Heavy rain pounded on the tin roof of a small house, it always seemed to rain in Melancholy Heights; there was also no sun as if it had been stolen from the sky. All the windows were boarded up, in fact, every house in the whole town was boarded up. Each entry or exit point was padlocked from the inside and the key was kept in the safest place possible. No one ever dared to even try and leave their homes. They didn't know why but the fact their houses had to be blocked off at every point of entry was enough to keep people in line. Everyone except Pine Longwood.
 Pine was a rebellious 17-year-old girl born and raised in her trailer the town had provided to her family when they moved here. You see, once you moved here there was no leaving. You were marked, not physically but noted by the towns council. They knew everything about everyone. Pine, however, didn't care for the rules of the town. And she constantly tried to find where the key was hidden, it with no luck.
 Pine stared at her reflection in the mirror with a bored gaze. Her almond-shaped eyes that had a pitch-black iris and pupil, her lightly tanned skin had blemishes and bumps; her short bobbed hair cut and bangs. Her bored expression turned into one of disgust as her plump, pouty lips mimicked a scowl, as well as her button nose crinkled up. The doorbell rung out loudly through the quiet house.
It was the weekly groceries. Her tall skinny body made its way through the house to their package slot in their wall next to the door. It unlatched and opened, she took her chance and looked out but a man's body blocked the way as a large box was slid through. Her family order on Saturdays and it always comes in on Monday's. This time she managed to slip pink hair dye into the list. She beamed happily as she took the box, giving a soft thanks as the hatch locked itself back up. She takes the dye and runs to the bathroom as she slides the rest of it on the table.
She locks her bathroom door and prepared the dye. After she mixed everything she starts dying her hair with excitement. She sits in silence and lets it cure in her hair. After waiting the suggested time she slipped her head under the bath faucet and washes her hair, watching as the pink dye flows into the tub and down the drain. She then blowdries her short hair, she looks in the mirror, seeing her now pink puffy hair. Her eyes widen with joy as she cleans up her mess and goes to her room. She sits at her desk and turns on her computer monitor and blue tooth keyboard.
The blue screen lit up as her A.I. teacher began to speak, she listened and took notes as she listened to the robotic voice...it was strange, she almost sounded real. Her schooling started every day at 10 AM and ended at 3 PM. She didn't have anything better to do so she did the work as instructed. A knock on her door grabs her attention, she pauses the recorded session and looks to her door "Come in" she said softly. Her older brother, Leon, walked in with a plate of food. He smiled and shook his head and put a plate of food down for her.
"If mom weren't sick shed kill you" he jokes and smiles "it looks nice Pine"
She giggled softly "thank you, so when is your relationship ceremony?"
A relationship ceremony is where, once you turn 20, you get paired with someone of the opposite gender; unless your homosexual that is when they pair you with the same gender. You get paired with someone with similar skills. For example, Leon is a good cook and very logical.
He smiled at her "this weekend, they'll be bringing her here and performing the ceremony, " he gloated. He hugs his sister and leaves the room, closing her door. Pine may hate it here but she looked up to her older brother. She continued her studies with a content smile.
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