I am in the waiting room of The Secrets HQ.  The room is shaped like a square. There are other chairs around me like the one I am sitting on.  The chairs are green and empty. There is one other boy. And a woman behind the desk. 

The boy is sitting on the chair and looking at me.  His hazel ominous eyes are like darts coming towards me.  I look back at him.

“Good Luck,” he says.

“Thanks,” I say back in a nervous tone.  

“Tim,” the woman calls behind the front desk.  “Come with me.” My heart starts pounding out of my chest.

A day before that  I woke up in my blue bedroom.   I got up and put my underwear on, I knew this might be the last day I see my family.  I mean it was my choice if I would see my family or not. I put on my socks.  And I was thinking about this question. I’m 13 and I get to ask one question to The Secrets Machine.  I don’t know what I will ask.  I put on my pants. These pants were black like how I imagined the room where The Secret Machine is housed.  I’m not sure if I should leave or stay.  After I ask my question the machine will answer honestly. Then I could stay in this society and not tell anyone about what I asked and the answer to that question.  Or I could leave and be free to tell anyone what I asked and what the answer to that question was. I put on my red shirt and thought. But I don’t know what I am walking into and where I am going.

 I went downstairs and I saw my Mom and Dad sitting at the round wooden kitchen table.  I saw my Mom’s pale blue eyes.  I saw my Dad’s black hair. I sat down at the round table and everyone was quiet.  Until….

“So how was your night,” Mom asked.

“It was good I guess,” I was still tired from the long night before.

 “You know that before you go in there, no one can know what you're going to ask,”  my mom noted.

“Yes I know”

“You know that me and your mom stayed right, isn't that what you want to do, right?” my dad questions.

“Yeah, I guess,” I moaned.

“But this is your decision, but I know you know the right one.”

“Whatever your decision is, we will love you.”

Around lunchtime that day

I went to lunch with my friend Mark.  I wanted to see Mark because I wanted to consult a friend before I asked this question.  Mark is 14 and he decided to stay in the society.  He told me all the time that The Secret Machine is very smart and not to fool it in any way.  The first thing I noticed as usual is his hazelnut type of hair.  He sat down. I waved hi to him and I sat down. My mind was still on what I should ask tomorrow? And what I should do.  I ordered a pizza for the both of us.

Mark asked 

“So what will you do Tim?”

“Don’t know.” 

“Bro you really don’t know what you are going to ask and what you're going to do,” he pleaded. 

“No,”  I responded.

It feels like some ominous entity was watching over our conversation like how someone looks at the little tunnels bugs dig. “So Mark, what is it like talking to the Secrets Machine?”

     “Well, it's like talking to a person I guess, I can’t tell you much more or we'll both be arrested, you know that right Tim,”

Mark then noted. “You know that the majority of people stay, you know that's what they say.”

“Yeah, I know.” I am annoyed.

“You are lucky to be living here; they provide everything for us.”

“Yes but…”  I started to say something then Mark cut me off.

“No buts about them, now eat your damn pizza.” He moans.  “You know Tim, they are always watching us, they are always looking, they even know everything.”

The next day the day of the question

I woke up.  I had a very, very bad dream.  The dream was about the decision.  I was in the room and I did not know what to say.  It was like the walls were shrinking on me.  And just when I was about to ask my question I woke up.  I got dressed and brushed my teeth then I went to breakfast. This might be my last breakfast.  I sat down. At breakfast, there was no talking.  When we were done my dad said.

“Let's go.” 

We got into the car I watched as we drove away from the first 13 years of my life.  I saw in my mind friends playing trivia with me. Me being sad when we lost. And me being happy when we won. All the houses looked the same to me.  But when I was a kid they used to look different. 

Before I knew it we were there at The Secrets HQ.  

“It’s you from here son.” My dad put his head down.

I gave my parents a hug.  And then I walked out of the car and they then drove off.

     I looked down the long winding path to the Secrets HQ.  It started to rain outside right when I started walking.  I opened the door to the building.  

There was a boy sitting down, his hazel eyes popped out at me like darts right when I walked in there.  

There is a woman standing behind the front desk too.  

“Welcome,” she says, “take a seat, we will be right with you.”

A little later

I start walking with the woman.  She leads me into a big dark room.  She directs me to stand in the center of this big dark room.  She then quickly leaves. Before I know it a thing that looks to be a camera comes out of the wall.

Then…

A loudspeaker turns on.

“Hello Tim,  I am the Secrets Machine,”  the Secrets Machine robotic voice is like a mettle sound. 

“Hello,” my heart starts whimpering and beating.

“You seem so nervous, why?”

“I don’t know, it's just a big decision,” I am stuttering

“Yes I know Tim, What would you like to ask me?”

Then I ask...

“What happened to the world?”