The 504 Squad

     I did nothing wrong. None of us did. It was just our bad luck. We did nothing to deserve this imprisonment. It is cold in this cell and I’m hungry and thirsty. I don’t know what time it is, no one does. It could be night or it could be morning. I’m writing on the only piece of paper I have that I tore from a book. I want people to know what it is like in this place and that the other kids and I did nothing wrong. Please, whoever finds this, know that I did nothing wrong and share my story and the others to the future generation. I beg of you so you can justify us. So that the future will never again, do this to their children.

Prisoner: 1319 J
Male
D.O. B: September 18th 2084 (11 years and 6 months)



     I got on the bus with the other children who were gathered to be taken away. My parents did not show up. They did not even say good-bye. They saw me as a disgrace, as every child on this bus was seen. We sat down in our seats quietly and no one said a word. I looked at the other kids faces and none of them gave any expression except for sadness, guilt, and some seemed lifeless.
We were on the highway for about two hours and there were no other vehicles on the road. There was nothing except trees, trees, and more trees. Were in the middle of nowhere, until we heard an explosion! The bus stopped and some kids fell out of there seats. We saw a fire started in the distance in the woods. Then in front of us, five black cars were rushing towards us. The bus driver grabbed his gun and aimed it at the cars.
     Everyone on the bus sat still, not knowing what to do. I looked from the kids to the bus driver, then from the bus driver to the cars, and then back at the kids. Before he could shoot, the cars surrounded the bus. I got low to the ground, thinking that whoever were in those cars were going to kill all of us. Before I knew it, I heard footsteps get out of the cars and bus driver shooting. But then the shots stopped and everything was silent. Some of the kids and I picked up our heads to look over the seats, to see who got on the bus.
     The people who got on the bus had army pants on along with black shirts. They had guns in their hands and knives on their belts. They cover their heads so the only thing you could see where their eyes. They wore dark brown vests that I could only guess held more weapons and bullets.
“Do not be afraid!” I heard one of them say. The person took of his mask; no SHE took off her mask! She had long black hair and dark skin. She stood straight with confidence and stared at all of us in the eyes.
“We are the 504 squad! You have a choice. You can come with us and be safe or stay here and hope for the best. If you stay, you might just continue on your way to the reform school. So, who wants to come with us?” I stood stiff with the other kids, not knowing what was going on. Then a girl, a bit older than me got up and slowly walked to the front and then another kid stood then another and before anyone knew it, we all got up.
“We’re going to need a lot more cars,” I heard one of them say to the girl.

     I sat in the back of the car with a boy about my age and a girl who seemed to be no older than ten. The girl who seemed to be in charge sat in the passenger seat. We were all quiet until the girl spoke.
“I’m hungry,” she said.
“We’re we are going. You will able to eat and drink whatever you want,” said the girl who never put her mask back on. The car made a sharp turn onto an unknown road that went into the woods. After sitting in the car that felt like for hours, we arrived at a gate. A guard who wore the same uniform saw the girl’s face and opened the gate. The car drove through the gate to the edge of a cliff.
“Get out,” the girl said and the three of us got out. The kids in the other cars also got out with their drivers. We walked to the edge of the cliff and at the bottom of what seemed to be a valley was a town!
We saw cabin after cabin and one huge cabin. We saw kids and some adults walking around and socializing. The kids looked happy and in the distance I saw a group of kids playing kick ball. I’ve heard about the game before the government banned it.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“Home,” said the girl.

“Liam! Can you do this math equation?” asked my teacher, Mr. Huber. I got up and walked to the black board and did the steps to the equation.
“Is the answer two?” I asked him. Mr. Huber gave a big smile and nodded, and then I returned to my desk. After reviewing a few math problems, Mr. Huber returned our last week exam. I was proud that I received an A on my exam and then the bell rang. We all got up and headed to our next class.
I was at the place called Pascack Valley for about three months. The teachers were the kindness adults I ever met. They were better then my teachers in the real world where all they did was beat me and said how terrible I was. Because of these teachers I became skilled in math and science, along with improving my reading comprehension skill. After school, some of the other boys and I went to the field to play kick ball. I fell in love with the game and I was a fast runner! No one could get me out when I tried to sill a base.
     As I was on my way to the field, a few of the soldiers walked by, heading to the saloon to get something to drink. The group that saved us belonged to an organization called the 504 Squad. The 504 Squad saved kids like me who were being sent to a Reform School. A place where kids were prisoners and they were treated wore there then they were in the outside world. Everyone who worked for the 504 Squad, including the teachers (who weren’t soldiers) went against the government, to show them that there is a better way to help students who were learning disabled. Shortly after I arrived at Pascack Valley, I knew that I wanted to help and I would sign up on my thirteenth birthday.
     My thirteenth birthday came quickly then I expected. After school ended I went to the HQ that was located on the top of the main building to sign up. I walked in and sent to the office of admissions. There, I saw her again. The girl who rescued us from the bus a year ago.
“You want to join our cause?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Are you sure? You’ll become an enemy of the country. You understand what you are fighting for?”
“The right for children who are learning disabled. To fight for the help they need in the school system weather that is extra time, a reader, or computers, and more. I am willing to fight for that cause.”
“You’ll have to attend a week long course before you can fully decide. The course will give you a better understanding of what we do. If you wish, you can wait a while or change your mind about joining our army. Some children here grow up to help our town or start their own families and become parents. Even the teachers here are not soldiers. After the week long program, return here if you still want to join,”
     After taking the weeklong program with eight other kids who were between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight, I knew I wanted to help. I did not want to become a teacher, or a shop owner, or anything else. I wanted to fight for kids like me. I returned to the office and she was there. She handed me the forms and I signed them.
“You sign up now, but whenever you feel like it, you can withdraw from our army. Please state your name,”
“Liam,” She stared at me and stamped my papers.
“Liam, you are still not soldier. However, you are accepted into our army. First you must go through a yearlong training camp to be familiar with weapons, first aid, and so on. You will need this paper to be signed by your instructor,”
“And who’s that?”
“Me. Welcome, I’m your instructor. Aimee D,”

