A Message From The President

༺ Otis ༻

"Look!"

With Ren on my leash, I slowly walk over to the big cage.

The glass is interrupted by delicately formed metal strings to create a construction that is housing dozens of colorful birds.

"This is one of the only bird parks in August but they don't allow dogs to enter."

So instead I sit down on a bench and watch Ren as his curious eyes follow the feathered animals flying through trees and bushes or bathing in the little pond.

The fountain behind us is sprinkling cold water into my neck and I enjoy the calmness.

When I was little, my mom told me that outside of August birds are not held in cages and instead fly around freely. She said they wouldn't be able to orientate in here and fly against the glass walls. That'S why we have to lock them in.

A big bird in black and blue waddles closer to the edge of the cage and inspects Ren. His tail is crowned with brush-like feathers and the beak is long and yellow.

What kind of bird could this be? Maybe a…

But Ren's growling interrupts my thinking.

He is no longer watching the birds but instead he is staring at a man who is sitting a few feet away from us.

Ren has bared his teeth and I bend down to him.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

But he doesn't react to my question.

Instead, he slowly steps backwards, his tail pressed tightly to his body.

Dammit, I should have read a book on canine body language because I have no idea what's wrong with him.

I inspect the man but find nothing interesting.

He is reading a magazine, a thermos flask standing next to him.

But whatever it is, Ren is uncomfortable.

"Let's go somewhere else."

As soon as I have gotten up, Ren starts speedwalking and I have trouble keeping up with him.

"Dude, chill!"

But he doesn't chill until we have left the park and bird house behind us.

I turn around to check whether the man has followed us but we are all alone in the street.

I have read somewhere that pets can be triggered by harmless things. Maybe Ren just doesn't like thermo flasks.

I nod to myself. That must be it.

"Should we take a walk through the fields? They are right around the corner."

The fields are one of the areas that lie between the districts and the edges of the dome. There we grow crops and hold livestock.

Nobody is allowed to get too close to the border, there is a 300 feet strip going around the inside of the dome that nobody but diplomats and politicians can cross.

A few years ago a friend and I tried to break the rule and climb over the low stone wall but got caught by a guard and had to be taken to the police station. My parents were not that amused.

"There are a few mud paths that are great for walks. Maybe another time we could go East, where the woods are."

But Ren doesn't seem to like the idea. He suddenly stops in his tracks and sits down.

I pull on the leash but he won't move.

"What now?" I sigh.

"I swear we won't encounter any thermo flasks, okay?"

I pull again but Ren presses his butt into the ground and looks at me with big eyes.

Wow. I really didn't think it would be this hard to walk a dog.

"Okay, so where-"

But my question gets interrupted by loud beeping noises droning out of the big speakers that are installed on every street corner.

I count the signal tones. 3. Short. Long. Short.

My eyes widen. And then I hear the voice of our president.

⤐

༺ President Zhao ༻

I lean back in the chair and fold my shaking hands.

"We will be sending your message in one minute," I hear some assistant say but my eyes are glued to the screen in front of me.

Six surveillance cameras are sending their recordings to the TV in front of me.

When the beeping starts, I look at the people who are unaware of being watched right this second.

A man in District 1 who stops working on an old car.

A couple in District 2 pausing their walk down the street.

A family in District 3 waiting on a tram.

A teenage boy in District 4 staring right at me with his dog.

An older lady in District 5 who looks up from her book.

Only in District 6 I can't see anyone. The street corner is empty.

Then the beeping stops and I hear my pre recorded voice.

"Citizens of The August Country, this is your president, Allister Zhao, speaking. Our country, our home, is currently facing political changes that will determine the future of us all."

I only notice now how scared I sound. I should have practiced this.

"Some of you are confused and unsure and have started speaking up, signing petitions and protesting on the streets. Know that your voices matter and will play a role in the decisions we make. But to avoid further unrest, we have decided to take some measures."

I watch the people on my screen as they lift their heads curiously.

