Page 234 - creative spark 2020
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On the second day, however, Joshua yelled something
unexpected:
“Those idiotic leaders… Why must they force people to
die?”
“Calm down, Joshua,” Alesha said.
“Why must our family be confined in this situation? Can’t
we do anything about this nonsense?!”
I was confused, so I walked up to them, hoping to
understand what they meant.
“Joshua and Alesha, what are you talking about?”
“I’ll die in a year,” Joshua claimed pensively.
“Me too in roughly two years,” Alesha sighed.
“Why?” I asked in bewilderment.
“There’s this silly ritual in our town, passed down from one
generation to the next,” Joshua explained. I heard the irritability in
his voice. “So when you get to forty years of age, the local
government looks at your salary, health, family, and other random
things. Then they prescribe a ‘death date’ for everyone based on
their well-being and contributions to society.”
“This ritual is supposed to help reduce overpopulation and
increase the productivity of the town and stuff,” Alesha stated.
“That’s why ‘useless’ adults will be killed sooner. In a year, Joshua
will reach his date. I will in two years. We will be forced to die
because of tradition.”