     Instructor Aimee D was tough but always told us we could do anything. She taught me how to shoot a gun, fight, and hide in the woods. During my training, I started to look up to Aimee D. She was a skilled fighter and strong, yet enthusiastic at the same time. During our break time, I often caught her jumping from tree to tree like a monkey. She said it was her favorite pass time, even when she was a little girl.
     After 6 months of training, we had a test to survive in the woods for a week. Our test of survival was supposed to build up our teamwork. We discovered our skills and each person participated for us to survive. My skill was in hunting; I caught squirrels, rabbits, deer, and more. We were all happy by the end of the week to see that we passed and that our time together in the woods helped us create a bond between each other. We became close and saw one another as a brother or a sister instead of a stranger.
     After training under Aimee D for a year, the time came for me to receive my uniform and certificate of being a member of the 504 Squad. At the ceremony, Aimee D, other instructors, and the man in charge of the District 2 branch shook my hand and congratulated me. At the ceremony, including me, seventy trainees passed and became members of the 504 Squad.
“Congratulations,” Aimee D told my group. Just before I was about to leave to celebrate with the others by drinking soda and eating ice cream and cookies, Aimee D stopped me.
“Master?” I asked her.
“I’m no longer your master. You can call me Aimee D now. But the reason why I stopped you was because you and sixteen other soldiers have to go out tomorrow. This is your first mission. Good luck, Liam,”

     We waited for the signal. I was partner with a boy named Phil who was twenty and in the 504 Squad for five years.
“First mission?” He asked.
“Yeah,”
“Don’t worry. This isn’t a huge mission. Just saving a couple of kids on their way to a Reform School. This is one of those regular missions,” When he finished saying that last line, the explosion went off. The bus halted along with the two police cars next to it. The police officers got out with their weapons ready. The cars came out of the woods and drove straight towards the bus and the officers.
“Now!” yelled the commander over the radio. The cars stopped to a halt and we all quickly got out and started firing.
“Go!” yelled a voice and five kids and I snuck up to the bus. We got on and knocked out the bus driver. An officer ran at us and someone shot him in the chest. He fell dead.
“Don’t worry kids. We’re here to help you,” said one of the soldiers. I looked at each kid in the face and saw the looks of fear and worry on their faces. They did not understand what was going on. Just like what happened to me two years ago.
     The soldier made his speech that we were they to get them to safety and that they could stay if they wanted. Before he could finish his speech, all the kids got up to get out of the bus and join us for their freedom. The firing was still going on and two cars drove near the bus to get a few of the kids inside as quickly as possible. When the last group was about to get into the car I heard a scream.
     I turned around to see a boy running towards us and an officer was about to grabbed him. I ran towards him but the officer got to him first. The kid fought hard to get the officer to let go of him but he was too small and too weak. The officer was about to put him in the police car, when I took out my knife and started a fight with the officer. While fighting, I was able to unlock the door and get the kid out.
“Go! Get into one of those cars!” I told the kid, pointing at the black cars. They were waiting for him. The kid started to run but I continued fighting with the officer. He was too strong to defeat by myself. I knew that to get the group to safety, I would have to hold him off.
“Go without me!” I yelled towards the cars. Nothing happened. I yelled again. This time, they knew they could not help. If they were to help, the kids would be in danger. The cars turned around and headed towards Pascack Valley. When the last car was just turning around I heard someone yell my name. I only got a glimpse, but the boy I save, I recognized him.
     Ian! It was my younger brother Ian! I didn’t recognize him because he grew so much. The car drove away, but I was pleased to know that my brother was safe. When the car was out of site, I raised my hands and surrendered myself.
     When I surrender, the officers took me to a Reform School. I tried many attempts to escape but when I realized I was selfish by escaping alone, I changed my plan and tried to get as many students out as possible. The Reform Schools were harsh and cruel but I was proud to be able to get a few kids out each year. In the end, I remained in the Reform School until the country saw me as an adult. When I turned eighteen, they sent me to a lab where they experimented on my brain. The procedures were painful and there was no way to escape, I’ve tried many times, but failed.

     In the year of 3050, the government was under a new leader. The leader himself had a reading and math disability but because he was rich, his parents were able to hire special tutors and kept his disability a secret. This new leader got rid of the Reform Schools across the country. Even the children who were sent to labs on their eighteenth birthdays were free. When I got out, I was forty years old and when I smelled the fresh air I cried. The war, the pain, the suffering, was finally over and I could only pray that nothing like that would ever happen again to any child or anyone who has a disability because we are people too.


Everyone is special in their own unique way