The Story of #2,435

Log: #3,285

Name: #2,435

Date: December 18th, 2001

For the last nine years, I have been keeping this journal. However, I recently realized that our way of life isn't usual. If they find this journal, I will be killed; however, I am hoping someone reads it before they do. Fourteen years ago, the government kidnapped me. I am number 2,435 of 63,035. We live in bunkers just outside Maine's borders; however, these bunkers are underground and I cannot tell you the exact location because it will put us in danger.

I have aged up to fourteen, which means the "new recruits," as they call them, are my responsibility. How they think a fourteen-year-old can take care of a baby is beyond me. "A baby" is an understatement. Each bunk room (ten of us) gets five recruits. Once they age up to toddlers, the eighteen-year-olds get them, and once they are five, the 25-year-olds begin the recruit's schooling. However, I have read that it is much different than the regular schooling everyone else gets in America.

Once we turn thirty, I hear we are released into what ordinary Americans call society. We see news articles from our graduates (30-year-olds) who are millionaires. None of us have been considered unsuccessful...well, except that one woman, but I am not allowed to tell you what happened to her. After all, we were told it was just a myth. I swear I hear her blood-curdling screams late at night, but Johnny said I imagine things. Amber said she has a way out; however, we are all too terrified to listen. We are only allowed to go outside for two hours a day, and when we are, the guards and rottweilers keep a close eye on us.

Many children tell me that our parents lost us because they were too poor to care for us or the child protection services were too full. With the name "child protection," I figured they would've protected us more. However, I have an insane feeling that they never did anyway. I can only imagine what they put those children through. They ignore us so well that we don't officially have names. We name each other based on the books we receive and the articles we read.

You wouldn't know that I met Bill Gates; however, I can tell you all the stories he told me. Unfortunately, again I cannot tell you if this was an actual meeting or just a name we gave one of the recruits. There's also a myth that we receive money, a car, and a house when we leave here. Some days I can't wait until I am thirty, and other days I hope it drags out as long as possible.

We also do not have crimes down here because when they see that we are exhibiting behaviors linked to mental illnesses, they do what they call a "factory reset." None of us officially knows what that means; however, we can only imagine since they never return. Some believe that the recruits that day were those who were led off for a factory reset and others believe they were sent to be killed.

However, I believe they were killed because people regularly have babies, and I do not think they plan to stop kidnapping them. I cannot tell you my name as once they find this; I am sure to be arrested, which means I will be dead. They only steal the orphans or children who have slipped through the cracks in child protection. I only know this because I was given to them willingly by my family when I was born. I will regularly inform you of the misconduct that has occurred until this is found.

You may also be wondering why I am sharing my number. The truth is, they don't even number us. One of the children started when it first began. She was nine years old when they kidnapped her, and she passed the log down to each head child, so there is some history for us when we finally get free and open up about our captivity. Until next time.

#2,435