As I walk up the stairs I can feel the air shift. The air gets heavier and hazy. I step up and out from the basement door and I now see the world at ground level. I round the corner and pick up my speed. As I draw nearer to my front door, I can see the foggy air get thicker. I finally break out from the ally, I look up to see the same thing I did a week ago. The tall broken buildings crumbling and shaking in the wind. The thick cloud cover weaving in and out of the buildings. The sun beaming down making a crisp cut through the smog, and the air so thick you can see the sun's rays. The sky is gray and dark as always. My mind skips back in time, and I remember when the sky was blue and the clouds were puffy and white. We used to have chirping birds and all kinds of wildlife exploring the sauce city after hours. Now we are lucky to see rats roaming around. I look over to see my favorite person standing with a huge grin on his face.
“LANAAA” my little brother exclaims with a huge grin on his chubby cheeks. The wind whipping and tangling his curly blonde hair.
“Well hello little dude! What have you been up to today?” I say as I ruffle his hair.
“ I was playing with the other kids,” he said with a tired look “but i’m ready for bed now. Why were you in dads office all day? Were you guys yelling again?” Joseph asked his blonde eyebrows raising to crinkle his freckled forehead.
“No buddy I was just getting things ready for tomorrow” It breaks my heart to know that he sees the hate I have toward my father. I don't want to think about what tomorrow will bring
“Okay lana, I love you” he says with a relieved look.
“I love you too joseph, now let's get to bed.” I don't even get done with my sentence before he grabs my hand and starts inside.
I wish with everything in me that Joseph didn't have to live in the world we are in today. I wish he got to know our mother and that he didn't have to know the way that our father is.

Ten years ago, after the blackout the world as we knew it completely fell apart. The government was completely reliant on power so when it wiped out it took them down. Several different vicious militias rose up to take control including the one that I live in, the one that my father leads. The idea that my father has about the world before is that everyone had too much freedom to make decisions. So in order to fix that he decided that when someone is of age their whole life is decided for them. He thinks that by not giving people a chance to make their own decisions that they won't be able to make the wrong decision. Many people disagree with the way he runs our city. Many people including me and my mom.
When my dad first started the militia he and my mom agreed we that  things should be different, but they had completely different ideas of what “different” was. When my dad made his decision of how he would run his new city and he found out my mom didn't agree he banished her to the outskirts. The outskirts is the land around our torn down city. Being in the outskirts puts you in full survival mode and not many live out there. Most people get banished there when they disobey the government. There is one other way and that is on the day you find out your sentence, the day you find out what the government had planned for you.  If you don't want to agree to your sentence you can be banished to the outskirts Mostly everyone who goes there dies and that's exactly what happened to my mother when she got there. Of course i was too young to remember this but I hear the story from others commanders all the time. Never from my father. I just wish I could be with my mother because I know she would understand and mutually agree with my feelings toward my father.
I walk inside and start toward my room to get ready for bed. Tomorrow is the day that i will recive my sentence along with all the others my age. The sentence will include what i will do the rest of my entire life including who i will marry, if I will have kids, what my job will be, etcetera. All the possibilities are running laps around my mind. Including the idea that I have no say in what fate will be mine. The idea of possibly having to leave Joseph pierces my mind. The thought of leaving him totally under my dad's care scares me so much it hurts. The thoughts leave my mind as I hear the door squeak open.
“Lana, can I sleep with you tonight” Joseph says quietly
“Of course J” I say to him
“What's gonna happen tomorrow Lana?” Joseph says with a crack in his voice I can tell he is about to cry.
“Hey come up here with me. There's no reason to cry. He climbs up with me and lays his head on my stomach.
“I don’t want you to leave me.” The tone in his voice makes me want to curl into a ball and cry my eyes out.
“I’m not gonna leave you J, I promise.” I say this knowing that this might be my last night here in this bed. It might be my last night being able to see Joseph everyday. I feel Joseph relax and start to doze off. I decide to close my eyes and sleep before my thoughts take over.
