The Dumpers

“What year is it again?” #307 asks.

“3005.” #308 responds.

“Oh yeah, it always seems to slip my mind.” #307 sighs and looks down at the heavy, leather bag that they are both trying to haul up to a small valley, which is known as the dump. The dump is only allowed to be seen by the “dumpers”, which is what #307 and #308 are.

“We are close.” #307 sighs.

“Yes.” #308 replies with a dull tone.

“You know it was #256’s own fault.” #307 begins speak its mind, “Shouldn’t have been snooping into why our society works, right?”

“Yes.” #308 replies.

“I mean let the government do its own thing. They know what’s best for us.”

“Yes they do.”

“I mean, we were taught how awful humans acted when they all were different. Always fighting and hurting each other. Isn’t that awful?”

“Yes.”

“We are all the same to keep us safe.” #307 smiled.

“Yes, it does.” #308 responds.

The smell of the dump began to sting #307’s nose. It would make someone who wasn’t a dumper puke, but since #307 has been doing this for years it is able to bear through it. The ground was dusty and covered in orange rocks in all different shapes and sizes. It watched a snake painted with the orange powder slither by their feet, but it did not flinch, for #307 was always encountering snakes, crows, and vultures throughout the work day.

“I wonder why nature is different.” #307 thinks out loud again.

“Because nature is not human.” #308 replies.

“But all throughout nature, there are differences and there is not conflict. Plants are different colors and sizes and rocks are different sizes. Snakes and birds are different and-”

“Clear your mind #307.” #308 commands.

#307’s face drops and sad eyes form as its hand lifts to the small round button behind its right ear and is gently pressed. Electricity jolts through #307’s brain and the thoughts retreat into the cabinet it was locked in before. Its eyes become blank and lifeless.

“I apologize #308.”

They both continue to trudge up the hill awaiting the top while #307’s strong ideas and thoughts slowly flow back into its brain. #307’s thoughts would always come back quickly after the painful button was pressed but #307 would always need to restrain itself or it may get caught and punished for its strong creativity.

“It shouldn’t have said anything or refused to press its button. It shouldn’t have asked why we are all the same height, same color, same gender, same abilities, same everything. Sameness is safety. Correct?”

“Yes.” #308 replies.

“It was a cool person though. #256 was my friend.” #307 saw #308 turn to face #307 and say ‘clear your mind’ but it caught itself, “But of course everyone is my friend. Everyone is of equal importance to me.” #308 stops what it was about to say and continues to look ahead with its dead eyes.

“But if #256 would’ve just understood and followed what it was told. We wouldn’t be carrying it right now. I wish it just understood.”

“Yes.”

“I wish #256 had just listened to me” #308 thinks to himself.

*3 days ago*

“Don’t do anything #256.” #307 pleaded.

“I can’t just leave things how they are right now, if I don’t speak up then who will?” #256 explains.

“I’m a dumper #256. I have seen what happens when people decide to speak up against them. Please don’t do anything, you are the only one I can share my thoughts with. If I didn’t have you to talk to I would go insane.”

“#307 do you want to hear what found out about you and me?” #256 says gently.

“Of course we always are able to talk to each other #256.”

“#307 you are a male. I am a female. Everything changed since I stopped clearing my mind. I see the world with curiosity and beauty and I have felt different types of feelings and I realized that I love you #307. You probably don’t even understand love. But it is a feeling where when you see a person you get filled with joy and you wish to be near them always and forever. But after feeling something so amazing and beautiful I realized that they shouldn’t have taken this from us. So I will try and fight. Because I love you.” #256 smiles as tears leave her eyes.

“Why are you sad #256?” #307 didn’t understand what she was trying to convey and was left with a confused expression and colorless, lifeless eyes.

“I wish you knew #307.I wish you understood.” she grabbed his shoulders and looked at him with pleading eyes, “Please tell me you feel something! Anything! Just search that curious mind of yours for the word love, the feeling of love. Please…”

#307 did not perceive the word or her heartache he could only say, “I apologize #256.”

