Prompt: Set your story before dawn or after midnight. Your character is awake for a reason.
Meg lay in bed. Around her were rustlings and people shifting in their bed. Every so often there was a groan or someone would mumble in their sleep. Meg could not sleep. The day was beyond anything she had ever experienced, and this seemed to be the only time she could reflect back without interruptions.
The world had turned upside down in the last 24-hours. What started like every other day, school and classes, teasing and worries about the upcoming exams, have all been blown to pieces. She had no idea where her father was, where her brother was, where her mom and her mom's husband are. She tried to call them on her cell but there was nothing. She tried to connect to the internet, but the lines remained unconnected.
Meg lay in bed and went over the gathering. What they said didn't make sense - a coup, an overthrow. The man was in a military uniform, but it was obvious that he was not the leader. He was one of the generals. The leader seemed to be the prime minister.
PM Johnson came on the screen in the auditorium.
"There is a national emergency. We have had to stop the threat of a military coup. The leader of the opposition and his henchmen have been captured and will be taken care of. When I was elected, I made it clear that your safety against the rising fascist contingent would be my primary concern. So long as you support our leadership, you have nothing to fear.
Over the next few weeks, there will be many changes in our nation. We have been preparing for this for a while, so everything will go smoothly. It will be imperative that each of you become mentally and physically ready for the New World. There is much to be excited for. No longer will there be opposition. No longer will we be afraid that climate change will be our destruction. No longer will there be discrimination or hate. You can embrace absolute joy and indulge in whatever you wish. All conflict is behind us!"
The auditorium sat in stunned silence. Slowly a few people started to clap and cheer. Soon all the young people were caught up in the exuberance. Freedom! Does this mean no more school? Does this mean no more worries about their future or getting a job or buying a home? What does this really mean? But for now - it was exciting!
After the speech, they all reconvened in a space where food was given to them. It was like a big picnic!
Meg sat off to the side with Natalie and ___. "What do you think about all of this?" she said to her friends.
Natalie said, "How can this be bad? For so long, there was only fear about the horrible things in our world, and now PM Johnson seems to have everything under control. Didn't he say he would do that when he was being elected?"
"Yes, but ..." Meg's voice trailed off. She was remembering the concerns her father had.
And now, as she lay in bed, going over the events of the day, and remembering her father's obstinate beliefs on the dangers ahead, she had a hard time believing him. Everything did seem to be going in a good direction, wasn't it? And, if PM Johnston had everything under control, then they had nothing to fear. Her father always seemed to be a little off the rails with his conspiracy theories. But she did wonder where he was tonight,
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