This work is dedicated to all
of my classmates. You've all
helped me achieve this goal in
your way. Thank you.
"People think of it as a regime of lies but it is not so much a regime of lies as it is a regime of truth; just very little truth." Coby Tamayo on Stalin's Iron Curtain
"Maybe they're as evil as they seem/ Or maybe I only look out the window when they seem it" Atmosphere, Balance
"...I hunt therefore I am..." Metallica, Of Wolf and Man
Male Participants Female Participants
1. Joseph Rodrigues 1. Christina Rodrigues 2. Marthel Aleman 2. Karly Waters 3. Scott Born 3. Nai Saephan 4. David Lee 4. Emma Scott 5. Matthew Kwasny 5. Jessica Truong 6. Patrick Leggette 6. Jessica Chase 7. Daniel Luedtke 7. Stephanie Watanabe 8. Bryan Le 8. Lauren Anderson 9. Joseph Montoya 9. Kirsten Davis 10. Jacob McNamara 10. Amy Diep 11. Sen Saetern 11. Jordon Jones 12. Derek Stonier 12. Leslie Just 13. Anthony Smith 13. Lizabeeth Lopez 14. Bryan Giang 14. Kristin Owyang 15. Aaron Harlow 15. Nailah Pope-Harden 16. Jose Montiel 16. Jessica Ripley 17. Phuc Tran 17. Brianne Cano 18. Joseph Talley 19. Coby Tamayo
0.
The bus rumbled down the paved highway as quickly as it's possible for a two-ton vehicle carrying thirty-six high school students to move. The bus slugged its way through the morning traffic on I5, heading south. Inside Mr. Hotell's first period class was excited to finally be on their way to Santa Monica, where they would spend a three-day weekend at the Aquarium and the beaches. Altogether it should prove to be a memorable trip and well worth a year of boring, not to mention pointless, lectures from the student's biology teacher; even if he was their favorite first period teacher.
Matthew Kwasny (male student #5) stirred himself from his early morning drowsiness; he wasn't used to waking up so early on Saturday mornings. He regretted not taking work off Friday night. His grandfather, who owned a local pool hall, had offered Matthew the night off but he had refused, instead working until two o'clock in the morning. As he shock his head clear of the haze he glanced around the buses interior. It was one of those super nice buses that looks to be two levels from the outside but is really only one large story with an air conditioner powerful enough to turn a 110 degree Sacramento day into an Alaskan night. The seat he sat in was made of a comfortable red material that invited him to sleep all the way through the eight-hour trip. Somewhere near the front of the bus the driver had put a movie on the large plasma screen. Matthew couldn't see the screen because he was slouched low in his chair but from what he could hear he guessed it a Disney movie; the happy-go-lucky music gave it away. Leaning on his shoulder, also half asleep, was Matthew's girlfriend Nai Saephan (female student #3). They had been going out over a year now and were very much in love; though like all couples they had their spats. Nai's hand felt warm in Matthew's and it was comforting to have her head on his shoulder.
The seats in the bus were broken into two columns with two seats per row. In front of Matthew and Nai's seats were Scott Born (male student #3) and Jessica Chase (female student #6). This trip would mark their first week of being a couple. That's a strange sentence, thought Matthew, just thinking of the Scott and Jessica, as a couple was just comical. As long as Matthew had known the two of them they had been at each other's throat. They had nothing in common and fought like an old married couple, yet here they were sitting in front of his holding hands and talking in hushed tones. The world is a strange place, not much more can be said.
Scott had been Matthew's best friend since eighth grade. In the three years since then they had been through a lot together and their relationship had many ups and downs, yet they still relayed on each other in times of need. Though neither one would utter it aloud they more then likely could get on without the other. What was most weird about their relationship was that more things they found they had in common the further away they drifted. In the past year Matthew had began preparing to try out for a TV showed called American Idol which attempted to find the next pop singing sensation. At the same time Scott had picked up the electric bass and started hopping between bands like a heroin induced frog. He would be playing slap bass for one band on Monday, singing for another on Wednesday, and playing regular bass for a third band on Thursday. Him and Coby Tamayo (male student #19) were even thinking about starting a politically aware band that would be called Vox Populi (voice of the people). One would normally think that two friends who shared musical talents would start a band together or something but instead Matthew and Scott sat back and did nothing, trying to ignore the ever-growing rift between them.
Jessica Chase who was Matthew's other best friend had also begun to split apart. The funny thing about it was that when it first became apparent it brought Scott and Jessica (who were constantly fighting over Matthew's friendship) together. Jessica and Matthew had made up since then and the break in their friend closed for the time being and the void between Scott and Jessica had magically healed in a single week; the world works in mysterious ways.
