“Peace” was the word used to describe Mrah Fles. A society built in the frame of the one that came before it; a society that had fallen from relentless chaos. No one knew the real reasons the society before them had fallen other than that the people were corrupt and diverse. Two things never to be seen in Mrah Fles. Here everyone lived in “peace”. Whatever the true meaning of the word “peace” was the people were never told. The word hung in every street corner, and was painted into murals placed around the town. In spite of this, no one was ever truly at peace. Inside everyone, was the need for something more. Their lives were simple and meaningless. They consumed, worked, and slept. This was what their lives were and they never questioned anything. The more they all wanted was unknown, and seemed unattainable.

Every day at exactly 1600 hours everyone was to report to work. No matter how old or frail they were made to report every day without fail. Once there, they were issued a shovel and forced to plow the earth until 2200 hours. The people of Mrah Fles weren’t told the reasons for why they were all made to plow other than that they needed the blue substance that arose when they reached a certain depth. This was the only color they saw throughout the entire day, so despite the back breaking work, they all secretly enjoyed it. In Mrah Fles all they saw was gray. Their clothes, their faces, the buildings, the earth; everything. Everything was alike and gray. The government that controlled Mrah Fles didn’t permit individuality or anything that would set one person apart from another. All that was known to the citizens was gloom, and the color blue that gave them a bit of happiness for a few moments before the pain of plowing set in on their aching bodies.
No one knew the reasons for why they were there or where they had come from. Each day a train filled with exactly two five year olds came. The children were oblivious to what was happening and where they had come from. When they reached the train station they were issued a bundle of clothes and were sent to a foster family. This was how the population of Mrah Fles was kept up.
Scarlett arrived on the train ten years ago, different from the rest of the children. Unlike the other children, she kept a bit of her memory of the place she had been before she was sent to Mrah Fles. She recalled the vivid colors, sunny faces, and singing voices that seemed to reach into the comforting blue sky; happiness. Something she had a feeling she would never be able to experience again once she reached Mrah Fles. For ten years she lived in Mrah Fles controlling the urge to question everything that was. Yearning for the ability to smile again.. Too feel something again, anything. Day in and day out she lived a numb life, trying to figure out why her society was the way it was. People around her knew she was different and tried as hard as possible to avoid any confrontation. Instead they all skirted around her when she would walk down the street, and whispered inaudibly once she had passed. Scarlett was aware of all of this, but the only person she could confide in was Gavin. For reasons unfathomable to her, he understood her and was even fond her faults. Through all the years he had been her shoulder to cry on and her ear to speak in confidence to. He was also the only person who knew of her plan to overthrow the government.
Scarlett knew there was something more than the people of her society were being allotted to experience. Something she knew in order for her to reach her demise peacefully, she would need to discover. She also knew a government as weak as Mrah Fles’s would be easy to over throw, if only she had help. Being the odd person out, the people around her weren’t keen on listening to what she had to say. Being alone had its perks but it also had its down sides. The upside of having Gavin for a friend was that he’s very social, and was friends with a lot of the people in the area. With his help she organized a meeting to be held the following evening. In order for Gavin to get everyone to come he didn’t tell them what the meeting was about, only that it was imperative that they be there.
Scarlett paced along the perimeter of the room, on the way she nervously fluffed pillows and rearranged the scarce lackluster decorations. Sweat began to slide down her neck as the first few people filed in. She knew them from town but still didn’t bother to greet them. Instead they pretended as if each other weren’t present; the couple took a seat across the room from Scarlett quietly murmuring while sneaking quick glances at her. Finally after twenty minutes the flow of people had ceased. Scarlett looked out to all the familiar questioning eyes. Suddenly she felt self-conscious and uncertain of her plans. Yet she knew this is what she had to be done.
Gradually she shuffled up to the front of the room; all eyes turned on her. She took a deep breath and began to speak, “I’m not going to bother introducing myself because that would be foolish, and instead I will just get straight to the point. I know I’m not the only who is weary of this oppressive, dreary society. Day in and day out, we wake into a world that doesn’t want us, go through the motions of life but do not actually live, then plow at a ground for no reason other than because we are told to. The only joy we find in our days is when the blue liquid outflows from the gray earth, adding a bit of color to our bleak existence. Each day two more children are forced to learn the ways of Mrah Fles, their joyful childhood days ending with a plow to the ground. All innocence is lost and stone sour faces are gained. This is not the way humans were created to live.”
Suddenly aggravation showed on Scarlett’s face and she began bellowing her words to the people. “THIS IS NOT LIVING; WE ALL WALK AROUND LIKE THE LIVING DEAD BECAUSE WE ARE DEAD. OUR HEARTS ARE PUMPING FRESH BLOOD BUT THEY DO NOT BEAT FOR LIFE. THEY BEAT FOR EXSISTENCE! Turn towards the person next to you and look into their eyes, all you will see are the eyes of a corpse staring back! No longer should we have to be oppressed into this “life”. We are all able bodied yet we do nothing to better ourselves. Close your eyes, then open them, do you see that? I’ll tell you what you see, your ever present demise. A demise you will have met without actually living. If you want a change you can stand with me or let me stand alone, and watch me plummet, either way I’m not spending another day embracing my demise with open arms!”
With that she fell onto the floor, her great sobs racked her body. Excluding her weeping the room fell eerily silent. The realization of what everyone had let their lives become set in on the room. Most sat stone eyed staring at gray wall in front of them, barely registering life. After sometime, Scarlett composed herself, sat upright, and she looked around questioningly. One person, then another, then another, and soon the entire room got onto their feet and saluted Scarlett. This was all the sign she needed from them; they were going to join her.
Scarlett, Gavin, and the people of Mrah Fles set a plan that was to be carried out the following work shift. Scarlett sat in her room on her small bed memorizing everything that she had collected throughout her ten years. There wasn’t much, only a small vile of the blue substance she worked so hard for each day, her plow, and a rag. She was resolute that this was the last time she would have to see them, even if her plan to overthrow the government proved to be unsuccessful, she would not return.
At exactly 1600 hours the citizens of Mrah Fles all lined up, single file behind Scarlett. They began at an easy pace towards the government building. It was a five minute walk, on the way Scarlett quietly said goodbye to the town she had lived in for so long. She knew that if the plan failed, this would be the last of her. When they reached the building, they split into nine large groups. Together, they all began chanting, “WE WANT OUR LIVES BACK, WE WILL LIVE THIS FALSEHOOD NO LONGER!” Over and over the people of the town chanted as loud as they could. The people of the government stood mouths gapped open. They didn’t know what to think of this great rebellion. Instead they fell to their knees and put up their hands up in surrender. Behind them, the back drop fell, and there lie salvation.