What if you looked up and all you saw were cameras? What if you went to the store and all the shelves were empty? What if you had a curfew, but not because of your parents, but the government? For me, this isn't a what-if. 

2 years ago the government thought they needed more control over the society, so they implicated The System. The System contains a nationwide mandatory lockdown, curfews, and rotations. Every 2 towns are put in a box, enclosed with concrete walls, electric fences, and a cap. Our only light source is the massive vitamin D lamps that never turn off. Every box has its own rotation. For my box, we wake up at 6 a.m. on the dot, like clockwork families meet at the dining table. They eat a breakfast that consists of oats, boiled eggs, and 2 dates. After breakfast, we do the mandatory scrub, everyone lines up in front of a public sink with a camera over it. If you don't wash your hands, face, and teeth for exactly 30 seconds or you miss your turn in line, you get sent to the City. Then never come back. 

Beep Beep Beep I wake up at 6 am on the dot. I have heard rumors that Box 2 just went to bed. That's how the rotations work. I go down the stairs and see my family already at the table. 

“Adalynn hurry, sit down.” my mother glances up at the corner of the dining room where the camera watches.

“Ugh, I am tired of boiled eggs.” My brother, Adrian complains.

“Eat!” My father snaps.

We eat the rest of breakfast in complete silence. Ever since The System became our lives, my parents have been extra cautious. Everyone is paranoid, the City always watches through the cameras, if one person is off the schedule, the entire System could crash. Our robotic way of life has become the new normal, and no one has tried to rebel. At least no since the Division. Before we had our boxes, we all lived together. People couldn't leave their houses at certain times but at least we had the comfort of our neighbors. But then people started to rebel. The government thought the best way to keep everyone under control was more isolation so no one could plan anything against them. No one wants to be divided more, so everyone simply obeys. Beep, Beep, Beep. The second alarm, now we have to scrub.
 
“Adrian, go get the soap.” My mother tells him softly.
“What if one day we just stopped our rotation?” I asked
“Why would you ask such a thing, " my mother whispers, “you know they can hear you, watch your mouth!” 
“Did you know box 2 is sleeping right now? How weird is that we are in the same state, yet people are in completely different time zones.” 
“Hush up, and start walking, we can’t miss our spot in line.” My mother thinks that I ask too many questions, she says I will be the one to crash The System. We start our walk to the public sinks. People are already waiting in line. The smell of artificial lavender is sickening. The government-issued soap’s smell has been engraved in my brain. Whenever I smell it all I can think about is the life I had before the System, all the freedom. Tears spring to my eyes, once I awaken from my daydream I see my family standing in line. I run over there, and as I run, in the corner of my eye I see patrols swarming Sink 2. I reach my family, and from whispers, I hear a man got sent to the City. Apparently, he was boycotting The System. As my family and I approached the sink, we saw him restrained, being driven away in the back of a tank. While my little brother washes up in front of the glaring eye, an idea comes to mind. What if I boycotted the System? It's a terrible idea, I would be sent away, never able to see my family again. But what if once I am in the City I can stop the System? That was it, tomorrow I will start my boycott. 

The rest of the day goes by, I am anxiously waiting for it to be over. Tomorrow I will start my plan. As soon as the timer starts, I will run. But not fast enough, because I want to be caught. Once I am caught, I will figure out how to jog the gears of this clockwork society.

Beep. Beep. Beep, 6 am, I wake up and as I get dressed I sneak on my pin. It has a metallic flower engraved on it, representing life before all the sterile and plain walls. Back when life was unpredictable and wild. It’s totally against the dress code, but it’s another little addition to my rebellion. Putting it on makes me feel brave, like maybe I can actually find a way to get our lives back. I go down to breakfast, feeling excited, but also nervous. As we walk to the sinks I get second thoughts. Am I just throwing my life away? I mean this isn’t really living, but I am not dead I guess. What if they just kill me right off the bat? Thoughts race through my mind as I approach the sink. As I hear the static voice confirming it's me, I know what I have to do. 

“Your timer will start in 3. 2. 1. 30 seconds remaining.”

Without a second thought, I turn and start walking away, my mother shrieks, and alarms are blaring. I hear guards yelling for the tanks. As I continue walking I see a guard coming towards me. Then my world goes black. I woke up on the cold ground. The air feels dark and damp. There is a shooting pain that races all throughout my body. Still groggy, but I come to my senses. I recognize where I am, in school they showed us pictures of the holding centers to scare us. I am in a cold dark cell. I completely forgot that's where they put you until you're executed. I lay down on my stomach and accept my fate. 

“Ouch!” I yelp out. My face lit up. I had my lucky pin on me! I can pick the lock. I immediately jump up, and I start my work to pick the lock. It took me about 2 hours, but I finally got the door open.
I think it's nighttime when I break out. I feel like I wander down the empty hallways for hours. I tip-toe past countless sleeping guards. Then I see the same one again. I am going in circles. To try to escape this mess of long white hallways I open a door that isn't being guarded. It simply has more white hallways with countless white doors. Then I heard it, footsteps.

“Hey, are you supposed to be down here?” A guard says, picking up his speed.
 I sprint off, and finally, I find a door that isn't being guarded. I slip in without a sound and wait to hear the thumping footsteps pass. I turn around to check out the room. I see a big picture of 8 squares. It’s the map room. As I pass through the room, I take a mental picture of each image. I found a map of my box, it looks exactly like the rest of them. It’s sad to think about the robotic life that has taken our lives. My eyes water, but I am snapped back into reality when I see a map of the City Building, the place I am right now. At the end of the hallway, there is a control room.
As I exit the map room, I hear voices. They are guards, waiting for me. I slip out the back door of the map room but the guards will still see me enter the control room. I sprint to get there hoping it will give me enough time. I rip at every cord and turn off every switch, lever, button, you name it. As the guards enter the room, I make one final announcement. 

“The system has crashed. Pull down the boxes.” I put that on repeat. 

The guards trickle into the room, I already know my fate. They take me back into my cell, I can tell the lock has been repaired. My execution is planned for early tomorrow morning. I hear the guards talking, the boxes have been filled with chaos, people are ramming everything into the walls, and people are rioting against the system. 

I am awakened by a rude guard yanking me out of my cell. I am forced to put on the traditional dress, it's a nice dress, something you could never find in the poverty-stricken boxes. I put it on, and feel proud. I know I have at least done something to regain freedom. As I am being taken to my execution spot, I see people standing along the ropes. Standing and chanting. They are rioting about my death. Another group of people is lined up along the walls.

As my execution speech starts, everyone runs to the walls and picks up barricades. They start bashing in the walls. As I take my final breath, and my vision begins to go dark, I see the wall down, the sun burns my eyes. And all I see is fields upon fields of flowers. After I was gone, I was a known name. I crashed the system. After my death, a three-day-long protest and riot happened. Eventually, the government surrendered, a few people were voted to become representatives and they rebuilt society. After 10 years, kids were able to run around freely, they were able to sleep in and go on vacations with their families. People had choices on what to eat and when to shower. And my dystopia was left in the past. “Adalynn, sector 7, crashed the System.”