Jenny Wisniewski

Mrs. Hayward

3rd hour Creative Writing

January 9, 2018

The Last Year

It was another exciting New Year’s Eve for most of the United States, the last surviving

country on Earth. The rest of the World is non existent, due to the illegality made in repopulation

everywhere else on earth. However, another version of life does exist. New communities have

been formed on Mars. Despite the circumstances, the remaining country had still been given

grand assurance that their lives were not at risk. For this, over one hundred years had passed with

life continuing at a steady pace. Traditions formed in the past world had remained, and so, as it

was approaching New Years, celebration was called for. There were parties throughout every

city while everyone enjoyed celebrating the ending of the past year and welcomed a new and

promising one, or so they had thought. As the clock ticked down, each second that diminished

brought a close to the once joyous laughters. As everyone was gathered around the closest

television screens, ready to watch the ball drop or kiss their loved ones, they began the count

down. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2… and just like that, as young children, teenagers, mothers and

fathers, and grandparents began to shout, all television screens fell black at midnight. Those who

celebrated at their local bars began yelling that the power was out, and the televisions in

household parties were reported broken by the guests. Somehow, the only one who knew what

was happening was a force nonexistent on earth itself.

 Within five minutes from Midnight all lives on Earth had changed. An automated

message appeared upon screens one by one announcing an unimaginable defeat. “Hello

earthlings, my code, or name as you would refer, is 7651. I am reaching you from the nearby

planet Mars. As you know, there has been a great amount of discontinued life on earth in an

attempt to recreate better life on Mars. I am here, firstly, to say congratulations on another year

of life completed on Earth. I am pleased to announce that the creation of life on Mars has been a

huge success. We have been able to use your daily lives as a study and find all faults in what

humans have been and, in turn, use that data to remove all faults in our future citizens of Mars.

Each new being has been programmed into the poster child of what the Mars community will

stand for. For that, you all should be very proud of your contribution to the future. However, it is

with my discontentment in telling you the following, but my duty to do so, so please listen

carefully. With the future of life on Mars and the 150 year research study completed we are no

longer in need of your assistance. Due to the great advancements you all have made possible, we

are offering you one last year. After this last year, your lives will be brought to an end. For this

next year, you will be allowed to roam the U.S. just as you have the past years of your life,

however, we will no longer be monitoring each step you take, but instead check in every three

months to see how your process of life is being enjoyed. Due to the lack of our involvement in

the future year we have appointed fifty competent adults to become your watchers, your law, and

your providers. Remember this last year is a gift to you from us, so enjoy your time, but do not

throw it away, as nothing is guaranteed, except for the future success of Mars. Thank you for

your time, I hope you are as excited as I am. It is now time I say goodbye, so please, enjoy your

last year.”
 No one moved or even considered to offer comforting words to those surrounding them.

The only sound heard was that of glass shattering as it hits the hard ground after slipping through

the fingers of a distraught human being. As all of those who surrounded me contemplated the

news and could not manage to place the pieces together, all became clear to me. I began to recall

memories from just a few months prior that provided me with a clear understanding, yet not

without being eerily discomforted. Last September, when school was back in session and it was

the students first day of the new school year, all teachers had announced to their students about a

new program that had be implemented. They went on to say, that as educators, they were now

required to provide assignments appointed by a higher power for us to complete. This was in

addition to the curriculum provided by the teachers themselves. Only then, while recalling the

memory, did I remember the stutter my history teacher had when he made the announcement.

At first, the assignments were quite simple and consisted mostly of spelling quizzes. An

example of what we could expect on one of these quizzes included the vocabulary words: future,

order, progress, authority, structure, and gift. At the time I had never thought much of these

strange requests, as I was overjoyed to be passing with flying colors. However, in October, each

student was instructed to write an essay with the prompt being, “If the human race was to be

given one year left here on earth, how should the citizens behave in accordance with structure

and society?” Mr. Merle, my history teacher, had stated that this essay was to be graded and we

all should try our very best. He mentioned repeatedly, yet almost secretly, “don’t forget it is not

always bad, but definitely good, to write what the judges would like to hear.” Confusion

surrounding this statement arose from each student, as Mr. Merle had always encouraged us to

write how we feel. However, this statement was hardly heard as we all were staring blankly into
space dreading this writing task. It wasn’t until now, recalling this memory, I can understand that

