A letter to my child

Firstly, if this letter is reaching you, it means that I didn’t make it back. I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry that even when I was trying my best, it still wasn’t good enough. Secondly, it means that your Aunt Claire has decided that you are now ready to take over the fight. You’ll get further than any of us ever did.

You were always so brave and hard-headed. I’m sure you have received this letter sooner than I had planned, Claire is so sure that you are the key to all of this, so no pressure right. In this letter I will tell you everything I could figure out before my time was over. I’m sorry I had to leave you; in an ideal world I would never have had to go.

They are smart Katie, please don’t for a single second underestimate them. You can’t gain power of the whole world without being smart. They maybe do stupid things without thinking sometimes, but don’t disregard just how smart they can be.

To know what the future may hold, we first have to look at how we got to where we are. At first it was just an idea they had, rearrange the people into categories. Put those that earn similar amounts into the same areas; ‘precincts. When they began this, of course there were riots. But nothing worked. Once they found out how much you earnt, you were moved into your precinct. Then came the walls. This is when we realised that this wasn’t just a temporary idea. 30-foot walls separating us from people we once called friends. We weren’t allowed to talk to other precincts, we had no idea what was going on in other precincts outside of our own. We were placed in green, not the worst but no where near the best. Over the years they began to take what little income we did get in exchange for food. As if having food was not out right as humans. We weren’t given enough food to flourish, simply survival. People began hoarding, growing their own food from what they gave us. This caused hell, those that were caught were killed on the spot. Their food taken so no one could get it. Again, the people tried to riot, but they had weapons and all we had was each other. Over time the transport workers for the food and guards slowly had began to lose their faith in our mighty leaders. They began to tell us news from other precincts. We heard of the tragedies that happened in blue and how they only had 12 survivors that were slowly being starved out by gold and out leaders. They told us that the people in gold needn’t lift a finger. Whatever they desired was simply theirs. They never struggle for food and are never scared for their lives.

Your father had always had plans of righting their wrongs. He was a warrior, Katie. Just like you. I know we never talked about how he died, and that was wrong of me. But I didn’t want you to grow old with that hate in your heart before you were ready to fight. Your father and the other undergrounder fighters had be planning a mass escape for months. They had created the tunnels, set traps for the guards. Planned routes to far away with the transport workers. They’d even created a map of the lands that were known and deeply believed that there is free land out there. Katie if you take anything away from this letter, there are free lands out there. We are sure of it. Anyway, the plan was set, with it just being hours away. We were all due to be free again. Until the plans crumbled right in front of our eyes. One of the workers was caught talking to one of our informers. They had not long given us a compass, and each time they came to the precinct they gave us more co-ordinations and plans. They were helping us map our routes. Until he was caught. I can’t imagine what they would have done to him to find out what we knew. None of the transporters would have given us up unless they had to. Our plans would have freed us all eventually. Either gold or the leaders discovered it all. Every single part of our plan was destroyed. The armed guards came in with hate in their heart. They killed anyone that stood in their way. I tried to hide your father, we tried to hide as many of the underground fighters as we could. The guards played cat and mouse with us. They were thrilled for the challenge and hunted them down one by one. When they found your father, he was tortured. I’m sure they didn’t just kill him because they enjoyed that pain it brought me to watch. They made me watch them torture him until the light fell from his eyes. I’m sorry there was nothing else I could do to save him.

But your father made me memorise as much information about gold and the escape as was possible. At times it made me feel as though my brain was about to implode. But I remembered it all, so I could one day tell it all to you. Each precinct has a weak spot, each one in a different place. In the walls, the last parts they built were made weaker than the rest. The made it like this so if they ever needed to escape gold, they could drive through them in the trucks. From gold out, think of it like a spiral, each weak point about 30 feet apart from the last. The weak spot in gold is at the north of the leaders building, the part of the wall that is closest to their trucks. The weak part of green is at the end of the lake, your father marked it with an axe one day, in a way that you would only notice it if you were to know what it is you’re looking for. This is the tail end of the plan. First you must sneak into gold. Although they blocked each part of your fathers tunnelling system off, what they failed to realise, your father was a genius. He knew he’d need 10 different plans if he wanted just one to work out. Take a boat out to the north bay. The wall goes out for 50ft. Travel it all, I know its far, but in the wall furthest from land, 10ft down is lose blocks. Your father broke them and put them back in a way that can be broke with some force. You’ll need three of you for the job. Pick people you trust with your life Katie because what it is now. It’s all or nothing. Once you’re all in red, blend in. Find the transported with a green vest on. He was friends of your fathers and will recognise you from a mile away. Ask him for some green beans. He’ll give you them in a paper bag, inside the bag is a map to the edge of the next wall. Follow the steps on the bag and you’ll be able to make your way into orange. Things will be hard in orange. Things are alien there. They are delusional and think they are part of gold; they aren’t they still have to work and still only get rations for food. In orange there’s a field of sunflowers. Use the compass. Follow it south, it may look like a dead-end, but you’ll find a bunker there. Use the codes. The bunked leads you straight into the capital. Your father created it with the underground fighters. It took them months, but they believe that the end of that bunker is directly under the leader’s tower. Dig to them. Once inside. Kill them but do it without being seen Katie. Its not over yet. Once they are gone. Make your way into the control room. The codes. Your father never told me what the codes were for exactly. But its how to end it all. The control room takes down the transport, communication for the guards, opens bridges. Once that’s all down you can escape. Use the spiral until the end. Break every single part of weakness in the walls. Once you are out, keep driving and never look back. Get as far from this place as you can. This will be the window of hope the people need to push for themselves. They will find a way to escape, either that or they’ll make their way to gold to regain power. Either way, those that desire freedom will find it.

The key to it is you, Katie. So many of us know it. You have the will power, you’re smarter than we could imagine, and you have everything you need around you. Not just to help us all be free again, but you can break the system, Katie. You can find the codes you will need in a silver heart-shaped locket. The locket is in a velvet green box. Katie, I had to hide the box, I cannot risk them falling into the wrong hands. But I hid them in a place that only you and I know. Remember when you were little, we sang down by the bay together, next to the old oak not far from the lake. The place you told me that one day you’ll build a tree house and that would be your escape. Go find that escape Katie. I left it all there for you.

I love you for eternity. Don’t ever doubt yourself.

Give them hell.

Mum

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