- Short story by Jonathan Miller
The following story was a runner-up in Writing Magazine's Take It From the Top contest last year. The first line of Jonathan's piece "124 was spiteful." was taken from the top of Toni Morrison's Beloved.
124 was spiteful. 132 had big ears. 111 picked his nose. 117 couldn't count very well. 128 drooled. 113 couldn't remember his number. 130 bragged too much about his ability to read Dr. Seuss. And 131 kept a secret.
It had just been one year since they stopped giving people names. No need, they said. Better organized then frivolously creative. This year's first grade class had no need to make the transition since they had given everybody numbers in their kindergarten years. Although the government was said to have been looking for an excuse to help standardize everybody, the court case, which brought it on, involved a simple parental fight over the naming of a child. From seven hours before the child was born until he was sixteen years old, they absolutely could not decide on a name for baby "X." Finally, a lawsuit was filed against them for not naming their son, which went to the supreme court. There, it was decided there would be no more names, just numbers.
At first it had been fun calling each by "number 116" or "number 135," but it became tiresome and stressful when the children would slip up and say "hi Jonas!" instead of "hi number 122!" An offense like that would require the loss of recess.
It was a dismal afternoon when the class drudged outside to pretend they were accomplishing physical exercise while enjoyment was felt.
"I hate words" said number 111 through his nostril-bound finger.
"Yeah? Well you know what I hate? You know what? I hate the evil one." Shouted number 124.
"Don’t we all, number 124? We have to hate the evil one."
"We don't have to hate him. We want to."
"What would happen if we didn’t want to?"
"He would talk us straight. That wouldn’t be good at all."
"So we have to hate the evil one then!"
"Whatever, forget it."
"Did you all hear? Did you all hear? The state is letting me get a new brother!" Number 113 came running up shouting to the other children. "They approved our request this morning! Isn't the state wonderful?"
"Oh yes. The state is wonderful." All the children repeated in a monotonous voice just as they did every morning.
"Ya'll are so wacked!" number 131 blurted out, the only one who had not repeated along.
"Ooooo…."
"Teacher number 1034! Number 131 dissented against the state! Violation of code 654 section 2! Execute him for treason, please!"
"Now, now, number 124, I’m sure that 131 didn’t actually say that." The Teacher came walking over briskly, her mind focused forward on nothingness. "We have a number of other children who have not yet testified."
"I heard him say ya'll are so wacked when we repeated the great state codes."
"Yeah, me too."
"Four testimonies is enough. Number 131, please come with me." She grabbed his hand firmly, and he obeyed. The other children giggled nervously, and those who had not testified missed their friend already. But they dared not say it.
The teacher yanked again at Number 131's hand. He went inside with her, and she drew a serrated ruler from her desk. She approached him slowly with the pointy object as he trembled in fear. Then she took a bar of some dark substance from her pocket and used the ruler to cut it in half. She offered him a bite. It tasted sweet, and he liked it instantly.
"Don’t stop asking questions, Julius. But remember to keep this hush-hush until you’re older."
Remember Me