenuity were now decrepit and dilapidated. The pungent smell of sewage disguised the pleasant smell of rain and clean air.

Ellie Smith was a bright girl. She understood her duties and responsibilities, but she despised the thought of actually following them. Almost every day, Ellie ditched class with no repercussions; but today was different. Ellie’s keen intuition warned her of imminent danger. She ignored it, easily slipping through the rip in the chain fence that separated Zone Four and the world outside. Ellie yearned to explore and discover what has been hidden from her all 16 years of her life. She stood up and winced, the sharp metal fence slicing her arm. She swore under her breath, watching the crimson blood bead up and roll down her forearm. She brushed it off, continuing her trek through the insubstantial city. As she walked deeper into the abandoned city, her desire to flee only increased. She carefully brushed her bangs out of her eyes and tucked them into her messy brown ponytail. In the distance, she heard the snapping of a branch. It was far off, but it meant trouble. She pulled out her switchblade and waited for bandits, wild animals, or just someone trying to kill her. Her heart rate spiked as she persisted, her walk slowing into a gentle crouch to stay quiet. After a few minutes, she relaxes, realizing she was overreacting. She took a deep breath and chuckled “I’m always preparing for the worst, huh?” She said to herself gently.

Before she could properly finish her sentence, there was a hand around her mouth and a cold blade pressed into her neck. “Scream and you’re dead.” The cold voice stated flatly. Ellie nodded, tears pooling up in her electrifying green eyes. She panicked, wondering how she could possibly escape this time. If she moved, she could easily cut her own neck. If she didn’t, she’d probably die anyways. The man holding her and guiding her further into unknown territory sounded young, probably only a few years older than her. She analyzed the situation, and understood she had no other choice. She bit down on his hand as hard as she could, tasting blood, flesh, and dirt. The boy screamed, ripping his hand away from her. She kicked behind her, successfully getting the boy away from her. Ellie quickly disarmed him, pinning him down so that his face was in the dirt and his hands were pressed behind his back. “What do you want with me?” Ellie shouted, not caring if she drew attention to the pair. The boy beneath her didn’t reply, just simply sat there. Ellie pressed his face further into the dirt, clearly hurting him. “Answer me!” She cried, her fear slowly melting into rage.

“Hey! Hey! That’s enough, okay?” The boy grunted, craning his neck slightly to look up at her. His eyes were alarmingly vacant and tired, yet a cool and a glorious cobalt blue. “The name’s Leandro. You could at least buy me a drink before beating me up.” He smiled cockily. If Ellie wasn’t so taken aback by his comment, she’d punch the freckles right off of his tan skin.

“You still haven’t told me why you tried to kill me.” Ellie said, the disgust in her voice evident.

“Well, times are tough, I guess. You’re on my turf and I thought you could be dangerous. I was right. I suppose I messed with the wrong person. Sorry?” He smiled weakly, his arms starting to burn. “Please let me up? I promise it won’t happen again.”

Ellie hesitantly obliged, slowly releasing him. “I’m keeping this.” She stated, putting his knife in her back pocket.

“Fine by me.” Leandro shrugged. “You should head back to wherever you came from now. It gets dangerous after dark.” He lazily motioned towards the setting sun, the yellow and burnt red colors dancing across the sky.

Ellie looked around, realizing she was completely lost. “Uh... Yeah, about that.” She explained her predicament to Leandro, feeling more and more pathetic each passing minute.

Leandro nodded. “Come with me. I’ve set up camp with a few others a few blocks away.” He said, grinning.

Every part of Ellie’s body was screaming for her to run. To escape. Trusting others could easily get her killed, but so could staying out after dark. She sighed, following him. Following this man into unknown territory physically hurt her. Her insides twisted and burned, her legs felt like cement, and the warnings of the outside world that have been drilled into her ran through her head. They continued deeper into the concrete jungle, the overgrown vines becoming more and more untamable the further the two went.

