Forgotten Fragments

My boots sink into the white snow, several inches high. I study the way the sun and moon are fighting for attention in the sky. It is that time of morning that makes everything look blue, as lights are barely alive and snow is coating everything. I pass many bunk houses of less wealthy families, as I continue walking. I pass by three children sitting on the street, bundled in mounds of clothing. I manage to make out their hair colors, one brunette and two blondes. I turn my gaze to the right of them to see a man sleeping, someone who I suppose is their father, and so they are left alone for the time being. I am standing here, not too close, in the street. I look ahead and then back to the kids who are frozen and shivering. I should keep moving, let the foster care deal with them or the soldiers, but I don’t. I find myself slipping out a pack of crackers I had in my pouch from the day before. I don’t know why my emotions got the better of me today, but I ignore the warnings in my head, as I take a step closer to them. The middle one, the brunette, instantly looks up like he is on edge. He is wide eyed for a moment, just staring openly at the pack of crackers my fingers are holding out, and then is snapped out of his trance. He knows how rare this opportunity is and he snatches the crackers from my hands, so fast I wonder to myself how he managed it. It is illegal to give charity to citizens that are not authorized by Kalopsia’s chief, Aberdeen. Not only will I be punished, but so will the citizens who had the grace to accept it. Housed citizens have three meals delivered to them by officers each day, while homeless citizens must go to a foodbank, where the food is not so fresh or abundant, and eat what is offered there each day. Even though it is better than nothing, the portions are not enough to cover the bones that are evident on their bodies. We also have markets for our people to receive coats, gloves, hats, boots and other necessities they might need to keep them warm against the cold, even though they are hard to come by. But I still see the chapped lips and scared eyes of each person I pass. This is good, I tell myself. This life is good. I hardly remember anything about my childhood except for the lessons I have learned or mistakes I have made. I was told that this is my new life, one that I don’t have to repeat any mistakes. It is to help us make sure we live this life to the fullest, make sure there is order and systems to keep people in line. But during that time, two years ago while Kalopsia was being made, there was a group of people that managed to escape. These people made an abditory, or a resistance. It is a hidden place that we have yet to find. We don’t even have many details on the resistance, but we know that they are a danger to us. They spread lies to our citizens and make people confused, claiming they remember how life was before. It is my job to collect information on this group. They have recently become a larger threat and Aberdeen, my chief, has assigned me to take charge of this.