Grandfather by Anthony Wade

  Soldiers stood on every corner, wearing face masks, machine guns in hand. They didn’t say a word. They didn’t smile. They did nothing but stare straight ahead.

  People were afraid of them, and they had a right to be. These soldiers weren’t afraid to kill. They weren’t afraid to arrest somebody just for talking against their new leader. It was their job, and they were proud.

  During the day, the people tried going their own ways, pretending like everything was fine and normal. To some, it was. They still had their job. They still had their money. They still had their fancy clothes, their technology, and their nice homes. Then there were others who just weren’t sure.

  They didn’t like being forced to go home before curfew. They didn’t like not being able to go to their local grocery store, buying whatever they pleased. There were limitations on how much a household could buy each week. Larger families got more, of course.

  “Moderation,” their new leader told them. “It’s time we bring the shortages to attention, especially food. It’s time we change and quit wasting resources.”

  Most people didn’t like Belladonna. After President Cornelius was killed, she had assumed the role as commander in chief. It didn’t matter what others thought. And if somebody argued against it, they were taken away or refused food.

  People wanted answers as to what was going on. Nobody knew for sure how President Cornelius died. All they knew was that he was a part of Grandfather. He was the Grand Imperial, and many didn’t believe until Belladonna released footage of a Grandfather meeting. Cornelius, of course, was there. People were furious that they had trusted him. Others were too worried about Belladonna, believing she was a lot worse. The fact that Belladonna’s divine Grandmother name was too close to Grandfather made matters worse.

  About a week after Grandfather’s fall, everybody gathered around their televisions. Those working stopped to open up a live stream on their computer. Those roaming the city piled into nearby shops and restaurants that had televisions. Those unable to get in due to the dense crowds sat on benches and leaned against the wall, watching their phones.