Mr. Merle was referring “judges” to those operating the live study of Earth from Mars. After

each student completed their essays they were sent away for grading, before returned to us after

one month. Mr. Merle distributed our completed and graded essays, yet he avoided eye contact at

all cost. Each essay was laminated and scored, but in addition, each one was flagged green,

yellow, or red, except mine. My essay was flagged black. Joshua Quiver, from the back of the

class, shot his hand up and shouted, “Mr. Merle, this is not my paper. I mean, it is… kind of, but

its been changed.” Our instructor then went on to explain that there was a right and wrong

answer to the essay prompt, and if there was an error, not just in grammar, but in your opinion

stated, it was then corrected for you. He then continued to explain that each essay was scored by

color with green being hopeful, yellow being misguided, and red meaning lost cause. At that

point I raised my hand and asked what the other colors referred to. His response was simply,

“there are no other colors Jackie.” I lowered my hand in a confused manner and sat silently the

rest of the school day.

As I reflect upon these memories I now understand. The many conspiracy theories about

the program in Mars are not so wrong after all. Yes, us citizens left on earth knew the rest of the

world was destroyed, but we were promised life, and we believed it. We also knew there was

new life being created in Mars. However, we did not know we were being used as a study. We

were not included in the knowledge that each step we took or each word we spoke was anything

but private. This was news to each of us. I realise now what everyone else will realise within

minutes, or days. Our lives are not in our hands… and they never have been. When each student

wrote those essays, we somehow saved ourselves another year. We found a way to write what
the judges wanted to hear. The majority of the population had received yellow flag marks on

their essays, 68 percent exactly, 22 percent received green markings, and 9 percent received red.

That 1 percent… was labeled undetermined. I imagined that was the black qualification I had

received, but it was never specified. Most of us had forgotten about that essay, but with that New

Year’s surprise, we were then expected to behave and follow the path we created in each of our

essays... Well, the corrected version of them.

No one was listening to the video playing, at an uncomfortable volume, in the front of the

classroom. Instead of creating the lists of how we wished to properly live our last year we were

contemplating living at all. Our parents were just as confused as we were, and each person

seemed to have their own ideas as to how to spend the rest of our time. Some people believed we

should have followed work, school, and extracurriculars just as we had, others said we needed to

boycott everything we had ever known, while other options included living life to its fullest, by

quitting jobs and living on vacation, or giving up completely. As for those who were appointed

to run the U.S. They were almost helpless in the new world. Half of the population believed they

were a form of God, while the other half would never listen to a word they had to say.

We were almost to our first three months and our communities were in turmoil. Our

schools were still full, our food supply was steady, but jobs were in desperate need of workers.

Parents came to the realization that most of their lives had been spent running through a cycle of

days filled with dreadful tasks. They then decided to leave the dishes in the sink for weeks at a

time, they chose to eat as many calories as they could force into their stomachs, and boycotted

showering for longer than anyone should have. Parents were no longer parenting their children
and if it wasn't against the law to dropout of school parents would have stopped forcing their kids

to attend the day after we received the news. Instead, we returned the next day.

Once it came to April 1st each television within every room of the country was on, and

all those surrounding them spent the day impatiently waiting for a message from the Mars

community. Finally at 6:32 pm, just as dusk was falling, communication from 7651 came.

However, instead of complimenting us on our successes, she gave us ample warning of

consequences we would have to face if our lifestyle stayed the same. With this came another

assignment. We were to write another essay. This time, we had to write our opinion about the

actions of the adults in reaction to the news given on New Year’s day. Once again this paper

would be scored, graded, and flagged. Which is what happened. We wrote the essays, sent them

in, but this time, they were not returned.

The last assignment we were requested to accomplish altered the views of many children.

After putting their thoughts onto paper many came to the conclusion that they agreed with their

parents. Teenagers everywhere gave up on school. They still attended, because they were afraid

of the legal system, even if it was set in pace by the fifty men and women appointed to us.

School was no longer spent learning new math equations, or reading books. It was now spent

however the students wished. If they wanted a field trip, they went. If they wanted to leave the

class, take a nap, talk to their friends, eat a snack, or say what they wanted, they did it. Their

views in other areas of life had also changed. The curfew set in place by the appointed 5s, as they

were now referred to, was no longer followed. There seemed to be no order within the place we

had all once lived so peacefully.