"From this second until further notice, all citizens will no longer be allowed to leave their properties without valid reasons such as work, studies as well as the acquisition of groceries and other essential goods. The police will be making sure that everyone obeys these rules."

Now the curiosity on their faces has turned into shock. The family at the tram station is discussing wildly, the man in District 1 has dropped his tools and ran away, probably to inform his wife.

"Furthermore, the borders between Districts will be closing. These changes might seem dramatic but are crucial to keep The August Country on the right path. Thank you for your cooperation. This was your president, Allister Zhao."

My heart pulls together.

The message is out and there is no going back.

Let's just hope that I made the right decision.

"Mister president? The reporter is here."

I nod with my eyes still glued to the screen.

"Send him in," I say as I watch the aftermath of my actions.

Angry faces everywhere. And one very scared dog.

⤐

༺ Otis ༻

"I don't understand this. They are crazy. Absolutely crazy."

I don't remember the last time I have seen my mom this upset. She is walking through the kitchen with her hands buried in the purple curls.

"They are locking us in. I mean, we have been locked in this whole time but now we can't even leave our house! Our country is run by a bunch of mental people!"

"Please, Tía. Calm down," my dad interjects but my mom shakes her head.

"No, Bernard. I'm not calming down. I have just been robbed of all my freedom."

I bend down to Ren who is hiding under the table. He is cowered together and looks miserable, as if he understands what's going on.

But obviously he doesn't. He is a dog.

"We have been robbed of our freedom a long time ago. Remember when they took away our phones? The radio? This dome has trapped us the day we arrived here. You weren't robbed of your freedom, darling. You can't lose something you've never had."

My mom seems shaken by his words but tries to bury them under even more talking.

"We should have never come here."

"We had no other option. And we didn't know all of this was going to happen."

I look up from the dog.

"What do you mean?"

"Hm?" My mom looks puzzled.

"You said we should have never come here. But we have always been here."

My parents look at each other and I try to read their glances. Then my mom sighs and grabs a chair to sit down as well.

"Okay, listen."

She takes a deep breath.

"We have never told you but before you were born, your father and I used to live in The Pure Nation. That's where he was born and I...well. Once they found out I was a witch, we had to leave and were brought to August."

Overwhelmed with the new information, my head starts spinning.

"Why have you never told me?"

My dad clears his throat. "If we had told you, you might have become curious and wanting to visit TPN. We thought it would be safer to keep it to ourselves. In the end, it's not that important anyway."

"Ah."

My face hardens.

"You do know that humans who are the children of TPN citizens are allowed to study at their colleges, right?"

"But we have colleges too."

"Yes but…" I take a deep breath. "This would have been my only chance to ever leave this country."

Once I say it out loud, it hits me and my throat tightens.

"You kept it from me and now I'm stuck here. Forever."

"Otis, TPN isn't as great as you might think. You're much safer here," my mom tries to pacify me but I refuse to look at her.

"You're a half-breed, Otis. They would have-"

"They would have done nothing because they would have never found out."

I jump up from my chair.

"Otis!"

"I'll go to my room."

"Don't be upset now! We should have told you but-"

"No, it's fine. Whatever."

Obviously it's not but I don't feel like arguing right now so I stomp out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Ren follows closely behind me.

Once I'm in my bedroom, I throw the door shut and take a deep breath.

"Shit."

I fall onto my bed and stare at the ceiling.

Should I be mad now?

I never get mad. I always forgive people because I manage to see things from their perspective.

My parents only wanted to protect me. Right?

But maybe always suppressing the anger isn't a good thing after all.

I grab a pillow and push it down on my face so I can scream into it. Then I scream again. And again.

Ren does not seem intimidated by the muffled noises and instead puts his snout down onto the mattress next to my shoulder, looking at me with big eyes.

I remember the moment in the shelter where it felt like I could read his thoughts. And this time he is telling me to calm down, it's going to be okay.

I stare at him for a few seconds, wondering if I'm slowly going crazy and then I sigh.

"You're a weird dog. A really weird one."