Banning Behavior: reading creative fiction; Inscribing Rebellion 6

It’s so remarkable to be sitting here, a peaceable girl, silently taking a stand against the law. Although it’s unlikely that anyone will ever learn of my rebellion, it sends a thrill down my spine to be one of the detractors. I never thought I’d find myself aligned—even slightly—with a group of outlaws. I’ve always found myself among the quiet, meek ones, eager to fall in line and uphold the laws of our New Republic. I guess that all changed today when I found you—a small, red notebook—with your blank pages buried and forgotten.

Things were different before the Vocalization Order, the policy that states that all communication must be spoken. After the order went into effect about five years ago, all forms of written language were forbidden. It started with just texting, then spread to emails. Before anyone realized what had happened, all forms of writing were on the banned list. Even something as simple as this small notebook, containing little more than a few of my teenaged thoughts, could land me in prison.

I miss the days of texting my friends, checking in on social media, and posting all the minutiae of our days. Where we spent the weekend, what we had for dinner, where we were meeting up to hang out—these were the tiny details that ruled our lives. After the accident, it was easy for those in power to call these interactions dangerous. So they eliminated all written communication “for everyone’s safety”.

If not for that one text—that one incident—everything could be different. If the driver had just seen the president’s motorcade in time . . . but I guess there’s no use in thinking about what could have been.

Instead I have to find comfort in this small act of resistance—putting pencil to paper. I have to believe that there are others out there like me, writing in secret, keeping communication alive. My pencil, found wedged behind my dresser, is down to a nub. I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for something else to write with. Because I will keep writing. No matter what.