Sign Slave

• Stephen Watson, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

Sign Slave


I hate potatoes, but I have to farm potatoes. A.I.D, which stands for Awesome Inspirational Dictatorship, demands it. A.I.D make sure we stay obedient by… I look up. A sign catches my eye. “Forgot everything but potatoes”. I look back down. What was I thinking again? All I can remember are potatoes. Did I mention I hate potatoes?

At least the end of the day is only an hour away. Sleep is one thing that A.I.D guarantees. Sleep is the only thing I look forward to, it allows me to escape this constricted world into a free one. I like being free. Suddenly an A.I.D worker strides through the mess of slaves, trampling as many potatoes as possible.
“Attention potato minions” they announce in their monotone voice. “A.I.D potato quota has doubled. Sleep is cancelled. You must work until the potato quota is reached.” The ceiling flashes words on its hidden screen. “DO NOT REBEL” and all murmurings are silenced. The A.I.D worker has disappeared. The hours drag by. My family will be wondering where I am.

I want to go home. I am free there.

I’ve had enough. I straighten up and walk towards the door, trying to keep the fear from rising up in me. The Guards menacingly turn their masked heads toward me. I hear their armour chink slightly. I had better run.

I sprint down the hall aiming for the heavy door that leads outside.

Crack!

I smack into the guard blocking the exit of the farm. They grab my shirt and drag me through a side door into a pitch black tunnel. I am shoved roughly into a small room as a rusty metal gate clangs shut behind me.

I’ve heard about this place, Dios De Sangre, a jail reserved only for the worst traitors. Those who get imprisoned here are never seen again. I’ll never be be able to walk the paths that loop around the A.I.D headquarters, never be able to feel the soft grass that surrounds my home. I’ll never see my family again. I’ll be locked in this cramped cell, my only entertainment being a book with the words “DO NOT ESCAPE” written across thousands of pages.

I must escape. I was always smarter then the others, I can find a way out.

Suddenly a genius idea hits me.

I dip my finger in the tiny water jug placed on the floor and begin to carefully paint on the wall. I step away from the wall to read the message I wrote. “You must not obey written instructions.” I swing the crumbly corroded door open and step out into the narrow corridor. I walk calmly past the blind guards, knowing that they can’t hurt me if they don’t smell my fear. I ignore the “DO NOT ESCAPE” signs, and feel a rush of happiness because I cannot be controlled anymore. The world is ahead of me. I am not a slave anymore.

I am free.