Totalitarian Government

“No John, I cannot marry you. The government would never allow it. Besides, you are about to be sent off to that prison the Totalitarian Government calls Boot Camp.”

That is the last thing I remember saying to him before I threw the necklace down.

Now here it is around my neck. How did it get here? Where is John? Why am I on all these machines? Where is my daughter? Did the government take her? Oh my God. My head is slamming. My chest hurts. I can hardly breath.

Some woman dressed in gray scrubs that look more like prison garb than hospital attire walks in and starts shining bright lights in my eyes and asking me how I am feeling, and all I can think about is Libby.

“What have you done with my daughter? What am I doing here? Disconnect these machines and let me out of here.” Silent and stone faced, this woman is staring at me. This is so ridiculous. I have to get out of here.

My legs are numb. Dead weight, completely immobile. What happened to me? Did John do this? Maybe it was one of those government officials that has been following Libby and me.

It is bad enough they convinced John to join their regime, now they stole my four-year-old and have me trapped. I have to find a way out. Out of this place and out of this country.

The whole world is in collapse. The pandemic has wiped out a third of the population and the whole world is at war. I will find my little girl and get her somewhere safe. Away from this regime.

I think I hear John’s voice. I do.

“Kris, come on! I have Libby and I found a way to get us across the border. But we have to hurry.” John must be in serious trouble with the government. I am not sure I want to be caught up in all of that when they find him and force him to serve in their communist regime.

“Kris! Come on! What are you waiting for?” John is clueless.

“John, I cannot get up. My legs are totally dead. Besides, the machines…”

This guy is crazy. Ripping the machines loose and throwing me over his shoulder like a duffel bag of laundry but at least he is getting me out of this place. And Libby, she must be frantic. I need to be strong for her. My little girl has been through so much already. Her life has been totally screwed up by this government takeover.

First, having to wear a mask 24/7 and now hideous uniforms for everyone. The promise of world peace has turned into world war. There is nowhere safe.

“John, where are you taking me, and where is Libby? You said you had her. Did you lie to me, John?”

Dear God, you better help me because I am about to rip this man’s jewels straight off of him and cram them down his throat if he does not tell me where my daughter is.

“John, damn you, answer me! Where is Libby?”

Stupid Bastard. He only drives faster as if that is going to shut me up or stop me from choking him.

“Just hang on, Kris. We are almost there. I will explain everything once we are across the border.”

We are not moving. Traffic is deadlocked. “What now smart one? What do we do now? And who has Libby?”

“Kris, you have to trust me, alright? Libby is safe. I took her across the border last night and she is safe.”

This cannot be happening. For four years I have been trying to find a way out of this place and now I am being rescued by one of the government’s own?

“Come on Kris, we are going to have to make a run for it. It is our only hope. I have a friend waiting to lead us through an underground tunnel.”

“John, you know that is impossible. My legs, remember?”

Here we go again. John is carrying me like it is nothing.

The necklace, I had forgotten all about the heart shaped locket John tried to give me when he proposed. The chain must have broken. It fell to the ground.

“John, the necklace, it fell…”

“Where it, Kris? We have to go back. It is the only way to redeem Libby.”

“What? Do you mean to tell me I will never get my daughter back if we do not find that necklace? I hate you right now, I really hate you!”

Thank God he found it but I still do not understand what this necklace has to do with my daughter.

This tunnel is pitch dark and the stench is unbearable. John is slowing down. I guess he is getting tired from carrying 120 pounds over his shoulder.

“John, thank you for saving my daughter and for coming back for me. I am sorry I ever doubted you. I was scared. I was afraid you would be devoted to the government and not to me and Libby.”

Now might not be the best time to tell him that I love him, but if not now, I may lose my nerve.

“Okay Kris, I have to put you down for a minute. My legs are cramping, and they feel like they are about to give way.”

I wish I could even feel my legs. I really want to know what happened but maybe it would be best to wait until this nightmare is over.

“John, I love you.”

Holy cow, is this man seriously crying?

“John, are you okay? I have never seen you cry before.”

Those better be happy tears. I swear, every time one good thing happens, ten bad things follow. If this man rejects me, I will kill him right here in this tunnel.

“Yes, Kris. I am better than okay. I just never thought I would hear you say that.”

