Twenty Fifty-Six

-3-

"AMBER!" Ty shouts, jumping on top of me, quickly waking me from a deep sleep.

"Hey Bud," I say, smiling.

"Amber, get up!" My mom calls from down the hall, "You know what today is."

"Yes Mom."

Ty starts bouncing on my legs. I pick him up and hold the squirming five year old above me.

"Amber!" Ty shrieks "Put me down!"

I laugh, "Never!"

"Amber and Ty! That's enough! You need to get ready, now!"

Whoops.

"I'm sorry Mom!"

Ty looks at me sadly.

"Okay buddy," I say, "time to get ready."

I go and take a shower, and when I go back to my room I find that my mother has laid out a beautiful dress for me to wear.

The dress is a plum colour. The top is like a short sleeved blouse, and around the waist there is a bow, and the bottom is just a plain skirt. I love it.

I put the dress on, and then my mother comes into my room.

"Oh Amber! You look gorgeous!"

"I love this dress so much! Where did you get it?"

"It's a special dress that I've had for a long time. Maybe one day I'll tell you the story."

I want to tell her to tell me the story now, because I may not be here tomorrow, but instead I just nod my head.

My mom sits me down and does my hair into a fancy french-fishtail-twist.

"Do you want makeup Amber?"

"Ehh," I contemplate it, "no thanks."

I'm becoming government property, not going to prom. I'm fancy enough thank you.

But of course I don't say any of this. I want my memories of this day to be sweet ones, not sour moments because I was grumpy, or rude.

"Here Amber," my mother says, interrupting my thoughts. "Put these on."

She hands me a pair of silver flats, which go perfectly with my dress.

"Thanks you," I breathe.

Soon enough, we are all ready, and we head to the city square. It is packed. I have to leave and go stand with the other fifteen year old girls, so first I kiss each member of my family, and then go stand beside Tasha.

"My boyfriend is here," she whispers to me.

"Cool. You look really nice."

And she does. Tasha's strawberry blonde hair is up in a perfect ballerina bun, and her dress is a flowy white one that makes her look like an angel.

Then the ceremony starts. A representative from the ADCCG gives a speech about how important all of this is. Then she goes over the new drawing procedures, and starts the draw.

"Okay!" She shouts into the mic.

"And the lucky girl is..."

She over exaggeratedly fishes around in the bowl, and comes up with a slip of paper.

"Amber Matlock!"

I hear a shriek, one that could only belong to my mother.

"Amber, please come up to the stage."

I push my way through the crowd, and walk up onto the stage.

"And here she is! Amber Matlock, Manitoba's ADCCG girl of 2056! Let's all give her a big hand!"