This is not a test

This is your emergency broadcasting system amnouncing the commencement of the Annual purge sanctioned by the U.S government

Weapons of class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during The Purge. All other weapons are restricted

Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the purge and shall not be harmed

Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder will be legal for 12 continuous hours

Police, fire, and Emergency medical services will be available until tomorrow morning at 7am when The Purge concludes.

Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America a nation reborn

May God be with you all

The emergency alert on her phone was like a slap in the face, a cruel reminder of the senseless tradition that had haunted their country for years.

She sat on the creaky cabin steps, the chill of the night air seeping into her bones, but it was nothing compared to the burning hatred that simmered in her heart.

The words scrolled across the screen in ominous red letters

Why did they have to condone this annual bloodbath?

She thought back to all the friends she'd lost, all the family members who'd been taken from her. And for what? So that the government could pretend that they were maintaining order? So that the wealthy could feel safe in their gated communities?

She glanced up at you, hearing your boots creak underneath the wooden floorboards as you joined her outside, wondering what you were thinking. Did you feel the same way she did? Did you hate this tradition as much as she did? You had never really talked about it, not in depth. She knew you didn't like it, but she didn't know if you felt the same level of rage that she did.