That makes two of us. I never thought I could love again after Libby’s dad left us. His devotion to the government meant more to him than his own child.

“John, I really am sorry for everything. For the way I treated you, for throwing the necklace, all of it.”

I am just realizing; I never opened the locket.

“John, what is inside the locket? Is it a picture?”

It is too dark to see. The light from John’s phone is hardly enough to light the path in front of us and once it dies, we will be in real trouble.

“It has a message in it along with a picture of the three of us. You, Libby and me. I gave Libby one just like it when I handed her over to a family on the other side of the wall.”

Libby. She is all I can think about. She must be so scared.

“What does the message say?”

Oh jeez. I did not mean to make him cry, again.

“It says ‘I will be back’ because I wanted you to know I would never betray you, not even for my obligation to my regime, our government.”

“I am ready to get this over with, John. Can we move on?”

My legs are hurting. Maybe they are starting to come alive. The pain is unbearable but that is better than feeling nothing at all.

“Sir, I am going to need to see some ID.”

I knew we could never get past the wall. I knew something like this was bound to happen. What is John saying to that officer and how the hell am I going to find Libby without him? Here comes more officers. I am screwed. It would do me no good to run even if I could.

“Ma’am, what is your name, please?”

“Kristal Marie Smith. I am from…”

His eyes are soft, almost kind.

“We know all about you, Ms. Smith. We are going to help you. We have your daughter. She is anxious to see you.”

I am exhausted. John must be really fatigued. It seems impossible that we made it to freedom. Well, sort of. Nowhere in the world is free but at least this regime is not communist.

“Kris, are you ready to go get Libby?”

“Seriously, John? YES! Is that even a question?”

“I am sorry, Sir. Ms. Smith is free to go, but we are going to need you to stay with us. You are property of the Totalitarian Government and we are going to need to ask you some questions.”

What? This just can not be happening. My head is pounding, my heart is racing, and my legs, they are hurting so bad, but they are still dead weight. What am I going to do? How will I get to Libby?

“Ms. Smith, we have an officer on standby to help you. Let us get you in a wheelchair then we will get you to your daughter.”

“Mommy! I have missed you.”

“Not so fast, Libby. I need to talk to your mom for just a minute.”

Who is this woman and what right does she have to keep my daughter from me?

“Ms. Smith, I believe you have something identifying you as Libby’s mother?”

Of course. The necklace. Oh my God, John. He must still have it!

“I had a locket but, I think John still has it.”

“John is your husband. Is that right?”

“Uh, no, he is my uhm, he is just…”

“Ms. Smith, if John is not your husband and he lied to us, he will not be allowed into our safe haven program or even into this country. Now which is it, are you lying or is he?”

Think, Kris, think. Use your head. Keep your cool. You have to be convincing.

“Um, yes. John is my husband. But he is also my hero. We had to keep our marriage a secret because…”

Oh my God. I doubt she believes me. Why bother explaining?

“We understand. That’s why we are helping you.”

What? She bought it?

“So can I please see my daughter now?”

To see her and not be able to hug her, hold her, this is torture.

“Mommy. Why are you in a wheelchair? I thought you died when they took you away. The boom was so loud it made you fall down. Then you were asleep and I could not get you to wake up. It scared me.”

“It is all going to be okay, baby. Mommy is here now.”

The nurse in the gray prison garb is here.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

This woman is so stoic it hurts.

“I am the nurse your husband hired to look after you when you were nearly killed in the explosion.”

Husband? Explosion? My mind is spinning but all that really matters now is that Libby and I are together and safe.

“How did you get here? How did you get through the wall?”

I am not sure I can trust her, but if John trusted her, I guess I should at least give her a chance.

“I got here through the tunnel just like you did. I was right behind you and John the whole way. I offered to help transport you, but he wanted to carry you himself. Your husband is very devoted to you, Kris.”

Maybe she can help me find out what happened to John.

“Where is John anyway? They detained him at the entrance and I have not seen him since. No one here seems to know anything, or at least if they do, they are not saying.”

“Your husband is property of the Totalitarian Government and had to be returned to them. But he gave me something to give to you.”

It is the heart shaped locket. What a beautiful picture but I have no memory of it. I am in a wedding dress.

The inscription reads “I will be back!”