Journal Entry 4 (Shay)

            Finally after several days of traveling I arrived late at night to the fiery city. I felt so safe and calm as soon as I saw the blazing in the distance. This felt like home. I am really tired from that fake pretty world where no one cares about anyone. Here in the Smoke  people actually understand you and share the same anger towards the government. These Pretties are just trying to make us all feel bad about ourselves so we look up to them and worship them. This operation is just one big joke to me. When you get pretty you simply blend in with everyone else. Who are you!? Even when you get to the city you just are told to have fun. What kind of fun is that!? My life right now is fulfilled and I feel content. I would choose any day to be myself and to be free then to be some fake pretty and to have no self thoughts. I value freedom, of speech, of identity, because it defines you as a person. Your thoughts and attitude make YOU, not your appearance. The fact that few people understand  this  really torments me! What does your appearance have to do with who you are?! I dream it was like the days long ago when people were treated for who they really were and what  lays inside of them, instead of how their face looks.

        I wish I am free and safe here in the Smoke. Everybody is so nice and calm. No one is pressuring you to make choices or to feel bad about yourself. The sense of real freedom is tangible. The burden  of not being yourself and  feeling bad is what I wanted to get away from. Oh, Tally!... Tally can do whatever she likes. I am not the boss of her and if she wants to become pretty and throw her own life in the drain, that is fine with me. I still have hope she will realize that this pretty, fun city has a very mean and dark side.

       The government wants all the power it can get, meanwhile limiting the knowledge of all its citizens. This is so wrong! Such greed for power is just destroying our world in general. When you get it all, what difference does it make when your entire city is dumb and clueless. I tried to escape this horrible society as fast as I can. In the Smoke I feel safe for the moment and everyone understands me. For once, I feel happy.