Kai Hooper Dystopian Literature English 11

Creative Dystopia Project – Short Story

In a world not unlike our own, yet so different, a young boy lived in a state of moribund. In fact,
everyone did, except of course the leaders. They get all the food, and the drink, while everyone
else gets rations; only enough to survive. As well they made the rules, yet they told no one;
because of this they could arrest and execute anyone they chose. Nothing was known about
this land, how big it was, who ran the government, even if there was anywhere outside the
lawless country. The young boy didn’t have many friends, he lived alone with his mother and
rarely left his house except when it was too hot inside. One of those days was today, it was
maybe 40 Celsius, no one really knew because there was no way to tell. The young boy’s
mother decided they should go for a walk which they did, they walked until their legs hurt.
Then they walked some more until they arrived at a river. Both the boy and his mother decided
to go in. After about 5 minutes of playing in the water they heard a branch snap which wasn’t
uncommon, maybe an animal, or another person. Then they heard the helicopter; blades slicing
the air, they were in trouble. The leaders never brought out military unless someone was about
to be killed or taken for breaking a law. Was this one of those times they both though.
Everything started moving closer, and panic came across the mother’s face. This worried the
boy greatly who began to cry in his mothers’ arms. He was about 13 but had never been raised
with exposure to what really happened in their town, his mother always protected him from
harm, but this might be the last time. They heard voices, then shouts, then they saw them.
About a dozen men, armed, looked like they were ready for war. Both the boy and the mother
finally heard a loud voice “you have broken the law” he said, “you have trespassed on state
property”. He finished by saying they would be shot and killed. First the boy heard it, then he
saw his mother fall beside him, blood pooling in the water. The young boy was smart, he ran,
ran as fast and as far as his little legs could take him. Behind him he heard them men shouting,
“get him”. Bullets whizzed by his ears, but he kept running, dodging trees. He kept his mind on
running refusing to think about his dead mother, or what would eventually happen when he got
too tired to run anymore. It was beginning to get dark and suddenly he saw a light on the
ground up ahead, it was orange, flickering, lighting up the trees around him. He knew it was
fire, and he could see people dancing around it. Although this boy was young, he had a very
good memory, and he remembered that about a year ago someone was arrested for lighting a
fire in this very forest. In his world it was everyone for themselves or you would not survive. He
began to run towards the fire, still hearing shouting behind him. Finally, he led the guards right
to the fire, and the people around it. Everyone was panicking and the boy used that as a chance
to slip away, he walked home as fast as his tired legs would carry him then fell on the floor
weeping about his mother. In what seemed like seconds sunlight was flooding through the
windows, he must have fallen asleep and not realized, he thought. He went outside and what
he saw scared him more than what happened the previous night. Guards with dogs, posters of
him on every wall, people hiding in their houses trying not to be seen. The boy turned around
and went straight back inside. Maybe if he hid, the guards wouldn’t find him. Suddenly he
heard a loud knock and a shout “open up!” he couldn’t move. This had to be his end, he ran
Kai Hooper Dystopian Literature English 11

upstairs and heard another should “I know you are in there! Come out or I will knock this door
down, you have till the count of 5.” “5” he couldn’t move, “4” he started sweating, “3” his legs
started shaking, “2” he fell down, unable to hold himself up anymore. “1” he heard the door fall
off its hinges, and guards started running in, 1,2,3,4,5 he couldn’t count them anymore. This
was his end, he knew it. One had found him, now he was circled. He could hear in the back of
his head “you are under arrest for trespassing and resisting arrest.” They took him. To this day
no one has heard from the little boy who only wanted to go for a walk on a warm sunny day.