Compliance.

Hide. Wait. Rest. Repeat. Hide. Wait. Rest. Repeat. My days are endless, our work is endless. Twenty one, twenty two, twenty three. Keep counting the sunrises, keep talking, eating, blinking, breathing. Sun rises, we rise. We scout, we eat, we sit tight until night. Dark falls; time to run, time to act, time to hide. Shadow hides, open eyes, you'll see us. Figures moving beyong the wall; where we were- 'TAKE BACK YOUR MIND'- slogans sprayed. We run, we act, we hide. Back to nowhere, now rest.

Life goes on. I watch, and life goes on. Noticing changes- black car no longer parked down the lane, phonebox glass shattered. Why wait? Why not? What else can we do? Brave the light; never. We lost before- we are different. Unlike the rest, we learn from mistakes. Our mistake sits, waits, rests, eats, sits, waits, rests eats. Behind bars- feeding time at the zoo. With our own (we've lost before) so not alone, but trapped. We're not so different really.

My turn to cook- the oven purrs quietly, charring flesh (our turn next?) and I stand alone. "Want a hand?" Voices. Him. "Sure." Knives out, preparation, sharing glances. Like before, yet less...dangerous. Before, juices ran red- now they run clear. No more rubies for us- only cracking glass and china, with the chipping paintwork. Where we craved riches, we crave food. Where we craved fame, we crave warmth. Where we craved class, we crave comfort. Where we craved violence, we crave freedom. Where we craved freedom, we crave violence. Violence- not the- freedom- never the- violence- answer. Solve our problems- but wait until we've eaten first.

Dusk. Crawling in as we discuss her again. A fourth place laid at a table, remains unused. Our mistake. "Tonight's the night," like every night. "Tonight's the night we'll-" grow up get out move on "take her back." Never forget, she'd say. Never forgive. Lies lies lies. Metal brushes china, "sustain us o lord" the vicar would say. Bullshit. Mass beliefs breed ignorance, stupidity, frown upon thought. Intelligence leads to hunger, to the cold and to death. We didn't eat last night. Normal, believe me- last week, nine meals, of twenty one. The farmer knows us- had dealings in the past, odd jobs, found puppies- "Anytime you need something, just ask. I can give you food if you need it; I'll help you where I can." Never want to overstretch his generosity. When we need, we trade. He's like us, knows it's all bullshit. They leave him alone- quiet, out of the way, won't tell no-one sirs I swear. They let him be, but only just. We're cautious enough to keep him safe- safe is a strong word. We stay undetected. Time crawls. We eat, we clean, we rest.

It's still raining- "No point in getting soaked for nothing." She lies alone, old matress, empty room, cold- "I miss her." We stay awake, lie on the sofa. Fingers through hair, hands touching skin- after all, there is no tomorrow anymore. Tonight is tomorrow is yesterday. Pleasures are small and rare- seize when you dare. We dare in the dark- rain falls, she sleeps, dreams of mistakes. Warmth, breath on his neck. He likes it- so do I. Lie together, close our eyes. Pulled up, fasten buttons, rest.

Sun rises- tomorrow is last night is today. Silence sits, then shattered. Glass shattered. Freeze. Silence settles. There's no-one. Curiosity- the bottle scatters well. "Watch your feet." Something different begins the day. Routine upset- subconscious rebellion- by a rotten shelf. Clean it up, fix the shelf. Visit an ally- feeding time at the zoo? He runs, she stares at the corner. I watch. Twenty four.

She runs. He runs. I run. She jumps- we stop. We scream. Silence. She leaves. Another mistake. We walk back. He sits, he stares, I sit, I cry. We lose, they win. End of. Or not. We live, we breathe, we eat, we rest. Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty. Days are longer, nights are shorter. The others lie forgotten, behind their bars- easier to forget them. Survival is rebellion.

Hide. Wait. Rest. Repeat. Hide. Wait. Rest. Repeat. Thirty one, thirty two, thirty three. Keep talking, eating, blinking, breathing. Run, act, hide. Shadow hides, open eyes, you'll see us. Figures moving beyong the wall; where we were- nothing. Run, act, hide. Rest.