Another one of the newly formed couples sat in front of Scot and Jessica. This couple was Coby Tamayo and Stephanie Watanabe (female student #7). Coby and Stephanie had only been together a month longer then Scott and Jessica. At the moment Scott was letting Coby listen to the song playing on his CD player. Most likely it was something either to do with someone screaming obscenities or a quick line intended to make one think about the current path the United States was taking. Occasionally the two mixed like in a song Scott had once shared with Matthew that was simply entitled "Fuck the System".
"Hey Matt listen to this," said Scott turning around in his seat and handing Matthew his headphones. Scott backed up the CD as Matthew put on the headphones.
After a few seconds delay words made their way to Matthew's ears. The words weren't being whispered but they weren't being sung at the same time, it was a somewhat nice mix between the two, "Listen to the fascist sing: 'Take hope here. War is elsewhere. You were chosen. This is God's land. Soon we'll be free of blot and mixture. Seeds planted by our forefather's hand.' " sang the voice.
Political this time. Matthew handed Scott back his headphone with a smile.
Matthew continued gazing around the bus. Across from him sat Jessica Truong (female student #5) and David lee (male student #4). Jessica and David were the brains of the class and were constantly at what one might deem a nuclear arms race to pull the best grades. If Jessica was to get a better grade on a Science test then David he would begin seriously considering suicide; the reverse was also true. For the time being (since they were not in class) they were acting like the two great friends they were. In front of David and Jessica and across from Scott and Jessica were Anthony Smith (male student #13) and Jacob McNamara (male student #11). Anthony and Jacob were the class clowns. Along with Bobby Kline they had ran for student body positions this year and made a complete mockery of the democratic system, which was only made worse by Scott, Coby, and five others all standing up, throwing "Hail Hitler" signs in the air after Anthony speech. As if Anthony horrible lime green car salesman suit didn't make things bad enough. At least he didn't make any racial jokes this time. Stretching out, Matthew looked toward the very back of the bus, he was situated near the front . In the very last row, which was a bench that stretched across the whole bus, were the "hot girls". That is, Emma Scott (female student #4), Karly Waters (female student #2), and Lauren "Lolo" Anderson (female student #8). Joining then in the other two seats was Derek Stonier (male student #12) and, trying to act like he was actually in with the three girls, Aaron Harlow (male student #15). Derek had moved from the seat he had taken at the school (beside Aaron) to a new one between Emma and Karly who were running their hands all over Derek trying to get him to pop one. Aaron, who was now next to Lolo, was trying his hardest to get her to turn his way. Slowly Matthew let his gaze run from the back of the bus to the front. In between "his" group and the "hot girls" were all the "nondescript" students that filled their class. These were either the kids who didn't make an effort to stand out or the ones Matthew didn't especial know well. Along the left, from back to right behind Jessica and David, were Bryan Giang (male student #14) and Bryan Le (male student #8), Jessica Ripley (female student #16) and Brianne Cano (female student #17), Amy Diep (female student #10) and Jordon Jones (female student #11), and Leslie Just (female student #12) and Christina Rodrigues (female student #1). On the right side of the bus, from the back to right behind Matthew and Nai, were Jose Montiel (male student 16) and Marthel Aleman (male student #2), who Matthew hated above all others. Patrick Leggette (male student #6) and Joseph Talley (male student #18). The class' drug dealer, Phuc Tran (male student 17) and Joey Montoya (male student #9), and the two kung-fu experts, Sen Saetern (male student #11) and Daniel Luedtke (male student #7). In the row ahead of Jacob and Anthony was Joey Rodrigues (male student #1) and Nailah Pope-Harden (female student #15), both were asleep. In the first two rows of the bus, in front of Coby and Stephanie, were Kristin Owyang (female student #14), Lizabeeth Lopez (female student #13), and Kirsten Davis (female student #9), who were talking cheerfully between the gaps in the chairs. Content that he now knew where everyone was Matthew closed his eyes, wrapped his arm around Nai's warm body and went back to sleep.
