Heidi set the groceries down on the dining table, bread, meat vegetables and fruit. Her little brother, Adolf, was getting ready for his Fascist Youth meeting. That was strange, the meetings were usually on Work Day 3, not Market Day. She brushed his hair out of his eyes, “Adie, vas is das? Another meeting?” He nodded, his eyes bright and his cheeks pink.

“Ja. We have three a week now. Absence means disloyalty!” He grabbed a fresh apple from the paper bag on the table and began crunching away. Heidi laughed and turned to put the food away. Life was good now, since the Third War ended in 1965. There were far fewer attacks, and the police had eased in their vigilance. There were fewer criminals in the streets they had all been traitors who were loyal to the Capitalist Union, so they were exterminated. The Jews had been sent out of what was once Europe, except for use in hard labor, or in very supervised desk jobs.

She tucked a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear and smiled. Yes, life was good.