I could hear the birds chirping outside and a hint of sun light was creeping out from behind the drapes. It was dawn. I got out of bed and went over to the grand piano. I created my own art on the piano and soon all the 17 year old girls of the house were up. All of us were singing along to the tune of the piano. I found myself singing too. We never learned the song. We never even heard the song before that moment, but we all sang with harmony and in sync. It sounded so familiar, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. I tried to remember the feeling of touching the piano before today, but I couldn’t. The truth was that I hadn’t ever played piano in my life, but here I was. I caught a boy peeking through the window. Our eyes met. He seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place him. He felt safe. I felt warmth filling inside of me. He had these brilliant green eyes, one left dimple, and an expression that was far too serious for his age. Then before I could wave, he scurried away almost terrified. I felt cold and alone without his presence. Why was he so familiar?

3 days earlier…


I sat hanging upside down from a tree. I wanted to remember this place, not only as home, but as refuge from society’s sins. I wanted to remember that I was supposed to be a cure, an antidote to a problem. I wanted to believe that I was supposed to be a heroin, just like the girls in the Greek legends. I knew better. Those were lies.


“There you are, beautiful. I was looking for you everywhere. Are you ready?” Sol asked. I flipped over and smiled.


“I was born ready.” I said smirking at him. He looked unsure.


“Cassia, what if they find out?” He whispered.


“I’m going either way. The question is…are you coming with me Sol?” I pulled him towards me, trying to read his eyes.


“I’ll go anywhere with you, but are you sure that the Elders won’t understand if we just talk to them.” Sol pleaded with me to reconsider. “What if our plan doesn’t work out and I lose you too?”

“The Elders won’t understand. They follow the society’s orders. Don’t you remember what happened to Matt when he spoke out? The only way to freedom and our own life is getting as far away from here as possible.” I said slightly frustrated.


When someone breaks the biggest rules, he or she is given the biggest punishment. The individual is given a life serum. It erases all the memories that an individual has from age seven to the current age. The individual basically has to start over his or her entire life, which might be a good thing for some people in the Great Society, but for the people on the Island it means that they cannot graduate. There are certain requirements you need to pass and at a young age, erasing your achievements isn’t that bad. Though, when you’re older you no longer have enough time to make up all the requirements. Matt was almost 17 when he was given the life serum. He did not have enough time to make up all his requirements before he turned 18, so now he is stuck being a guard on the island forever. The Island was founded 200 years ago. The Great Society had too many problems. People used too much fuel, electricity (which I’ve never really seen because it no longer exists), and resources. There was so much corruption and violence that they gathered a team of the greatest scientists and researchers in the Great Society and created a solution. Children were their answer. They believed that changing how the children grew up, would help create better citizens why would make the Great Society a great place to live again. Ever since, hand-picked seven year olds are gathered on to a flying disk (I think it works with magnetic and gravitational forces.) and brought to the Island. Here, they are turned into respectable society members and when they have passed the Island requirements and finally turn eighteen they are taken back to the Great Society to start their new lives.


“What is wrong with where we live? We have delicious food. We have waterfalls and hot springs for baths. We wear clothes made out of the softest leaves. We live in trees that overlook the Island. All our family and friends are here. No one gets sick. Everyone lives in peace. There’s never violence like there is in the Great Society.” Sol frowned and sat on the moist grass hugging his knees. He shook his head, “What more could you want?”


I turned away from him, folding my arms. He got up and held my arm, turning me back towards him. “You’re a top class student. You speak fourteen languages fluently. The girls look upon you for advice. You’re an incredible musician and singer. You run the fastest of the girls. The Elders have already given you the silver, red, and gold ribbons that you need to graduate. Everybody in the clan knows that you would be the perfect medic. You practically aced medical biology.” Sol clasped his hands on my cheeks. “Why are you finding faults in the Society when you could be looking forward to the new life that they will be giving us after we graduate? This Island is a gift.”


I laughed. “A gift is not what I would call it. For one thing, I am not allowed to be with you. You do understand you aren’t in my rank. You are going to be eighteen next month. I will be eighteen next year. I will lose you. I shouldn’t even be here talking to you. I could get in trouble for this, whatever this is. I do not remember my parents. Have you ever wondered who first told you stories? Aren’t you angry that the Elders took away all our memories at age seven? Don’t you ever wish you could wear whatever you wanted to, live wherever you wanted to, talk to whomever you wanted to, and be with whomever you wanted to be with? Don’t you want to be more than just another of Society’s solution? Don’t you want to have your own purpose in life?”


Sol became quiet for a moment. Then he smiled. “I can be with you at the Great Society. We can find each other. I can ask the Elders and…” He stopped speaking and frowned. “I wish you were wrong, but you’re right. I cannot go to them can I? They would take you away from me, wouldn’t they?” His voice became almost childish and a single tear came down his cheek. I caressed the back of his neck with my hands. “It’s not fair.” He pouted.


“See, there’s nothing fair or perfect about the Island. What makes us good citizens should be from our own choices, not from predetermined ones. We could make the Great Society a better place by being ourselves. Sol I don’t want to go without you, but I will if I must.” I replied stubbornly.


“I still don’t think that we need to resort to running away. No one has ever done that before,” Sol said, irritated. “There must be another way.”


“You know what, forget it. And while you’re at it forget me.” I turned and ran back to the assigned seventeen year old house.


“Cassandra where were you? I was looking for you.” One of the Elders asked kindly, but I knew better. She had eyes that pierced into your soul and read all the lies on your face.


“I was on the willows looking down upon the flower blooms near the horizon lake.” I said evenly, without pausing. It was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. How could I tell my favorite Elder in the world that I was trying to run away, with a forbidden love beside me?


“Next time ask before you go sweetie. You do not want to find yourself in trouble. Also, I need your help putting back Will’s bone. He has an awful fracture and you did it just right for Alice last week.”


“Yes Elder.” I said dryly. The Elders didn’t have names. They were always called Elder to make them equal in their leadership roles. When one got too old and died, a guard that had learned from his or her mistakes would take their place. The Elders spent their entire lives here trying to make us better people. They never had their own children or married. There were only seven elders, five guards and 100 children. There were never any more or any less of any of the groupings. It ensured that we would always have resources and never got too crowded. The children were chosen from different categories from the Great Society.


I helped the Elder and went to my bed, a canopy made out of leaf silks. I hated the color green. It was everywhere. The color of sandals, dresses, drapes, and art paints were all green. The sky was the only blue in sight and special blue orchids that bloomed only one time in the year.

Sol’s point of view: 3 days later…


I watched her through her window. I remembered everything and yet she did not remember me. I warned her and she didn’t listen. They are bending the rules for her. She will graduate and transfer on to the society, but she is not allowed anywhere near me. She’s an exception to the law because the Elders believe that she was not around good company. She gets to leave, but in exchange I am here forever. I am the bad influence. I am the corruption that breeds in the Great Society. I am the Great Society, but the great Society is wrong. I was wrong. If only her escape worked I wouldn’t be alone, but I am. If only I had listened to her and hadn’t asked an Elder for permission to be with her she would still remember me. This system, this island is a scheme. We should be able to make our home better with what we believe is right. She was the only home that I had. She was the cure and now I am sick. We are all sick.