It was two o'clock in the afternoon when the bus pulled over into a highway rest stop; they were a little more then halfway to their final destination. All the students, including Matthew, who had been woken up by Scott, got out of the bus to stretch their cramped muscles and use the bathroom. Scott, Matthew, and Coby all did their business but then milled around for a while, not wanting to sit in a bus, no matter how nice it was, for another three hours. The bus' horn honked signaling everyone to get back on. Raggedly all the students, save the handful that had been on already, climbed the few steps that lead into the vehicle. The driver started the engine and shut the doors. Just as he started to pull out of the rest stop, however, a large black car pulled alongside the bus. The car looked like a Lincoln Town Car, the kind someone's rich grandfather would drive, with tint windows so that you could make out who exactly was inside; at times there appeared to be three people, other times you could see five. The front passenger door opened a stout figure walked up to the bus' door. Matthew couldn't see the figure from were he was very clearly but he guessed it was a man wearing all black. A knock came at the door, the driver pulled a lever and the door made a whoosh as it opened. Suddenly, a deafening gunshot sounded and the driver tumbled out of his chair into the isle; a thick black liquid ran across the faux marble floor. The figure who had knocked on the door walked coolly into the bus' interior, a smoking pistol in his hand, without a word the man walked to the back of the bus. He was dressed like a SWAT officer, all black clothing, a broad bulletproof vest across his chest, heavy-duty steel toed boots, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, and a gas mask that wholly covered his face. Two other identical men followed the killer; one took a spot standing at the front of the bus and the other sat down in the driver's seat, first throwing the old driver's body from the bus. Matthew saw that another man who emerged from the back seat took the body into the black car.
"Bus is secure." Said the new driver into his vest.
There was a screech of tires as the black car sped out of the rest stop and onto the highway. Those were the last words Matthew remembered before it happened: the two men at either end of the bus pulled objects from their belts that resembled whiskey tins, pulled the pins on the tops, and tossed them gently onto the ground. A hissing sound followed and within seconds Matthew's whole body felt tingly and heavy. He could lift his arms or even keep his eyelids open anymore. Matthew fell into darkness.
The bus pulled out onto to highway, pulled a U-turn and proceeded in the opposite direction it had been traveling previously. After an hour of cutting over dirt roads and strips of empty highway the bus found its way to an airfield stationed in one of the thousands of sandy California deserts. Piloted by the black men the bus pulled alongside a monstrous, tan hanger. Another whoosh sounded and the doors opened allowing a dozen men who had been waiting patiently outside the hanger entrance. The men who now entered were wearing blue jump suits and quickly set to work unloading all the students and then relocating them onto a C-5 Galaxy that was now emerging from its tan hanger.
36 students remaining
of my classmates. You've all
helped me achieve this goal in
your way. Thank you.
"People think of it as a regime of lies but it is not so much a regime of lies as it is a regime of truth; just very little truth." Coby Tamayo on Stalin's Iron Curtain
"Maybe they're as evil as they seem/ Or maybe I only look out the window when they seem it" Atmosphere, Balance
"...I hunt therefore I am..." Metallica, Of Wolf and Man
Male Participants Female Participants
1. Joseph Rodrigues 1. Christina Rodrigues 2. Marthel Aleman 2. Karly Waters 3. Scott Born 3. Nai Saephan 4. David Lee 4. Emma Scott 5. Matthew Kwasny 5. Jessica Truong 6. Patrick Leggette 6. Jessica Chase 7. Daniel Luedtke 7. Stephanie Watanabe 8. Bryan Le 8. Lauren Anderson 9. Joseph Montoya 9. Kirsten Davis 10. Jacob McNamara 10. Amy Diep 11. Sen Saetern 11. Jordon Jones 12. Derek Stonier 12. Leslie Just 13. Anthony Smith 13. Lizabeeth Lopez 14. Bryan Giang 14. Kristin Owyang 15. Aaron Harlow 15. Nailah Pope-Harden 16. Jose Montiel 16. Jessica Ripley 17. Phuc Tran 17. Brianne Cano 18. Joseph Talley 19. Coby Tamayo
0.
The bus rumbled down the paved highway as quickly as it's possible for a two-ton vehicle carrying thirty-six high school students to move. The bus slugged its way through the morning traffic on I5, heading south. Inside Mr. Hotell's first period class was excited to finally be on their way to Santa Monica, where they would spend a three-day weekend at the Aquarium and the beaches. Altogether it should prove to be a memorable trip and well worth a year of boring, not to mention pointless, lectures from the student's biology teacher; even if he was their favorite first period teacher.