When they arrived, the first thing she noticed were the people. They were standing around a bonfire, laughing, cheering, enjoying themselves. Leandro confidently strolled into the camp. He reached into the cooler, grabbing two drinks. He tossed one to Ellie, and opened the other, chugging it. “Drink up, we’re almost out!” He cheered, letting out a disgusting belch.

Ellie stared down at the can, her eyes widening. “This is beer... Stop drinking that! Don’t you know what will happen? Not to mention that you could be thrown in jail or even killed if you’re caught with this!” The camp members went silent for a minute, then promptly bursted into laughter.

Another man with dark, curly brown hair, glasses, and deep dimples with a bright pink scar across his cheek smiled, grabbing a drink for himself. “Haven’t you heard? It was a scam. The government just wanted more control of us. They knew what would happen if they banned alcohol again. Have you ever seen someone become a serial killer after drinking a glass of wine?”

Ellie pondered this for a moment. She knew speakeasies came back a few months after the ban, and she had met people who still drank, but she thought they were just lucky. It made sense. Before the ban, the political climate of the USA was supposedly tense. Maybe the government just wanted a distraction. She opened the can and hesitantly took a sip.

“My name is Connor. It’s nice to meet you.” He smiled softly, reaching out his hand to shake hers. She shook it, noticing how rough and calloused his hands were. Those hands have probably killed. She couldn’t trust this man, no matter what. She introduced herself sternly, attempting to seem as powerful as possible.

Connor smiled. “We’re glad to have you. You are welcome for as long as you want. I encourage you to get something to eat. Afterwards, please meet me in my tent with Leandro. I’d like to discuss something of importance with you.”

Ellie’s stomach roared; she needed to get something to eat. Leandro seemingly understood her, grabbing her some food. Internally, she questioned what Connor wanted from her. It makes sense that he’d question her intentions, but he had no reason to be so kind to her. He obviously had plenty of mouths to feed, so why was he helping her? Her thoughts were interrupted by Leandro. “So, why do you have that scar on your eyebrow?” He questioned, trying to make casual conversation.

“It’s nothing. I’ve had it for a long time.” She did her best to avoid the question, not wanting to discuss the riot her parents were killed in. “I think we should talk to Connor now.” She stood up, straightened her posture, and trekked off to the biggest tent. Leandro followed, more curious than ever about the mysterious girl.

As soon as Ellie entered the tent, she noticed Connor inspecting what seems to be a map. He looked up at her, smiling again. “Hello Ellie. Please, sit.” He gently motioned toward the chairs in the dimly lit tent.

Ellie compiled and eyed him carefully. “...Thank you for letting me stay the night. I don’t think I would be able to survive out there by myself, and I definitely wouldn’t know how to get back.” She chose her words carefully, not wanting to offend the powerful man.

“It is truly no problem. We are all survivors and we must unite if we want to... Accomplish our mission.” He paused before finishing his sentence, being as vague as possible.

Ellie peered back at Lance before questioning Connor. “And what is your mission?”

“Well... To put it bluntly, we want to repeal the 18th amendment, and we need your help. You are strong. You bested my strongest fighter in hand to hand combat, you are a quick thinker, and frankly, you owe us.” Connor folded his hands and put them in his lap. Lance smiled and blushed at the compliment.

Ellie took a deep breath and nodded. She knew this man had a limit to his kindness, and she didn’t want to know what would happen if she were to refuse his request. “I’ll do it. What does this entail?”

Connor looked towards Leandro, who merrily skipped over and sat next to Connor. “We have insiders in the government. Very important people want change too. We’re all tired of being under President Hill’s thumb. Long story short, we’re blackmailing the president of the United States.”

Ellie took a deep breath, taking in the situation. “How do I help?”

Connor explained the rest of the plan and decided dawn was the best time to strike. They packed their bags and headed to sleep. Anxiety plagued Ellie. Just how did she get into this position? What if something went wrong? The worst case scenarios ran through her head until she drifted into a dreamless sleep. Before she knew it, Leandro was gently shaking her awake. She shot up in a panic, pushing Leandro away. His eyes flooded with hurt, but he understood. Nobody can survive through hell and leave unscathed. Leandro stepped outside of her tent without uttering another word.

