Fighting for Rain - BB Easton Page 0,16
much as twenty-seven percent with most of the relief coming from our nonproductive subgroups.”
“What does that even mean?” Rain whispers.
“It means that most of the people who died because of the April 23 hoax were either crazy, sick, poor, or old.”
I watch Rain’s face go pale, and I wish I could take it back.
Shit.
I pull her against my chest and press my lips to the top of her head. I don’t even know what to say. All I can do is stand here and hold her while the government tells her they’re happy that her parents are dead.
“In an effort to protect the law of natural selection going forward and to ensure that our population never again faces extinction due to our irresponsible allocation of resources to the weakest, most dependent members of society, all social services and subsidies are to be discontinued. Life support measures are to be discontinued. Government-provided emergency services are to be discontinued, and all incarcerated members of society will be released.”
The entire food court erupts in outraged shouts and hushed murmurs as people try to process what the fuck this lady just said.
“You are encouraged to resume your daily lives. Power, water, and cell service have been restored, and the images you just saw have been removed from all digital media. Go back to work. Provide for your families. Protect yourself and your community. Your government will no longer do these things for you. And should you see evidence of a person or group of persons defying the laws of natural selection, you are required to dial 55555 on any cellular device to report the misconduct. Agents from your area will be dispatched immediately to detain the suspect. The future of our species depends on your cooperation. Good luck, and may the fittest survive.”
The monitors go black as the reality of our situation slowly begins to take hold.
It was all just a fucking hoax.
They invaded our dreams.
They terrorized us from the inside out.
They drove us insane and watched while we self-destructed.
Then they smiled and said it was for our own good.
I wish I could say I was surprised, but after everything I’ve been through, this just feels like a regular Tuesday. Get shit on. Get beat down. Get told it’s your fault. Then, get kicked to the curb with everything you own in a trash bag over your shoulder.
Yep, that sounds about right.
The only family in the room is clinging to one another for support. Offering comfort. Rationalizing that everything is going to be okay. Encouraging each other to trust in our leaders and do as they say.
Meanwhile, the homeless kids in the back of the room are jumping up and down, cheering and waving their guns in the air, while Q stands on a table shouting, “It’s the wild, wild west, muhfuckas! Pew, pew, pew!”
The way Rain is wrapped around me, it’s obvious which group she belongs in.
It’s also obvious that I don’t belong here at all.
Rain
“Dude, this place hasn’t had power in, like, forever, right? How in the hell did they make the TVs come on?” Lamar asks from his perch on the counter, his heels banging into the cabinets below with every swing of his restless legs.
Wes shrugs. “I dunno, man. Maybe they flipped the entire power grid on just for the broadcast?”
I’m only half-listening to their conversation. The rest of me is busy staring at the unconscious boy behind the counter. The one with the glass shard sticking out of a bloody bandage on the side of his neck. The one I’m supposed to fix somehow.
The one I’m going to fix somehow.
“Rain?” Wes asks.
“Huh?” I reply without taking my eyes off of Quint.
“You okay? You haven’t said a word since the announcement.”
“The announcement,” I mutter, turning to face Wes. “Is that what we’re gonna call it from now on? Like the way everybody called the apocalypse April 23 ’cause it sounded nicer?”
Wes chews on his bottom lip like he does when he’s trying to figure something out.
When he’s trying to figure me out.
“I know that was a lot to process, okay? I know. But I need you to stay focused. Don’t freak out on me.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
Wes tosses a doubtful glance at Lamar.
“I’m not. Maybe I just don’t feel like talking about the fact that the government just publicly patted themselves on the back for makin’ my dad try to kill his whole family.”
Wes exhales hard through his nose and nods. “Yeah, I get that.”
“I know he was nonproductive. He