I wake up to Joseph playing with some toys at the end of the bed I look at the window and realize the sentencing starts in a few minutes, I hurry up and slick my hair back into a tight bun and slip on my royal blue flowy dress that contrasts next to my  bright orange hair. This dress used to be my mom's and I feel as if she is with me when I wear it. So I zip up the back hoping it will help me through the ceremony. I get Joseph ready and we head out the door. I scoop up J in my arms and walk a little faster.
Joseph laughs “Lana I know how to walk!”
“Ah yes you do but it's a very very slow walk and today is a big day we can't be late”
We arrive just in time everyone starts piling into the stadium. I quickly find the seats that say “Lana Stevens and Joseph Stevens” Just the sight of my father's last name, my last name makes me want to vomit. I get settled in my seat and I see my father has already gotten comfortable walking around greeting families shaking hands and giving cold heartless smiles.  Its sad to think that people in the community find this day exciting.
The crowd settles down as my father taps the microphone on the stage. Everyone walks to their seats quieting their conversations. I look up at my dad standing at the podium. His frame, big and muscular. His short brown hair parted on the side and his jet black suit.
“Welcome everyone to the fifth annual sentencing. I want to personally thank you all for being here on this beautiful morning,” this makes me laugh because we have no other choice but to be here. “When I started our city six years ago I had great plans in mind for the future. Plans to prosper us and unite us. All the young adults receiving your sentences today have an exciting future ahead of you. I’m very pleased to be here in this exciting moment in life with you all.” The thing is that it's not exciting at all it's cruel and communist.  He finishes his sentence with his least favorite part “As always if you object to your sentence, please stand after your name has been called and you will be escorted to the outskirts” He said this part very dismissively almost as if he couldn't believe someone could have the nerve to object to his terrible mind. He starts naming off sentences and I can feel the adrenaline rushing through me. Joseph squeezes my hand. I think he can tell i'm nervous
“Tyler McGarvin, your job will be a janitor, your spouse will be Stephnie Lakes” he rambles on for what seems like forever listing off people's futures like it means absolutely nothing to him. “Stephanie Smith, your job will be a teacher, your spouse is Jason Graham, you
will have 3 children” He briefly pauses and looks down at me with a grin on his face. In that moment my heart skips a beat and I know it's my turn. He breaks the script.
“The next is my very own daughter Lana, she has a very special sentence.” he says with the most annoyingly evil tone in this voice, “I’m very happy to say that Lana will take on the huge honor of head commander after me, her father. She will train for several years to take on this very exciting task. She will not marry for this sentence because it takes a lot of responsibility that cannot be overtaken by a family.” He quickly moves on to the other sentences. I feel my stomach drop. My body clenches up. This cannot be happening. My heart is racing, my palms are sweating uncontrollably. My father finishes up with the others.
“In ending of the annual ceremony, I have to ask the question that no one ever pays attention to, the question that no one has answered yes to in years.” there is a long silent pause and I know the question. I know the answer i'm about to give, and I know the punishment that is about to follow. My father continues “does anyone object to their sentencing” I shift my body to my feet my knees suddenly filled with all weight of the stadiums staring eyes. I can almost hear everyone's jaws drop. Joseph stands with me and whispers
“If you go, I go to Lana.” My throat tightens
I look up and see the profuse anger in my father's eyes. He clenches his fists and signals his assistant officer to escort me. He is holding my wrist so tight i can feel the blood fighting to pump into my fingers. He pushes the door open and slams it behind him.
“Where are we going” i ask sternly
We make a sharp turn into a concrete room and he shoves me and joseph in.
“You already know fool, your father had a feeling you would do this and he has already made arrangements for you and your brother to be banished. I hope you enjoyed your time on earth because you're never coming back”
He slams the door and flips a switch. A black colored gas fills the room. I can feel my body panic. Joseph lets out an eerie scream
“Joseph calm down it's gonna be okay,”
Before I can finish my body goes weak and I fall to the floor. Everything is completely black.
I wake up in a strange place. I'm in a bed with soft white linens. I jump up when I realize that I must be in the outskirts. The first thought I get is panic. Where is joseph? I look over to see him fast asleep. My body calms and I lay back in bed. Whatever was in that gas must have messed with my muscles because I feel so heavy and weak. Just as I start to doze off I hear the door open. I see an oddly familiar face come into focus. My heart drops when I make the realization that the woman standing only a few feet from me is my mother.