Matthew Kwasny (male student #5) stirred himself from his early morning drowsiness; he wasn't used to waking up so early on Saturday mornings. He regretted not taking work off Friday night. His grandfather, who owned a local pool hall, had offered Matthew the night off but he had refused, instead working until two o'clock in the morning. As he shock his head clear of the haze he glanced around the buses interior. It was one of those super nice buses that looks to be two levels from the outside but is really only one large story with an air conditioner powerful enough to turn a 110 degree Sacramento day into an Alaskan night. The seat he sat in was made of a comfortable red material that invited him to sleep all the way through the eight-hour trip. Somewhere near the front of the bus the driver had put a movie on the large plasma screen. Matthew couldn't see the screen because he was slouched low in his chair but from what he could hear he guessed it a Disney movie; the happy-go-lucky music gave it away. Leaning on his shoulder, also half asleep, was Matthew's girlfriend Nai Saephan (female student #3). They had been going out over a year now and were very much in love; though like all couples they had their spats. Nai's hand felt warm in Matthew's and it was comforting to have her head on his shoulder.
The seats in the bus were broken into two columns with two seats per row. In front of Matthew and Nai's seats were Scott Born (male student #3) and Jessica Chase (female student #6). This trip would mark their first week of being a couple. That's a strange sentence, thought Matthew, just thinking of the Scott and Jessica, as a couple was just comical. As long as Matthew had known the two of them they had been at each other's throat. They had nothing in common and fought like an old married couple, yet here they were sitting in front of his holding hands and talking in hushed tones. The world is a strange place, not much more can be said.
Scott had been Matthew's best friend since eighth grade. In the three years since then they had been through a lot together and their relationship had many ups and downs, yet they still relayed on each other in times of need. Though neither one would utter it aloud they more then likely could get on without the other. What was most weird about their relationship was that more things they found they had in common the further away they drifted. In the past year Matthew had began preparing to try out for a TV showed called American Idol which attempted to find the next pop singing sensation. At the same time Scott had picked up the electric bass and started hopping between bands like a heroin induced frog. He would be playing slap bass for one band on Monday, singing for another on Wednesday, and playing regular bass for a third band on Thursday. Him and Coby Tamayo (male student #19) were even thinking about starting a politically aware band that would be called Vox Populi (voice of the people). One would normally think that two friends who shared musical talents would start a band together or something but instead Matthew and Scott sat back and did nothing, trying to ignore the ever-growing rift between them.
Jessica Chase who was Matthew's other best friend had also begun to split apart. The funny thing about it was that when it first became apparent it brought Scott and Jessica (who were constantly fighting over Matthew's friendship) together. Jessica and Matthew had made up since then and the break in their friend closed for the time being and the void between Scott and Jessica had magically healed in a single week; the world works in mysterious ways.
Another one of the newly formed couples sat in front of Scot and Jessica. This couple was Coby Tamayo and Stephanie Watanabe (female student #7). Coby and Stephanie had only been together a month longer then Scott and Jessica. At the moment Scott was letting Coby listen to the song playing on his CD player. Most likely it was something either to do with someone screaming obscenities or a quick line intended to make one think about the current path the United States was taking. Occasionally the two mixed like in a song Scott had once shared with Matthew that was simply entitled "Fuck the System".
"Hey Matt listen to this," said Scott turning around in his seat and handing Matthew his headphones. Scott backed up the CD as Matthew put on the headphones.
After a few seconds delay words made their way to Matthew's ears. The words weren't being whispered but they weren't being sung at the same time, it was a somewhat nice mix between the two, "Listen to the fascist sing: 'Take hope here. War is elsewhere. You were chosen. This is God's land. Soon we'll be free of blot and mixture. Seeds planted by our forefather's hand.' " sang the voice.
Political this time. Matthew handed Scott back his headphone with a smile.
