The American flag in Ms. Margaret Kellar’s office was much larger than required. It spanned nearly the entire wall behind her overstuffed chair, looming over the monstrous desk like giant red-and-white-striped prison bars. She decorated so that all might know how powerful a woman she was, as if her appointed title of School Czar didn’t suggest enough.

“July 27, 2019,” she barked. Everything she said seemed like a command. “We have one month before schools open. Are we prepared for another Westfield incident?”

“Yes mistress, we’ve retooled our curriculum.” Marcie was the only person decent at masking her fear of the woman, and so served as her second-in-command.

“The greatest needs of this nation are order, obedience, and productive labor. Failure to instill these principles in every student will be considered a failure to your country. Understood?”

“Yes, mistress.”

“Tell me, what have you arranged to suppress upstart individuals like little Roger Westfield, should we face another rebellion this year?”