The Judging

It's a slow walk, a long walk. The midday sun pounds into the landscape. A dark haired girl walks along the path, face determined – anticipating.

The girl has not always been this bold. She always has been in the background, the shadows. That was how she liked it.

She wasn't one to get angry easily. Cool head, that one they had often said – before it happened. But now, now? The accusatory stares, the constant flashes of the cameras, the silent whispering behind the mockingly fragile-looking wall of the FAYZ – enough! The stares – oh the stares! – As though the FAYZ kids were zoo animals, as though they had done something wrong. It made the girl sick just thinking about it.

So, for this reason, she trudged to the glass-like barrier with a parcel firmly in her hands. Someone from the otherside saw her coming, and in the short time in which she had reached the barrier a crowd had formed.

Rage coursed through the girl's body but outwardly she appeared calm.

They stood, curious – waiting. Inwardly the girl sneered. Vultures.

With a determined expression, the girl held up the parcel – posters she had made from her old art stash.

Flashes went off as pictures were taken of the poster, and the scarred, intimidating teen behind it. Scrawled messily on the page were these words.

You have no idea. None.

In the beginning, you were GONE. All became chaos in the FAYZ. So we had to grow up. We had to make order.

Then it was the HUNGER. The Darkness attacked while we starved and died. You weren't there. So we had to learn, we had food to grow.

Next were the LIES. As our faction leaders deceived us and fought for power, normals against the freaks, Coates against Perdido. The Darkness tried to take advantage of us. You were still gone. We had to forgive to survive. And so we changed.

The PLAGUE killed worse than the Darkness. The sickness ate us, and you weren't there. But he killed them, the little boy died to save us all.

For a while, all was peaceful. But the FAYZ went dark, and there was FEAR. We were afraid of the dark, but you weren't there. The Darkness was born through Diana's baby. But Sam had Sammy Suns, and there was LIGHT.

There is so much you don't understand, and never will. Names we live by – Caine, Sam, Albert, Lana – you will never know. So, no, you do not get the right to judge us.

We have done shameful things, terrible things. But also good things, great things.

We are not yours anymore. We are children no longer. Why would you expect us to be?

We are survivors.

We are survivors of the Fallout Alley Youth Zone.

The pre-teen turned her loaded stare on the crowd. Too old, her eyes screamed. Oh, well – too late now.

Discarding the posters, she shook her head and walked away – it was the middle of the day and she needed to see a boy about a boat.

*Outside*

Connie Temple looked at the retreating figure. Turning to the woman beside her, she said in a dazed tone, "What did we just see?"