noun

that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny

“Ana Ivory,14 years 11 months and 30 days.” That’s me. Just 24 hours away from being 15. Just 24 hours away from a task that will decide my future. I live in Connecticut, on Earth, and the year is 3040. Everything here is organized and decided for you. Your future, your name, your life. Your life is decided on one day, with one task. You do not know your task until you are directed into the Testing Room. I heard from friends that each task is different for each person. But those are only rumors, nobody is allowed to share task information otherwise we will be moved down in society or faced with death.

20 hours. I am spending my day of creation like any other day. I wish I could celebrate but according to the 6th Constitution, nobody is allowed to celebrate any “holiday.” “Holidays” are not joyful like they used to be. I learned in History class that in the old days people had a day called Christmas and Birthday. I started my day by going to school. The whole time I could not think of anything but my task which was now only in 8 hours. I think I was experiencing Chronophobia.

“Hi Mother! I’m home!”

“Hello Ana. How was your day?”

“School was very good except that I was very anxious, I just can not stand the fact that in only 7 hours and 45 minutes I will have to leave this place no matter what happens. It has been too short.”

“Oh sweetie, do not worry you still have your whole life ahead of you! I am sure that you will live on and become The Amazing Ana Ivory.”

32 minutes and 46 seconds. When there is only 30 minutes left, I will be taken away to my task destination. I am spending the last 2 minutes and 46 seconds sitting on the bench outside my house in between my parents, just waiting for the airship to take me away. I was a bright and sunny day and the wind was blowing through my blonde bob. I wish I had brown hair like my best friend Ava though.

2 seconds. 1 second. Right on time the airship appeared in front of me I gave my last goodbyes and my father whispered, “Try your best at everything.”

I boarded the ship and we whizzed off towards the city capital. There, we landed in a tunnel. There was a door near the end of the tunnel guarded by 2 city officials. The city official that was flying the ship and I entered the room which was a cold, empty, white color. There was 1 chair and desk the same silver color in the middle of the room. A hologram of a city official woman appeared in front of me.

She spoke, “Hello, Ana Ivory. I am the general of the Task department of Connecticut. You are now 15 years young and your task will begin in exactly five minutes, but first here are your directions.”

A paper appeared on the desk, it read:

ANA IVORY

15 YEARS YOUNG ON THE 12TH OF NOVEMBER

TASK:
WRITE AN ESSAY ON ONE WORD:

FATE

DUE IN 1 HOURS TIME

“Ana, you may begin.”

“Fate. Fate? How can I write an essay on just one word?”

Fate, what really is fate? There was so much I could write about this one word. There was too much to write. All my thoughts just could not process on to the hologram paper in front of me. My goal was to get into the gifted part of society but writing is my biggest weakness according to those Connecticut Mastery Tests. I already knew this was going to be the longest hour in my life.

40 minutes, blank. 30 minutes, blank. 20 minutes, blank. 10 minutes left. I was still stuck. Why? I was never out of ideas, it just did not make sense. I even got voted most spontaneous in school! This essay made no sense. I mean why did only 1 essay decide your future? This essay was a waste of time. Then it hit me.

I knew I would not be able to write a whole essay in the 5 minutes that were left and I was 99% going to die. This essay was a waste of time. I am only 15!

1 minute. I wrote:

This is my fate.