Before the sun was even awake they were leaving the camp. The world seemed silent; everything was at peace. That’s why Ellie loved the night. There were no expectations. No one to disappoint. The world was quiet, and Ellie could do as she pleased. Often, she sat on the roof of the orphanage and gazed at the stars, attempting to remember the sound of her parent’s voices. Leandro was babbling away, saying nothing of importance. To Ellie, it seemed like white noise. After a few hours of walking, they had finally arrived at their destination. After the world went to hell, the white house was destroyed. Now, the president resided in a military compound, living the high life. Connor pulled out a radio and clearly said “India, tango, sierra, alfa, golf, oscar.” It was obviously code for something Ellie simply couldn’t understand, and by the looks of it, Leandro didn’t understand it either.

They waited until they heard a buzz and a gate opened. They entered, avoiding the peering eyes of the security cameras. The snuck behind the compound, noticing the bodies of the security guards posting outside of the compound. Connor checked their pulses and nodded, signalling they were still alive. They opened the creaky metal door, silently walking through the ominous halls. They continued on, walking into a large conference room. Others were sat there, discussing plans. “It’s nice of you to finally join us, Leandro.” A tall woman with shoulder length wavy hair, tan skin, and rectangular glasses smirked, wrapping Leandro in a hug. “It’s nice to see you, little bro.”

Leandro melted into the embrace, smiling. “It’s good to see you too, Victoria.”

Ellie stood there awkwardly, feeling out of place. Noticing this, Leandro quickly ended the hug and brushed off his clothes, coughing awkwardly. “Sorry, guys. This is Ellie. She kicked my butt and we decided to keep her.” He smiled sheepishly, gesturing towards the girl. Ellie smiled, waving awkwardly. Connor noticed the tension and quickly clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road, shall we? What’s our status?”

Victoria quickly explained that the plan was going flawlessly, but they needed to hurry. The president’s security guards were immobilized, and they needed to get to his office as soon as possible. Armed with a new burst of confidence, the team marched upstairs, easily disarming the remaining security until they were right outside of the president’s office. With a deep breath, Leandro kicked open the door. Connor rushed in, cornering the president and restraining him. The rest of the team followed, barricading the door and destroying everything he could use to call for help. The president was shaking with fear, and weakly said “What do you want? I have money, I have supplies. You can have it all! Just please don’t hurt me.” Connor sat in front of the president’s desk and politely smiled. “Good evening Mr. President. I’m afraid I want none of those things. Judging by your beautiful office adorned with the finest things, you are not aware of the situation most Americans are currently facing. That is a problem. First and foremost, I want you to resign.”

The president gasped. “I beg your pardon? There is absolutely no way I will forfeit my position! You must leave immediately!”

“Mr. President, sir, I am afraid you are not in any position to be making demands.” Connor had a fake smile plastered on his face. The others could tell his patience was wearing thin.

“You see, sir, I am not threatening you, but if you don’t comply, no one would miss you. To put it bluntly, you don’t have a choice. Your lovely assistant here has graciously done me the honor of already writing your letter of resignation. Just sign the dotted line and I will take this burden. Thank you, sir.” He gestured to Victoria who placed a pen and paper in front of the president. Ellie and Leandro untied his arms, and stood behind the president in case he tried to escape. The president shakily signed the document, tears rolling down his face.

“Thank you, sir. My first act as president is to suspend martial law and repeal the reenactment of the 18th amendment.” Connor grinned. The others in the office cheered, including Leandro and Ellie.

Only a few short months after Connor became president, the world had already improved tenfold. The military retreated from the various Zones across the city, and the economy was booming yet again. The crime rate had decreased drastically, and Ellie’s life had returned to normal again. Poverty decreased as thousands of jobs rebuilding the cities became available. Ellie and Leandro grew to become very close friends, and did their parts in supporting their communities and making the world a better place. No matter how dark things seem, there is always hope for a better and brighter future.