Even when sunset came, Cleo was still not used to the colors sprawled across the sky. It was her time of sanctuary, usually June joined her, but since June’s and Cleo’s big fight that morning about Madox, June had abandoned the tradition.  The Rest Hall was overwhelming-in Cleo’s perspective-the sound of children giggling with each other and the sticky smells of candy made Cleo wrinkle her nose.  When she had first entered the complex she had been a quiet child-and at the peaceful time of a sunset-she was the only one who grasped upon the ledge.

Sunsets had always indicated the end of the day, after that come the chills of night but also the promise of a fresh clean start tomorrow. The sky with its pink and splatters of red orange or pale yellow-always made Cleo’s breath freeze in her chest. The sky was usually a dim blue or the color of parchment during the day. Lifeless and dead, just like the world beyond New Canada. Cleo’s teachers back in Little School had said that around 250 years ago the world had deep blue skies which white clouds which adorned the canvas lovingly. That was when the downfalls of humanity had begun. But Cleo didn’t want to think about complex subjects which were drilled into her mind at least once a day.

Where was June? The sky already had a swelling tint of blue at the horizon, warning that night was advancing fast towards Cleo’s safe haven. A nearby hover screen blared on about a food crisis happening somewhere farther east, Cleo sighed, drinking in the sight of minors watching the horrors of whatever new catastrophe was beginning to evolve.

Cleo silently flicked off the screen, the corners of her mouth pulling upwards at the youngster’s astonished faces. A girl with two pigtails tearing her hair around the elastic wound around to seek the hooligan, sighting me she sneered.

“We were watching that,” her voice was full of scorn and anger, Cleo shrugged and began to make her steady way out of the Rest Hall.

The girl was a persistent character, even though a few years younger than Cleo-her grip was firm when the warmth of her hand grasped Cleo’s arm. “We were watching that.”

Cleo shrugged away from her grasp and spit out the words, “children your age shouldn’t watch tapes of something you have no idea how horrible.”

Vanquished, the girl was about to reply but swallowed her words. She rushed back to her friends which peered at Cleo heatedly through diluted eyes yet managed to turn the channel to some cartoons in defeat.

A soft smile broadened Cleo’s face; she sauntered out of the opened doorway, feeling the eyes still examining the back of her head. A warning alarm sounded in the loud speakers.

“It is now 15 minutes to 6pm; all males must leave the premises in 15 minutes. The dorm will be shut down by the first colors of dark. Let me repeat: All males should leave shortly, and no one should leave the premise after dark.” Cleo cursed silently; June was not in her designated spot in the library-reading to children. The voice in the loudspeaker had diminished but Cleo couldn’t help but feel the creeping of anxiety claw at her stomach.

Their room was the only hope for June’s location, but Cleo knew that June wouldn’t be in the warmth of their three room apartment, casually leafing through a magazine or chewing on an evening snack.

Still, Cleo decided to narrow down her search and made her way to the glass elevator, where a line up of teenagers was already forming.

As soon as Cleo approached the glass structure, the crowd parted around her, with Cleo’s dark looks she was often disregarded as a warden, but after some of her and June’s pranks, most of the population in the dorms looked up to her.

While the glass elevator moved in a downwards motion from up above and as the spectators sighed in union, Cleo’s eyes did a double take of the scene outside.

The Grassy Barrens had two tiny specks moving slowly from around the sprouting bushes. Both were dressed in gas masks and uniform resembling astronauts. Making their way slowly through the sparse trees and desert plains, I suddenly remembered the words of my monitor, whatever you do, don’t go outside.