She stopped a metred motor-cart. I waved and stopped one as well. She drove off to the heart of the city, past the schools, past the factories, past the buildings that were under construction and stopped in front of a strange building.

A man came out to meet her. They were quite intimate. I had to consciously calm myself. She hugged him and kissed his cheek, before they went inside the building. She handed him the plastic. The writing was written on the wall.

I quickly looked at the time on my wristwatch. I waited for what seemed like an eternity. When they came out, he put her coat across her shoulders, and kissed her again on the cheek. My cheek. She got back on the metred motor-cart and drove off.

Three hours? Three hours!

What was this? What could she be doing with him for three hours? I froze as my blood boiled. She looked in my cart’s direction. I quickly ducked. She looked on for a while, then got inside her ride. It seemed Adam had been right all along; she was an agent. But why the snake coil pitch? Maybe she wanted an opportunity to catch me red handed.

But why? It didn’t make any sense.

I ordered the driver back to my apartment. I had seen all I needed to see.

So this was how it was to end for me? I could still make a run for it. But they’ll have my face on every screen in the country. I could still give myself up, then surly, they’ll see that I am willing to change, and lighten my sentence. Adam would vouch for me, I know….I hope.

So, I might as well look forward to a few years at one of the institutions in the city if I’m lucky. Those institutions that had taken everything from me; my whole family: mother, father, sister and brother. Much of what I remembered about them, all happened years ago. It’s still foggy in my mind. The night the enforcers dragged them out of bed, in the process neutralised my father and my mother was sent kicking and screaming to the institution of social deficients.

Throughout my nineteen years of living, I’d never gone anywhere near that building.

“Quickly!” I screamed to the driver. I needed to sort things out with Adam before he told our supervisor. Or worse: reported me to the law enforcers.

My apartment looked like a tornado had just left it. Leaves were scattered on the floor; the ceiling was hung open; and the plant hung from it, sagging the ceiling in the process. I scattered around and scrambled to conceal this plant.

Amid my own haste, a loud knock came from the door.

“Open the door,” A voice at the door demanded. “Otherwise, we will be forced to open it ourselves.”

The door opened. And there stood a cluster of rigid men in navy suits with shining helmets covering their faces. Three of them barged in as the door slid open. The one in the front tilted his head and they all stampeded towards me.

I wriggled, kicked and screamed but there was no escape. Their leader simply squatted and stuck his shiny helmet in front of my face. I saw my reflections, and there was panic in my eyes. The others who searched the apartment returned, with the plant firmly gripped in their hands.

‘You are in trouble now’, one of the security guards said from inside his helmet.