My name is Hailee, and I am 14.5 years old. I won’t write down my last name just in case this is found by someone in the regime, but I know there are a ton of hailee’s in this sector so good luck trying to figure it out. I’ve never journaled before, I actually hate writing with a passion. But I can’t freaking hold it in any longer! I have to tell someone, anyone. I can’t tell my brother (NoName in case someone finds this) because then he’ll know, and he could be hurt for knowing, too. He’ll be hurt in a different way if he ever finds out I kept it from him because we don’t keep secrets - EVER! But hopefully he’ll understand.

Today ended like any other day. The school bell rang at 3:15 exactly and I biked my normal route home. I passed Tony and jasper playing basketball in the driveway, and Martha watering her garden. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

I pulled into the driveway and locked my bike at the front porch railing. I had trouble finding my key, so I had to use the one under the mat. That reminds me, I need to put it back…

Anyways!! I finally get inside and go to the fridge to grab some Gatorade, but I noticed there were none in there. Dad always saves up coupons to buy them in bulk, so I knew we had to have some hidden away in the basement to keep them out of the way. Dad hates a packed fridge, but when will he understand that my brothers are the ones taking up so much room for their “overnight oats” and “protein shakes” EW!

So I run downstairs and I can’t find them in any of the cabinets. I look everywhere, in every nook and cranny, right before I am thiiis close to giving up, I decide to check the room under the stairs. Dad never wants us to go in there because he says there’s black mold or something, but at this point I would do anything for a Cool Blue.

It’s really dark in the room without a light, so I’m feeling around the shelves like a blind mouse when I run my hands along something cool and flat, like metal. I pick it up and it’s so thin, like a piece of paper, and unexpectedly light. I expect it to be a stop sign one of my brothers stole and got grounded for because he couldn’t stop bragging.

I take it into the light of the basement and when I tell you my jaw DROPPED, I’m surprised it’s still attached to my face. It’s a laptop!!!!

I quickly drop it like it’s on fire, and it lands on a pile of dirty laundry next to me. I blink and rub my eyes, expecting this to be a mistake. It has to be… any electrical device that can connect to the internet is strictly banned. But no matter how many times I blink, no matter how many eye rubs, the laptop doesn’t change to something more legal.

My heart starts beating fast and I’m overcome with panic. There’s no way my brothers could have gotten one, they have no money and these things go for hundreds of thousands of yallens on the black market. Unless they stole it, but honestly I don’t think they could have done something that big without bragging. Which leaves… dad

The more I think about it, it has to be him. He said before the governmental consolidation, he worked in the “tech industry” whatever that was. I guess he probably built these or something, but I never cared enough to ask. Why didn’t I ask!!

I’m not sure what to do now. The first thing they teach you at school is to report banned artifacts, or else your whole family will end up executed and it’s your fault. But what would happen to my dad if I reported it? What would happen to us?

I tried acting normal at dinner, or so I thought, but my dad could tell something was off. I’m just so angry at him. How could he do this to us, after what mom sacrificed so many years ago in the governmental consolidation to keep us safe and alive! He’s choosing to risk it all, to risk our lives, and for what?

I ran upstairs after dinner to write this because I feel like I’ll explode if I don’t get it out. I don’t know if I can act normal around him, or anyone, again. Maybe I’ll confront him and he’ll have an explanation. Maybe I’ll report it, to keep my brothers safe like my mom did. Maybe that’s what she would want. Or would she want to protect my dad? I hate this so much. I’ll sleep on it and decide what to do tomorrow.