 Six months had passed and life was chaotic. Although most people acted as if they were

not anxious to hear from 7651, each family was surrounded around the television screens on June

1st. After the screens fuzzed for a few minutes, adding to the anticipation, communication

arrived. 7651 portrayed annoyance, anger, and disregarded the fact that our last year was halfway

completed. Instead, she mentioned how she had seen what many of us were using the time of our

last year on, and was utterly disgusted with most of our actions. I particularly remember her

stating, “you are the creator of change, if you want it, you have to make it happen.” This message

did not end without another writing piece for us to complete. This time the prompt sent anger and

shock throughout the country. Asked of us was to write a what if essay. “What if you had the

chance to continue your life on mars? What benefit and progress would you add to the

community’s growth?”

With schooling almost non existent, many people chose to disregard the assignment. For

those who felt pressured to complete the essay, they had to write the paper on their own time,

drive to the special distribution building, which one could be found on the edge of each territorial

border, and then be disappointed when there was, another, no return. Once again, the

communication from Mars brought another great downfall for the society on Earth.

Supermarkets were hardly keeping enough food stocked to supply their territories. In addition,

people were now becoming violent and unpredictable. Robberies, fires, and even murder had

risen to all time heights. The appointed 5s had been killed off to the remaining 2s, leaving only

21 members left to control a fiery of a country.

After nine months, everyone was expecting the television to bring another message from

Mars, but that was not the case. Instead, on September 1st, the water level of all oceans rose, not
a little, but enough to cover a one third of the U.S. territory. In addition, twelve hurricanes, six

tsunamis, and two massive earthquake eruptions occurred. I now know, that was our message

from 7651. Mass casualties occurred that day, which sent devastation across the entire country.

However, that did not encourage structure or order, but instead caused an outbreak of fierce

behavior. People stopped eating, drinking, and began to kill themselves off before they had any

other way to die. This continued for the last three months of our year. This behavior of self

destruction killed off 89 out of every 100 people.

The day finally came, when those who had survived the brutal year, came gathered

together, with tear stained cheeks, to say their goodbyes and await a final goodbye from 7651. It

did come, but not with the news expected, once again, there was a real life plot twist. 7651 left a

message to the remaining population stating, “hello earthlings, I hope you all have said your

farewells, as you know what today brings. With this I would like to name off a few people, and

when I do please follow the directions I provide. Harper Krill, Joshua Quiver, Riley Frost, and

Jackie Westwood.” I still have recollection of the feeling I felt when she named me. I felt

terrified and confused. I had felt shocked when I heard Joshua’s name, as he was one of my

former classmates, but my name, that brought a level of fear I had never felt before. I followed

the instructions she had provided. I walked outside of my home, while my family watching in

infuriating silence. I placed a blanket upon a patch of grass and crossed my legs once I sat down.

I sat still, except for uncontrollable shaking happening throughout my entire body, and suddenly

a blue light appeared. At first small, as if a laser, and it gradually expanded. Eventually it

covered my whole being, and all at once, I was gone. Not dead, that I knew, but I was in fact

gone from earth. It was as if I was taking a long nap, one I was awake in, but could not move.
Terror broke out on earth while I was in my slumber. Three red circular burning lasers came

down to earth, each one expanded and spread across the entire planet, similar to that of an

earthquake’s waves, except this was exceptionally deadly, and silent. There was no life left on

earth after the third ring cycled through. At that point life on Earth was once and for all non

existent.

You may wonder what happened to those four people whose names were called, including

me. For some reason we were picked up just before the end of time, and that reason, I now know.

First, let me explain that each of us were labeled as either green, yellow, red, and yes a fourth

color only I had heard of…. black, “the lost cause,” based off of all our written essays. As for the

question as to what happened to us, that I have an answer to. We were taken here. This room I

am in, the one where I am here telling you my story, or more specifically, I am recording my

story. I am doing so as proof to the future that life was not created on Mars, but that life on Earth

was once the only form of life we knew. This was my last wish, one I was gifted. I did write each

of the essays asked, all four of us did. When the water levels rose, few people found glass bottles

with messages within. These glass bottles however, were not so much found as they instead

came to us, and only us. The message within asked us to write our one last wish. At the bottom

of the page, one line read, “you wanted change, and you created it within your assignments. For

that, you will be saved from your last year.” Once I finish this video, I will go into testing, then

radiation, and then programming. I will become one of four earthlings to be transformed into a

citizen of the Mars community. You may wonder why take the risk of adding a faulted human

into Mars, even if I undergo a version of the process all other citizens of Mars were created

from? That is because nothing is guaranteed, even the success of life on Mars.