Here's a little idea I've had recently. Let me know what you think.


Loud noise. Fire. Blood. Death. I was beset by corpses. Why was I beset by corpses? Where am I? I look into my hands. I'm carrying a fully-automatic firearm. Why do I have it? I'm not a firebender. Or anything bender. I feel someone tap my shoulder. It's my friend, Wan Gon. He says something, I can't hear what over the noise. I nod. We climb the pile of corpses. The landscape before us is burning, and not with regular fire, but with bright, mushroom clouds. I want to turn and run, but my body pushes forward. I hear a scream from above. Hyenacrows, waiting for us to die. They continue to scream, rhythmically, powerfully and... melodiously?

I blinked, shaking my head slightly. I was in my bed. And there was powerful marching music, coming into my room through the window above my head. I groaned. Ever since They put up that PA speaker right outside my window, I have been rudely awakened, every morning, by the 'Good Morning, World!' march. As if the speakers at the end of our street weren't loud enough.

"Good morning, Avatar City! It's seven o'clock, time for the morning news with Uncle Lu Ting! And boy, have I got some news for you this morning! But first, the weather!"

Groaning, I slowly got up, groggily rubbing my eyes as was my routine. I had had a very strange dream. What was it about? I rememembered only the ending, with the war and corpses and everything. It all felt so real though.

"You've woken into a sunny, fresh springtime morning, with temperatures around fifteen degrees. And, the Avatar be praised, it will stay sunny the whole day, the temperatures rising to fresh twenty-five degrees..."

"Oktai! Breakfast is on the table!" I hear my mother call. "Wake your brothers up and come eat!"

I always wake up first, thanks to Uncle Ting's morning news. Though how those two can still sleep with all this noise is beyond me. I mean, they sleep practically next to me, their bunk bed is only a metre to the left of mine. I stood up and stretched myself, then shook the two little slackers from their sleep.

"Gan, Bat, get up you two shitheads," I said, yawning out the last word.

"Leave us be, Fucktai!" Gan groaned.

"Yeah, let us sleep, Octopi!" Bat agreed.

I huffed. "My, so young and already using such language!"

"Hey, I'm thirteen already, I can talk to you however you want, as long as it isn't Hatespeak!" Gan shot back.

"Yeah, and I'm nine, so I'm not accountable for Hatespeak yet!" Bat added.

I shook my head. "Just get up already. You know what the White Lotus do to naughty children." With that said, I took my plain gray jumpsuit and got dressed. I took a look in the dirty mirror we had hanging in our room, right opposite the security camera monitoring the room. Damn. I'm already growing facial hair. I'll need to ask father to lend me his razor, since I'm not getting mine untill I'm twenty. And my jet black hair has got too long. I need to have it cut soon, if I don't want to be fined.

Whelp, time for breakfast.

"And now, our local news. The Controler office of Avatar City has announced that everything is ready for next weeks celebration of the Avatar's Birthday. City Controler Chin has promised us fireworks that will be even more spectacular than last year's! I don't know about you, folks, but I'm certainly looking forward to it. Just like any decent Dweller, I'll spend it right on Harmonisation Square, with my dearest wife and children, counting down to the beginning of Year 84!"

As I opened the door, I nearly hit my father, who was getting out of the toilet. Times like these make me realise, though, how lucky we are that we even have a toilet. We live in a Class 6 Dwelling, which means three bedrooms, a bathroom with a toilet seat and a small sink and a central room, with a respectably large table, a stove and a fridge, as well as a shelf to put our 40x30 cm Tv on and, of course, the obligatory picture of the Avatar hanging on the wall. It was a bit crammed, but it was home nonetheless.

My three sisters, Tsetseg, Gerel and Sarnai were already eating at the table. I kissed my mother and each of them good morning, then took a seat next to my father. Soon, Gan and Bat arrived as well, so, with everyone here, mum served us breakfast: a small bowl of oatmeal. Nothing luxurious, no sir! After all, luxuries lead to greed, and greed is evil. We all dug in, while our radio, tuned to the State Network, the same station the PA system was broadcasting, droned on.

"And now, for less pleasant matters. As you know, the Avatar State is at war with the Rogue Nation. We have always been at war with the Rogue Nation. These relics of a barbaric past long gone still oppose our beloved Avatar's harmonious rule, clinging to a dark past of war and hate. Field martial Jeong reports from the southern front that our brave soldiers have managed to score a major victory, finally driving those despicable monsters off the Continent. However, he warns, the war is far from over. Our boys need all our support if we are to win this war, folks, and I know I am skipping every third meal so that they get extra rations of food."

"So, dad, how's work?" I asked, trying to tune out the morning news.

"Oh, nothing much, son. You know, not much work for us police officers, since 'there is no crime in paradise'... But I might be getting a promotion soon."

"But Nergui," mother said. "Does this mean...?"

"Yes, Khulan, dearest," dad answered. "We might be moving into a Class 5 Dwelling. We'll have our own shower! One extra room! And, we might even get our own 'mobile!"