Matthew continued gazing around the bus. Across from him sat Jessica Truong (female student #5) and David lee (male student #4). Jessica and David were the brains of the class and were constantly at what one might deem a nuclear arms race to pull the best grades. If Jessica was to get a better grade on a Science test then David he would begin seriously considering suicide; the reverse was also true. For the time being (since they were not in class) they were acting like the two great friends they were. In front of David and Jessica and across from Scott and Jessica were Anthony Smith (male student #13) and Jacob McNamara (male student #11). Anthony and Jacob were the class clowns. Along with Bobby Kline they had ran for student body positions this year and made a complete mockery of the democratic system, which was only made worse by Scott, Coby, and five others all standing up, throwing "Hail Hitler" signs in the air after Anthony speech. As if Anthony horrible lime green car salesman suit didn't make things bad enough. At least he didn't make any racial jokes this time. Stretching out, Matthew looked toward the very back of the bus, he was situated near the front . In the very last row, which was a bench that stretched across the whole bus, were the "hot girls". That is, Emma Scott (female student #4), Karly Waters (female student #2), and Lauren "Lolo" Anderson (female student #8). Joining then in the other two seats was Derek Stonier (male student #12) and, trying to act like he was actually in with the three girls, Aaron Harlow (male student #15). Derek had moved from the seat he had taken at the school (beside Aaron) to a new one between Emma and Karly who were running their hands all over Derek trying to get him to pop one. Aaron, who was now next to Lolo, was trying his hardest to get her to turn his way. Slowly Matthew let his gaze run from the back of the bus to the front. In between "his" group and the "hot girls" were all the "nondescript" students that filled their class. These were either the kids who didn't make an effort to stand out or the ones Matthew didn't especial know well. Along the left, from back to right behind Jessica and David, were Bryan Giang (male student #14) and Bryan Le (male student #8), Jessica Ripley (female student #16) and Brianne Cano (female student #17), Amy Diep (female student #10) and Jordon Jones (female student #11), and Leslie Just (female student #12) and Christina Rodrigues (female student #1). On the right side of the bus, from the back to right behind Matthew and Nai, were Jose Montiel (male student 16) and Marthel Aleman (male student #2), who Matthew hated above all others. Patrick Leggette (male student #6) and Joseph Talley (male student #18). The class' drug dealer, Phuc Tran (male student 17) and Joey Montoya (male student #9), and the two kung-fu experts, Sen Saetern (male student #11) and Daniel Luedtke (male student #7). In the row ahead of Jacob and Anthony was Joey Rodrigues (male student #1) and Nailah Pope-Harden (female student #15), both were asleep. In the first two rows of the bus, in front of Coby and Stephanie, were Kristin Owyang (female student #14), Lizabeeth Lopez (female student #13), and Kirsten Davis (female student #9), who were talking cheerfully between the gaps in the chairs. Content that he now knew where everyone was Matthew closed his eyes, wrapped his arm around Nai's warm body and went back to sleep.
It was two o'clock in the afternoon when the bus pulled over into a highway rest stop; they were a little more then halfway to their final destination. All the students, including Matthew, who had been woken up by Scott, got out of the bus to stretch their cramped muscles and use the bathroom. Scott, Matthew, and Coby all did their business but then milled around for a while, not wanting to sit in a bus, no matter how nice it was, for another three hours. The bus' horn honked signaling everyone to get back on. Raggedly all the students, save the handful that had been on already, climbed the few steps that lead into the vehicle. The driver started the engine and shut the doors. Just as he started to pull out of the rest stop, however, a large black car pulled alongside the bus. The car looked like a Lincoln Town Car, the kind someone's rich grandfather would drive, with tint windows so that you could make out who exactly was inside; at times there appeared to be three people, other times you could see five. The front passenger door opened a stout figure walked up to the bus' door. Matthew couldn't see the figure from were he was very clearly but he guessed it was a man wearing all black. A knock came at the door, the driver pulled a lever and the door made a whoosh as it opened. Suddenly, a deafening gunshot sounded and the driver tumbled out of his chair into the isle; a thick black liquid ran across the faux marble floor. The figure who had knocked on the door walked coolly into the bus' interior, a smoking pistol in his hand, without a word the man walked to the back of the bus. He was dressed like a SWAT officer, all black clothing, a broad bulletproof vest across his chest, heavy-duty steel toed boots, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, and a gas mask that wholly covered his face. Two other identical men followed the killer; one took a spot standing at the front of the bus and the other sat down in the driver's seat, first throwing the old driver's body from the bus. Matthew saw that another man who emerged from the back seat took the body into the black car.
"Bus is secure." Said the new driver into his vest.
There was a screech of tires as the black car sped out of the rest stop and onto the highway. Those were the last words Matthew remembered before it happened: the two men at either end of the bus pulled objects from their belts that resembled whiskey tins, pulled the pins on the tops, and tossed them gently onto the ground. A hissing sound followed and within seconds Matthew's whole body felt tingly and heavy. He could lift his arms or even keep his eyelids open anymore. Matthew fell into darkness.
The bus pulled out onto to highway, pulled a U-turn and proceeded in the opposite direction it had been traveling previously. After an hour of cutting over dirt roads and strips of empty highway the bus found its way to an airfield stationed in one of the thousands of sandy California deserts. Piloted by the black men the bus pulled alongside a monstrous, tan hanger. Another whoosh sounded and the doors opened allowing a dozen men who had been waiting patiently outside the hanger entrance. The men who now entered were wearing blue jump suits and quickly set to work unloading all the students and then relocating them onto a C-5 Galaxy that was now emerging from its tan hanger.
36 students remaining