Writing prompt for 10/11 (yeah, I know)
quarantine

The Wall
by pyrostinger

Revan hated the wall.  He didn't know exactly why he did, but he just did.  The big, basalt slab stood, imposing, effectively blocking off an entire quarter of the city.  Revan's family was one of the unlucky ones who lived near it, and saw it everyday.  Coincidentally, his was one of the poorer families in Handre City.  

Out of some kind of perverse curiosity the rat stood before the wall once again, near one of the gates.  Way at the top, he could see the huge swath of barbed wire, further deterring anybody from getting out or getting in.  There were guards posted at the top of the wall.  Brave furs they were.  Or at least, so the advertisements would say.  Protecting all of fur kind from the destructive rabble that lived within the walls.  Sign up today! they further proclaimed.  No experience necessary!  Lacking a job and needing income, Revan did.  

"First day, huh?" said somebody to his left, jolting the rat out of his malevolent reverie.  He looked over, seeing a grizzled wolf grinning at him.  "Don't worry kid.  Eventually, the Wall won't seem so imposing.  You'll get used to it."  And he slapped the rat across the shoulders in a friendly fashion, pulling him over toward the "employee only" elevator.  

"Good thing you got signed up when you did, kid," the wolf continued.  He talked in an easy fashion, wearing the black uniform that denoted he was a guard, his cap currently tucked under an arm.  "There wasn't always these elevators, heh.  Time was when you had to climb up the stairs by yourself.  Finally, the government recognized the need and efficiency of having an elevator system, and installed 'em all around!"

Revan let the wolf, who later introduced himself as Yale Norman* ramble on as the elevator crossed the 10 story distance upward.  Even though the elevator had no glass, the rat could still feel the upward movement, the air getting thinner.  He took a breath.

"Nervous?" asked the ever grinning Yale.  As part of his emotions could be attributed to apprehension of a new job, Revan nodded.  Yale chuckled, again slapping the rat across the shoulders.  "Don't you worry about a thing.  Like I said, the Wall's simply a barrier, and a good one,   You don't need to worry about anything."

After giving him a little rub, the wolf continued in a more somber tone.  "Yanno, time was when they had us back there, behind the Wall. Can you believe that?"  Frowning, Revan shook his head slowly.  Yale smirked, nodding. "Before your time kit.  They had us back there before the Reclamation, about 20 years ago.  You were, what, just born then?  Hah... I know I was with my fair share of females when the Reclamation happened.  When we finally got over that Wall and we showed 'em whose boss, hah?  That was a happy day.. that was a crazy day.  So many people died... and now the animals, the TRUE animals are imprisoned behind the very thing they tried to keep us behind.  How d'ya like that, eh?"

With a disturbingly charming 'ding', the doors opened.  Revan realized that not only were they on top of the wall, but the doors had opened to show them the battlements and the other side of it.  The rat followed the wolf out of the doors before the wolf grinned to him.  "Wanna see 'em?"

Revan wasn't quite sure what was so scandalous; the wolf had dropped his voice.  Before he could make a response, Yale dragged him across the open air to an opening in the battlements, where an unmanned observational post stood.  "Go on, kit, take a look!" said Yale, pushing him toward the post.  Blinking, