TW: Mentions of domestic violence, starvation, war, murder

000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

My head felt light — almost empty — the next time I felt it; My eyes remaining closed for a couple of moments in order to recollect what had happened.

The only thing really still in my head was Monroe. It felt like every corner of my mind was filled with him; with him, and The System, and how I'd probably miss work if I wouldn't get up soon.

A light grunt escaped my lips as I sat up, eyes opening at the same time. I squinted at the bright, unnatural light infiltrating my vision immediately after. It took me a few more moments to adjust to it.

Head turning — eyes unable to recognise my surroundings — my brows furrowed lightly. The bed I was sat on was comfortable. The walls organically shaped like they always were. The color a bright white as it always was. A single tray of food stood on top of the nightstand, and a door I later found out led to the small bathroom by the foot of the bed.

Though, unlike usually, there was no natural light illuminating the room; there were no windows for that to be the case. Instead, bright lights behind the screen on the wall and similarly white lights moulded into the ceiling were the only things that made sure I wasn't sat in complete darkness.

I swallowed thickly, realising I wasn't quite sure where I was or how I got here. Contrary to what I would have expected, I was entirely calm, though; fine with the situation, even.

I didn't panic. I didn't yell or scream. I didn't even question it.

My eyes roaming the entirely blank wall, a familiar, pleasant ding caught my attention, head snapping over to look at the screen on the other wall. The lights dimmed slightly, and it was the screen that illuminated most of the room now.

"Welcome, Amidelle Gray," A calm voice said, nothing but the matching sound waves — white, their outline black on the similarly white background — displayed on the screen before me. "We hope you feel well-rested and ready to start your day."

I did feel well-rested.

"The System is here to teach you what you might have forgotten." I leaned forward in my position, legs swinging out of bed. My elbows went to prop themselves up on my knees as I rested my head in my hands.

What had I forgotten?

"The System is here to remind you of why a united nation led by Us is important and needed." The sound waves on the screen came to a halt, the background turning a light grey first before merging into an abyss-like black. "Sit back and enjoy," The voice said, still calm as the wave changed from a white into a crimson red.

The image before me faded. Faded into a sight I had forgotten a long time ago— a sight I hadn't laid my eyes on since I was merely eight years old.

What I saw first was a room similar to the one I was in right now, though it had sharp edges and corners, the floors were wooden, and the walls not quite as vibrant of a white.

And it was messy. Beer cans and empty chips packets scattered around the room, dirty plates and half-empty glasses piling up in front of the woman sat on a dirty, washed-out brown couch.

Her hair was an ashy blonde, seeming like something that could've been golden but didn't quite reach that, and instead settled for the next best. The grey crewneck she was wearing revealing the purple bruise on her neck.

The messy table was stood in front of the couch, though her attention was on something else— someone else.

A man — in his late thirties, maybe — towering over her; white tank top not covering his hairy chest or sweaty armpits, balding head on full display and making the furrowing of his bushy eyebrows even more of a spectacle.

I remembered wondering what he was so angry for the first time the same sight had been presented to me. This time, though, I knew.

I knew his loud voice would be echoing through the room; I knew he'd shout and spit and raise his hand. I knew her cries would haunt me for the next few nights. I knew her whimpers when his hand collided with her cheek were something I never wanted to hear again.

And yet, here I was. Completely motionless as the gruesome images played before my eyes. The woman's eyes glossy, lip bleeding and a dark bruise forming on her cheek similarly to the one on her neck.

Another hit, and the already dark scene cut to black.

"The System protects you."

My breath picked up at the words, already knowing what would come next. Though, as if hypnotised, I made no attempt to divert my eyes from the screen— moved closer to it, even.

"The System protected you from a world as cruel as this;"

The clips that followed were shorter, cut together to form one big compilation of the most horrendous and gruesome things I had ever seen; things I couldn't even imagine actually happened.

Poverty.

People so thin their ribs were showing through their skin, and their legs were nothing but bone itself—babies and children whose stomachs had bloated due to their lack of basic nourishment.

War.

A small body, nothing but the basic shape of it, red flesh showing through the otherwise charred skin. Its color coal-like and their mouth wide open, a guttural scream having rattled through their tiny body just moments before.

The surrounding area was nothing but ashes itself. Some buildings still burning, others already in ruins, smoke the only thing still coming from them.

"Life was cruel."

Genocide.

Black and white pictures followed the words. Showing masses of people — old and young alike — huddled together in different locations, wearing striped sets, similar to pyjamas, and looking just as thin as they looked weak.

Each picture only lingered on the screen for a second, switching from large groups sleeping on floors to working harder than their bodies could ever be able to, to a middle-aged man, a toothbrush moustache in the center of his face and his hair sleeked to one side.

"Life was cruel before The System."

Murder.

Those pictures were followed by a different kind; bloody sheets, dead bodies of beautiful young women, lifeless in pools of their own blood. A picture of knives, sky masks, handcuffs and a crowbar, followed by the head shot of a similarly young man, a smile on his face.

Each picture or scene didn't linger on the screen for longer than a few seconds; my brain so overwhelmed I hadn't even noticed the tears brimming at the corners of my eyes until the first one rolled down my cheek.

My breath was heavy enough to fill up the room all by itself if it weren't for the distant screams or pleas coming from the screen for the next twenty minutes.

"The System restored order. "

The screen returned to its white background, black outline of the white sound wave replacing the short clip of an elderly man dying in his own bed all by himself — nobody showing up to his funeral afterwards — like nothing had happened.

Like I wasn't violently shaking, my breaths so heavy, yet uneven and short at the same time, I wasn't even sure if I was still getting air into my lungs. 

"The System gave you a life of structure. A life worth living. A life with someone by your side to protect and cherish you."

I swallowed thickly, dried tears on my cheek staining them before I took a deep breath.

"The System takes all that burdening responsibility life pus on you right back off you."

It did.

"All you need to ask yourself is: Do I want to live in a world without The System — a lawless place, savage and cruel — or with it." There was a short silence following the words before the voice picked up once more. "Don't worry; we already know your answer."

-

Yeah because this is dark and idk how to feel about this but also

this is how fuckd up the system is pls

I'll see you soon! <3