criteria was less than 500 words...
In the
near future the United States government will decide to put a limit on the
amount of children a family can have. Overpopulation will become a major
concern for Washington, so they set the limit of children to one. In the rare
occurrence of a mother giving birth to twins, the twins have to, as our leaders
say, “gain supremacy” or in other words, “fight to the death.” This, of course
stays consistent with the idea that only the strongest can survive in this new
America.
It’s Brian and Jon Marabou’s 15th
birthday which happens to be their fight date. Jon is confident waking up in
the morning and is ready to kill his brother. He is a better athlete, smarter,
and stronger. His brother Brian is well aware of this.
Brian was hoping to calm down Jon by making
light of the situation. “When you kill me, dude, I’m going to haunt the shit
outta you,” Brian says to Jon. Brian has grown up his whole life knowing that
either he or Jon will die when they turn 15. Death has become, to Brian,
somewhat of an escape to an unknown place rather than the ultimate end. Brian
has welcomed his death and truly believes that where he is going is a better
place than where he is now.
The government agent shows up to the
Marabou’s home at exactly 9:00 AM. He has a briefcase in his hand that is full
of funeral home information and government-funded grief counseling services.
Jon has been secretly training for
this moment for the last year or so. John is absolutely terrified of death.
He’s always been scared of what he cannot understand and what he cannot control.
He will do anything to escape death, even if it is killing his brother.
Brian and Jon join the government
agent at the front door of the Marabou’s home and follow the agent to his car.
The agent drives them to a blank emotionless office where these types of
“population control problems” are solved. The two Marabou boys follow behind
the government agent. The agent hasn’t spoken a word to either one of the two
boys yet. He motions them along through a series of doors desperately trying to
not make eye contact with the boys. Brian and Jon walk through the doors and
enter a room that looks like a place where a policeman would interrogate
somebody. The agent closes the door behind them and enters another room to
watch. The two stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
“Just fuckin’ do it man!” cries
Brian to Jon. Jon has never seen his brother cry this hard before and it’s
almost impossible for him to keep the tears from streaming down his own face.
“I’m so sorry,” whispers Jon in his
brother’s ear as he steps behind him. In one flawless motion Jon snaps his
brother’s neck and Brian’s lifeless body falls to the floor.
