This story begins with an incredibly stupid girl, which I'd like to refer to as myself.

The government teaches us that we are the only people left on Earth. We must obey regulations and such to maintain a peaceful society. If we don't, the same thing will start all over again.

They say that the Earth was completely demolished beyond the walls from a war long ago. Our ancestors built this nation from scratch and created one of the most respectable places ever known to man.

But I know it's a lie. There's still so many holes that haven't been filled. We're pets to the government, really. Pets kept in pens, trained to not ask questions and do what we're told no matter what. We all wear neat, black and white clothes. We're kept helpless and dependent on the government.

The punishments for the slightest things become harsh. We all wear trackers around our necks, just in case the idea of escaping ever came to mind. That's what makes me think they're trying to hide something.

And that's what kills me. There's something out there, something that my limited world could not compare to. There's freedom out there. Something I crave so deeply it aches and keeps me up at night.

I'm sixteen, meaning in a few weeks I'll have my ceremony for adulthood. This means the government will choose my job, husband, and plan out the rest of my life for me. There's half excitement and dread that fills my insides all at once from the thought of it.

"Kat? You still in there?" My best friend, Lucy asks. She waves her hand in front of my face until I snap out of it.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," I mumble.

She groans. "You did it again. You were daydreaming, weren't you? That's dangerous, you know."

I want to roll my eyes, but the punishment for getting caught for that is cleaning the school bathrooms for a week. So I control myself.

I decide to change the subject. "What do you think your job will be?"

This makes Lucy smile. I can tell she's excited about her ceremony. Living the same exact routine for so long makes it thrilling to have a change for once.

"I'm not sure. But whatever it is, I'm sure the government has chosen the perfect one, including my husband."

That day, I spend the remaining of the afternoon before dinner reading on a bench. It's our day off from school and chores, one day for leisure activities.

I stare at the book dully. I wonder if there was ever a time that people actually used imagination in books, instead of all of them being nonfiction. But fantasy gives people ideas and makes them think, and the government doesn't want us to think.

I set down the book and look up at the massive wall that keeps the outside out, or so they tell us. It's really to keep "us" in.

I have to get out there. My eyes wander to the exit, which is sealed shut and heavily guarded. The only time it ever opens is when shipments of supplies comes in. It'll be a challenge that will possibly lead to the punishment of death, but it's worth it.