Day 446 since the rebellion was crushed and martial law descended upon Philadelphia by The Supreme Leader, now in his 14th year as president. The stench from the garbage is particularly pungent today as the horse meat factory is working 24 hour shifts to meet the demands for fresh meat. I peek through the curtain of my window as Sara caresses Cathy’s forehead. Her temperature has spiked again….there’s no chance of any medical attention today, though, as this is Tuesday, a Red Day. Our building is Green and must wait until Thursday to seek medical treatment. Cathy coughs and vomits again so Sara rushes her to the toilet. I clean the sand dust from my eye and briefly yawn as I realize the smog isn’t so severe today….I can see a bit past the city wall beyond the Delaware River….even some of Camden….for a moment I remind myself that only a few years ago, perhaps it was 2027?….there was no wall around Philadelphia and citizens could travel freely from county to county. It’s now been 6 years since I tiptoed across the toxic sand and trash laden Jersey Shore….I hope Elizabeth is safe in Stone Harbor….the ocean has engulfed so much of her neighborhood and I haven’t been able to afford a smart phone for so long….no, it looks like today might be a good day to sleep a bit more and hope that the streets do not erupt into artillery fire tonight…I pine for a good night’s sleep and constantly pray for a respite.