I knock on the door of my house.

"OPEN UP!" I shout, with a loaded gun in my hand.

My father comes to the door, cowering behind it as he opens it.

I lift my gun.

"You are being evicted by the ADCCG. Comply, or my gun does more than just look scary." I say, my voice even.

"Amber?" My mother cautiously questions from behind my father.

I put my finger on the trigger.

"Allow us to search your house. You are being evicted by the ADCCG." I state levelly for the second time.

"David, just let them in," my mother insists.

In a lower voice, she asks, "Is that Amb-"

My father's hand flies to cover her mouth.

"Penelope!" He hisses.

Things have drastically changed in Winnipeg. It began a crime-ridden city, and is now being "repossessed" by the ADCCG.

"Agent AM," my supervisor says from behind me.

"Yes?"

"Shoot!"

I aim my gun, squeeze my eyes shut, and pull the trigger.

The screaming is so loud.

---

"Amber! Amber! Quiet!"

"Huh?" I mutter groggily.

Tess looks at me.

"Amber, you were screaming so loud! You could have awakened the dead! You must have been having a nightmare."

Oh.

It all comes rushing back to me. The dream. Shooting my father. Yes, that's why I was screaming.

"Yeah..." I mutter.

"You good?" Tess asks, sounding legitimately concerned.

"Yeah." I say, more confidently this time.

I shake off the dream.

"I'll be fine," I tell Tess.

"Okay, good. I was worried about you."

"Thanks."

There is a knock on our door.

"Manitoba and Nova Scotia 56?"

Tess an I mirror each other's puzzled looks.

"Uhh," I say.

"I think that's us."

"Okay."

"Yes?" Tess asks whoever is at the door.

"It's me, Sandra!"

I groan, and Tess looks confused.

"My ADCCG rep person," I mutter.

Tess gives me a look of sympathy and understanding. I open the door.

"Hi Amber! How are you doing?" Sandra asks, incredibly chirpily.

"I'm fine thanks," I say, but I'm thinking Oh my gosh just get on with what you want. Jeez woman.

"Well Amber, I just thought I'd come see how you're doing," Sandra looks like she has something more to say, but instead says, "Girls, don't forget that breakfast is in twenty minutes."

Tess and I look at each other after the door closes behind Sandra.

"Okay then," Tess says.

"I guess we should get ready for breakfast?" I suggest.

Tess nods.

Clothes have been put into the wardrobes in our rooms, just generic stuff. I pull out an athletic grey hoodie with neon green drawstrings, and black tights. I'm going for comfort, not style.

Breakfast is just boring, everyday breakfast food. Nothing like what they served us yesterday.

"Look Amber! There's Oliver and Daniel! Want to go sit with them?"

"I guess if they're okay with it. You're into Oliver aren't you?" I ask.

Tess blushes but says, "Maybe."

Tess goes to get some oatmeal, but I skip it. The texture of oatmeal disgusts me.

I'm standing in one place, looking around the cafeteria like a weirdo, when someone bumps into me. My tray goes flying, and I'm covered in cold juice.

"Ahh!" a high, feminine voice shrieks, "You did not just do that!"

I turn around.

"Umm," I say. It's Zoe, that awful Ontarian girl.

"Whoa, what happened?" Two more girls join the crowd.

"This girl," Zoe starts, "she had the nerve to push me over and spill my drink.

Zoe's two lackeys nod in agreement. But the other two can see the lies. Zoe is perfectly fine, but my tray is on the ground, and I'm covered in disgustingly pulpy orange juice.

"Yeah, she totally just like shoved Zoe over."

"Totally right Maggie. It was like, complete madness."

"Oh I know,"

"Beatrice, Maggie!" Zoe barks, "Come back to my room with me!"

The three spin on their heels and exit, looking like a scene from a movie. They look like the beautiful popular ones, even though everyone is wearing a similar hoodie/tights outfit.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I mutter.

"I'm Sadie by the way, from BC, and this is Dawn, from PEI."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Amber."

I remember Sadie now. She was the first one to introduce herself that night, with the long brown hair and amazing grey eyes.

Dawn seems very soft spoken, but both girls seem nice.

Dawn has short, blonde hair, and eyes somewhere between blue and green.

"Amber! What happened?"

Tess has now arrived at the scene of the crime.

"Zoe bumped into me, spilled juice all over me, and blamed it on me." I state levelly.

"Ugh. I hate her already. How come none of the adults came over here?"

I shrug.

Dawn speaks up.

"There aren't any adults in here."

I look around and see that she's right. It's just ADCCG kids.

"Okay," Tess says, "Let's go sit."

I look to Sadie and Dawn.

"You coming?"

They look at each other, and Sadie nods.

"Oh," I say remembering that I should introduce them to Tess, "by the way, this is Tess, my roommate. Tess, this is Dawn and Sadie."

Then I see Paige, sitting all alone.

"Paige! Come with us!"

Paige's face brightens, and the others introduce themselves.

We get to the table that Oliver and Daniel are sitting at, with three other guys.

"Can we sit here?" Tess asks.

"Yeah sure," Daniel says.

There are five empty chairs. Tess takes the one beside Oliver. I end up between one of the guys I don't know, and Sadie.

The guys introduce themselves to us. The other three are Tristan, Ethyn, and Dave.

We eat our breakfast and chat, but it's not awkward at all. Sadie, Tess, Daniel, Ethyn and Dave are huge chatter boxes, so Paige, Dawn, Oliver, Tristan and I are free to just listen in and eat.

All of a sudden, the cafeteria gets very quiet, very quickly.

I look around to see why.

Then I notice Mrs Attary striding into the cafeteria.

"Good morning children," she says, "I trust that you are all enjoying your breakfast. Today is the first full day for our new 56 girls. Please make sure to welcome our thirteen newcomers as you were welcomed. 54 girls, you are mentors, please do your job appropriately. Thank you. You may continue your day as normal. The bell will ring in five minutes."

And Mrs Attary is gone.

"What?" Tess asks, "No orientation or anything?"

"Nope," Dave says, "They just throw you into your new life."

"That's so stupid," Paige states. "Everything about this place is."

"We've all been through it," Tristan says, the first words he's said all morning.

"We'll help you," Daniel offers.

And with that, my first day begins.

---

💚😝