"That's great, dear!" mum exclaimed. "Speaking of moving up... Oktai, you're getting your exam results today, right?"

I sighed. The Final Academic Evaluation exams had taken place last week. And, when handing my papers in, I really had a bad feeling. Things just hadn't gone my way. I'll pass, that's for sure - no one ever fails the FAE - but the scores greatly affect a Dweller's whole life. Have a bad score, and you'll be shoveling trash for the rest of your days.

The marching music started playing over the PA system once again, signaling that it was half past seven. Time for all of us to leave for school and work. We got out of our block of flats and joined the marching people, all dressed in the same grey jumpsuits. We all walked in straight lines, marching to the beat - one of the little things everyone liked to enjoy before starting the ten-hour work day. Some twenty minutes of marching later, my siblings and I reached our district's school, the mighty building, decorated with Avatar State's banners (white with a black swastika and the symbols of each bending element in each corner, symbolising the continuous Avatar cycle), where children spent sixteen years of their life, learning to become functional members of the Avatar's society.

I said goodbye to my brothers and sisters for the rest of the day and began my arduous jurney to the seventh floor, where my homeroom was located. I ascended the unkempt stairs, which had been due for repairs for as long as I can remember, passing posters advertising various things I never bothered to read - I didn't care much for our sports team, or the 'Round Table Club', or any other of the extra-curricular activities organised by the school. There was one poster, however, that I always did read, and always stared at as I passed it. It displayed a man in a blue and white uniform, with a lotus symbol on his helmet. It said: 'The White Lotus sees all!' It reminded us to behave, as the cameras, which were placed on every corner - even in our Dwellings - literally recorded our every movement.

As I made it to the seventh floor, I bumped into my brightest point of the day. "Hey there, handsome!" A gorgeous girl greeted me. I smiled and picked her up in my arms, spinning around with her, making her long black hair flip around. We shared a small, innocent kiss.

"Morning, Min, milady!" I greeted back. "How are you on this fine day, fair maiden?"

She giggled. "Oh, quite well, thank you, noble sir! I hope thy morning has been favourable as well!"

I released her out of my embrace, gesturing that we should be off to our classroom. "So, how was your Peaceday?"

She groaned. "I spent the entire yesterday glossing over the mistakes I might have made on my exams last week. I don't know, I just don't think I'll pass."

"Are you kidding? Of course you'll pass!" I said, making her smile. "I mean, no one ever fails the FAE, except for imaginary people!" This earned me a punch to the shoulder. "Hey! But seriously, you always say you won't pass, but then you finish practically at the top of the class. Now I, on the other hand, have something to really worry about."

"Oh come on, seriously?! You, who has passed every exam so far by slacking off!?"

"I really mean it this time, Min," I confessed. "I just... couldn't concentrate. There was a lot on my mind..."

"Hey! None of that!" she exclaimed. "Like you said, no one ever fails the final exam. So, unless you're just my imaginary friend, you'll be fine."

We made it to our classroom and found our seats. We sat at the back, in the second-to-last line, with myself next to the window overlooking the school's courtyard and sports pitch. Well, I was in the last line, anyway, as the last desk in my row was missing. Had been missing for, what, two weeks now? Slowly, my classmates started to gather, silently sitting down on their seats and preparing for class.

Shortly thereafter, our homeroom and sociology teacher, professor Lin, entered. We all stood up as she stiffly faced us, giving her the palm-on-backhand salute, raising our hands up high. "Avatar's favours to you, professor Shi Lin!" we greeted in corus.

"Praise the Avatar!" she greeted back, saluting as well. "Say your pledge!"

All our eyes turned to the picture of the Avatar which hung above the whiteboard. "Fire. Air. Water. Earth. We pledge ourselves to the Avatar, master of all four elements and bridge to the Spirit Realm. We offer our bodies and souls unto Him, to use as He may see fit, to maintain peace and balance in the world. If we should ever stray from this righteous path, may the White Lotus erase our existence immediately."

The teacher nodded. "You may be seated." And we did so. "Answer your names."

There were thirty-two students in our class. Sorry, thirty-one, actually. Fifteen girls and sixteen boys, all Dwellers of our district - so, all of us were Class 6 Dwelling inhabitants, though two of us had joined our class when their families moved to the district from Class Sevens. That is quite surprising, to say the least - Dwelling promotions are very rare, at least that I know of, as it is not really supposed to be a reward for the workplace promotion, but a way to accomodate a growing family. At least, in theory.

After roll call was done, professor Lin, took a stack of papers out of her bag. "Last week, you had your FAEs. These are your results. Some of you will be pleasantly surprised, others... not so much. Mostly the results were as expected, though." She went through the classroom, distributing the papers, commenting on each person's scores. Min passed with tens and nines, no surprise there. Overall, most students were satisfied with their results.

Then, she reached my desk. "Chigin Oktai..." she sighed. "What happened to my star pupil, hm?" She gave me my results. Sixes and sevens, and an eight in history - but that class is a joke. All passing marks, but barely. "How did this happen, Oktai? I think everyone here expected perfect scores."

