Aya's Younger Years Author's Notes: I don't own Uglies. Dreams of being on the other side of the river change

"Now, I'm sure lots of you people are probably asking 'what do you mean the Mind Rain?'" said the reporter.

"Yes," said Aya. "Could you just get it over with already?"

"The Mind Rain is a new law that states what turning pretty did to your brain and will never be allowed to do to you ever again," the reporter explained.

"What?" said Aya, shocked. "So THAT'S what dad meant when he said that there was a consequence about turning pretty."

"We're sorry if we crush your happy-life dreams with this but the woman who created the pretty operation; Dr. Cable was trying to crush your dreams even more by putting lesions in your brain when you took the operation," said the reporter.

"Lesions?" said Aya, gasping.

"That's right: LESIONS." The reporter said and turned towards a boy (Peris) who was still pretty; WITH the lesions. "All remaining pretties and specials will be given the cure IMMEDIATELY after the Wardens find them." The reporter pinged the Wardens, who were coincidently at the house right behind where the boy was. "As I said before: all remaining uncured pretties and specials will be taken back to the doctors' place and given the cure IMMEDIATELY after the Wardens find them," the reporter repeated. "We're sorry you pretties and ESPECIALLY you specials had to resort to this, but it's what has to be done, because we don't want you all to be forced to live this way; with lesions in your brain. You all may have thought BEFORE that turning pretty would be the time of your life; a dream come true, but the truth is NOW it can be. With no lesions left in your mind, you can now have the time of your life; without any operation."

Aya couldn't believe it: pretties had lesions in their brains? that must be why they were always so happy, Aya realized. Because their brains were PROGRAMED to make them be happy all the time, without any bad thoughts. Without any fights.

"We thank you, Tally Youngblood, wherever you are. Because of you our world has never been better," the reporter said. "We are glad that you helped us finally realize that it isn't right to put lesions in peoples' brains. And next up we have-" Aya turned off the TV and went to bed: everything really WAS changing now; especially her dreams of being on the other side of the river. She wasn't sure she would ever turn pretty at all.

Aya's Younger Years