#256’s hope she held in her eyes vanished as she sobbed and wailed uncontrollably. She couldn’t take it anymore. She screamed and cried on #307. He was holding her up to prevent her from collapsing onto the floor. He could not compute what was occurring in front of him so he continuously apologized with his barren expression. She looked at him and her eyes had become so empty. She no longer had any sparkle in her eyes like she had before. There wasn’t any adventurous glimmer, there was only drowning, grey eyes. She reached her hands to his collar and entwined her fingers behind his neck, which was identical to her’s. She pushed her head forward and her lips were forced against his. #307 stood still as he was held in place and did not respond, he only looked at her tear strewn face. But he felt something, the something was warm and caused him to shiver with pleasure and his eyes lit up. They were finally filled with color he slowly began to comprehend the feeling erupting inside him but #256 didn’t notice, she let go of him and without saying a word ran out of the house towards them.

#307 waited until the next day to speak with her but she never came to his house, so he checked anywhere she would be but found nothing. The next day at work he found that she was on the list to be taken to the dump and was scheduled to be taken by #308 and himself the following day. He held back the crushing, breaking, squeezing, feeling in his chest in order not to show he is different than everyone else. He cried when he arrived home that day. Once the front door was shut he fell to the ground and broke. Almost as if he was a vase that had fallen off its pedestal and shattered as it hit the cold, hard tile. He should've stopped her. Yet because he didn’t he will forever blame himself.

*Back to the present*

#307 and #308 reach the top of the hill and, with a plastered gaze, un-zipped the bag and pulled #256 out and watched as it rolled down the rocky slope only to be stopped once it hit the other bodies and souls that rested at the bottom of the valley. The dead, decomposing bodies carpeted the entire valley, for they were the product of what happened when people decided to fix what they have done. It was an example that we can never escape our torturous present and they will wipe out millions in order to keep it that way.

The memories of #256 and #307 flowed through #307’s brain. It looked out across the valley and for the first time felt the urge to destroy those who have done this but it understood that it would never be able to accomplish that goal.

“Goodbye.” #307 mumbles allowing the sparkle in its eyes to appear but almost immediately vanishes once #308’s head snaps in its direction.

“What was that #307?”

“Nothing, #308.”

The pain in #307 flooded back into its chest and its eyes began to water so #307’s hand shoots to the button behind his right ear and clears its mind. #307’s dead eyes return and it begins walking down the hill to the pickup, leaving #308 a couple yards behind. One stray tear falls from #307’s bleached eyes as it locks its memories away into that empty cabinet that will never open again.

Reviews

[Shannon]

Such an impressive feat. To create a very complete picture of a dystopian society using one scene and one brief flashback. Well imagined, well written, easy to read, especially given the magnitude of the story we are absorbing in such a small amount of time.

[Stan Lee]

Wow!!!! This is the best story I have read on here for aaages!! Absolutely amazing, incredible and I am going to go off on a total rant about how much I loved it! Brilliantly imaginative. Super well written. 1000/1000! Thanks for sharing. Stay inspired! :)

[kurothecat]

Wow! This story was amazing! Honestly, I teared up a bit at the end. I like the idea of "dumpers" and clearing your mind by pressing a button. Quite creative! I feel like there should be more detail about why 256 decided to stop clearing her mind. I'm not sure about that though. Great work!

[Lol Thats Life]

Dear Jane, this story was quiet fascinating to read all the way through. I did find a couple of mistakes with grammar, but I too have mistakes like those some days. The Dumpers gives me a reader a new perspective on life and how it could have possibly been. This story you have created, I would say just need more detail but other than that it was an excellent read.

[APHDisappointment]

Hello, so this story was amazing. I love the emotion and feels. One thing I would fix is to maybe explain the society they live in just a little bit more. Other than that, it was pretty frickin' good.

[Oh Oh Oh no]

That was a really great story and it would be really interesting book. I liked how they have numbers as names, and that you took some ideas from the story we read in class. I really do like it. Something you could work on(honestly i'm not sure) maybe more depth in the part with 256 and 307. A bit more dramatic to show how different they really are, or say something about why/how she fell in love with him or why she decided to stop clearing her mind. I look forward to reading more of your stories