Ethereal

The Year 2036

The boy ripped away the remote control from his younger sister’s hands, his thumb pressing down to change the channel to the local news network while he ignored her shrill complaints. The boy was no older than ten years old, his sister several years younger than him.

“This just in – all three Citadels have declared a state of emergency. All Citadel citizens are instructed to stay in their designated areas until further notice, failure to abide by these rules will result in immediate arrest and transportation –“ the TV is shut off before the anchorman can finish. The boy whipped his head around to see his sister grinning beside him on the couch with the remote somehow back in her hands.

“Dad!” says the boy. He throws his hands up into the air, nearly hitting his sister in the face. Their father enters the room, dark circles hanging low under his eyes and his unshaved stubble giving him a far darker complexion than normal.

“No more TV. It’s time for dinner.” their father says, and moves to stand in front of his children until both stand and leave the room. He follows close behind them, his mind whirling with thought after hearing what the news anchor said just before the TV was shut off. He felt worry fill his chest. With the rebellion closing in, the government was now enforcing a curfew, and anyone found outside after dark were now automatically seen as fraternizing with the enemy. No longer were people innocent before being proven guilty – not when it felt as though the world was about to end.

The family sit around the dining room table. A skinny chicken the size of a softball rests in front of the father, accompanied by a bowl of vegetables and mashed potatoes. The children eyed the food warily – they had grown accustomed to meals from soup cans and packages since the droughts killed off the Citadel’s crops earlier that year, but tonight was obviously different.

Before the two can question their parents, their mother walks into the room with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. She sets one down for her husband and then one for herself, pouring a generous helping into both glasses before sitting down.

“Wonderful.” says their father. “Now, let’s pray.”