Michael is thirty-nine and gay. Like his little niece, Kim, who has a learning disability, he is considered a non-citizen under the draconian Normalcy Laws. Kim’s parents quietly arrange to flee to New Zealand, where the Normalcy Laws haven’t been implemented. As Michael has a good job and has been careful to hide his homosexuality, he doesn’t consider going with them. Instead, he remains behind and goes about his business as normal until one morning when he is confronted by two Black Guards. Hooded, Michael is taken to what he assumes is the Department of Law. Once people are taken there, they never see the light of day again. Elimination is the only punishment in the New World Order. There he is interrogated by The Man, a handsome officer of the Black Guards. In a desperately hopeless situation, is there any hope of surviving elimination? No one ever has in the past, but Michael discovers something about The Man that hints at his situation not being as bleak as it appears. Can he dare to hope there is a way out? Or is he so delusional that his fantasies of freedom have clouded his judgment? Under the oppressive Normalcy Laws, nothing is certain.

Forbidden

Despite the two air holes, Michael found himself feeling sleepy. It could well have been all the walking he’d done that day, the panic of nearly being caught or a combination of factors, but he felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. The last thing he heard was a single snore from Bevan.


Michael awoke with a start. His heart was pounding before he even realized what had woken him


“Well, get out here unless you’d prefer to stay.”


He leaned down and kissed Bevan on the forehead.


Michael began moving some of the boxes out of the way, creating a narrow opening one box wide they could easily squeeze through.


“Bring your stuff and the bucket out with you,” said Dan.


Michael took the bucket, which fortunately neither had used, although Michael could definitely do with a toilet now. Bevan followed behind with his suitcase.


Chapter 31