A TOUGH DECISION (Fiction)

It's year 2200 and I decided to send this article to the past for people to be prepared for what's ahead. So whatever year you are reading from, the time will come when you will need to make one of the toughest decisions in your life.

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The news about choosing between music and movies started as a joke but things took a different turn when it was announced on TV that there would be a vote which would restrict every user to either seeing movies or listening to music for the rest of their lives.

You might be wondering how that's possible but it is. Here, we have a chip in our head that sends feedback on every activity we do, I don't know how the world arrived here but it's uncomfortable not having any form of privacy.

I grumbled while listening to the news and hoped it wouldn't happen because it would affect a lot of people most especially the youth.

"Why on earth would the government want such?" I asked my sibling who was crying already. He is a fan of Korean series and music also serves as food for his soul. I tried comforting him but deep down, I was broken as well.

I reached out to my friends and we shared a common feeling about the government's newest madness. We have been forced to make decisions in the past but not as difficult as this. The world is choked and we barely have the space for fun activities, it's sad to see that the only form of entertainment we had was about to be split into two.

A lot of people thought it would be best to protest but that might not end well. The majority of those who protested the last time were taken away and we never heard from them anymore.

I woke up the next day to see a countdown to the voting day on every TV station. It made me pissed and I couldn't watch the TV throughout the day because of the fear the countdown had brought to my mind.

At first, I thought about finding a way to get the silly chip out of my head but it's in a delicate spot where I could lose my life if anything went wrong. After running out of ideas, I gave up trying to do anything about the situation.

A few days before voting day, I became ill not because I had a pending illness but because the thought of what life would look like for me after choosing between movie or music messed up my health. I didn't bother going for treatment as instructed by my parents because they didn't know what was going on in my head.

Twenty-four hours before the voting day, a lot of people threatened not to step out that day and immediately, the government announced that the chip in the head of people who don't comply will be fried which will automatically end their lives. An upgrade on chips will be made at the voting centers which is a must for everyone.

Life is difficult but none of us was ready to die so we ran out of options. The big day came and the military presence in the country grew stronger than usual.

As early as 7 a.m., people began to troop out in large numbers to vote but it wasn't the same for me and my sibling. We laid on our beds and thought about what our lives would look like after the voting exercise. I spent a few hours watching one of my favourite movies titled "Marry Me", I wished I could see another one but I didn't have enough time.

We waited till evening and ended up joining the vote exercise, I wept bitterly but only a few people could tell why.

Although I do not see movies often but it's one of the things I enjoy doing while resting. I can't imagine not seeing my favourite actors and actresses anymore, there are movies I love to watch over and over again, but it would mean I can't see them anymore.

Music is part of my life as I derive lots of motivation from it. It helps my soul during my bad days and letting it go is really difficult. As it stands, no form of entertainment would replace music and when it was time to vote, I had to choose music.

Immediately after the vote, my chip was upgraded and life continued for me. I only listen to music and even though I feel tempted to see a movie, the fear of losing my life wouldn't make me do so.

Not just me but everyone here will be stuck with either seeing only movies or listening to music for the rest of their lives. The same fate awaits the coming generation and it would be best if you could warn them to never allow these chips when the time comes.