"I... don't know, professor. I just... couldn't concentrate. Not after Gon-..."

The teacher cut me off: "Who?"

"Wan Gon," I said, pointing to the empty space behind me. "He disappeared, remember?"

Professor Lin sighed. "We've been through this, Oktai. Wan Gon never existed. He is nowhere in the school records, the seat where he supposedly sat is gone and he is in none of our class photos. You must have imagined him."

"I know, professor, I know," I quickly said, feeling all eyes, even those behind the camera in the corner of the classroom, on me. "'If someone disappears, someone has taken them. He only ones with the power to do that are the White Lotus. The only reason they would take anyone away is if they were disidents. They would only be disidents if they were dissatisfied with their lives. And that cannot be, as we are living in paradise. Thus, such a person couldn't exist,'" I recited.

She nodded. "Right you are. And, Avatar willing, you will remember that." She adressed the class. "May this be a lesson to you all, to not let the sudden realisation that one of your friends is imaginary throw you off balance." As she walked back toards the whiteboard, I could prectically feel the disdain eminating from my classmates. The boys and girls whom I've known for over sixteen years, with whom I've laughed and cried, worked and toiled, were disappointed with my slip-up. There were some sympathetic looks, one, in particular, from Min, but most were appalled by my excuse.

The professor, once again adressed the class: "Now that you are done with your exams, one final test awaits you: the physical and psychological evaluation, or the Double P. On Lotusday, you will gather in front of the school, where a bus," there were excited mumbles at an actual 'mobile being mentioned, "will pick you up and take you to the Southern Quarter Public Health Facility. Now, I don't think I can stress enough how important this test is for the lives ahead of you, for it shall determine how much authority you'll be allowed to gain. Make a good impression, and you might become a Statesman one day! Make a bad one, and you might be damned with a Class 8 Dwelling for the rest of your life, if you're lucky."

Lotusday. That gave us today, which is Fireday, then Airday, Waterday, Earthday and Balanceday to prepare. Not that I would know how to prepare. Every adult I had ever asked about it just laughed nervously and said: 'You'll see,' or 'It's different for everyone.'

"Despite this being your last week of school, for the rest of your lives," Shi Lin continued, "that doesn't mean we are done with classes. I'm glad to see no one is absent today, so let that be the case until your final test. What will we be doing this week, you may ask? Costumarily, on their final school week, students watch movers in class, followed by a discussion. For today, I've prepared The First Avatar."

For the next three hours, we watched the projection on our whiteboard. The mover was about our Beloved Leader, the Avatar, about how he mastered the elements, drove away warlords and, with his most trusted disciples, the White Lotus, built Avatar City. It was the mover every citizen of the Avatar State hat to watch, at least a dozen times.

The discussion that followed, well, wasn't really a discussion. No opposing opinions being presented to the interpretation we all already knew by heart, from the numerous passages we had to memorise for our literature class. I mostly kept to myself for the rest of the day, speaking only when asked a question, my earlier blunder still fresh in the collective consciousness.

The rest of the day was a blur. We had lunch, which I spent in the caffeteria, absentmindedly chatting with Min. There were a few times she asked me whether I was okay, but I just replied with a quiet yes. Overall, it was a very, very bad day, and I couldn't wait till I was home and it was all over.

As I was returning home in the late afternoon, I noticed something strange. A large box on four wheels. A van, I realised. It wasn't that I had never seen one, but having one in our district, where only the Dwelling Keepers had 'mobiles usually meant trouble. And, this was certainly the case in this situation. Two White Lotus operatives, in full uniform, were 'escorting' a man out of a nearby Dwelling block. He looked bruised, with his jumpsuit torn, and absolutely terrified. After they threw him in the bright white vehicle, one of them noticed me staring. So, I did what any sane man would do in this situation. I quickened my pace and pretended I saw nothing. After walking for a while, I looked backed again and sighed in relief: I wasn't being followed.

When I got home, no one was there yet, as expected. My siblings still had classes. Mum was probably just finishing her shift at the clothing factory. And father usually finished at around six. I sat on my bed, thinking about my day. First my exam scores, then the teacher having to explain the nonexistence of my friend. And, there's a looming examination on my head. Ugh!

Looking around, I noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand next to me, and a pencil. I took the pencil in my hand, trying to calm my head. My back to the security camera, obscuting the paper from it's view, I wrote down the first thing that came to mind.

'Down with the Avatar.'

For the longest time, I stared at the sentence, disbilieving that it was actually I who wrote it. This was the sort of thing you usually saw the villains in the movers saying. But, having actually written it felt really strange. And in a good way. As if it was something I've always wanted to say, but couldn't.

Then, my mind came back to reality. I had just comminted a hate crime against the my back hadn't been obscuring the words from the camera, the White Lotus would already have been on their way. I quickly tore the paper up, crumpling it for good measure. Then, I stuffed it beneath my mattress. I decide it was best not to think about it, or the words I'd written, again.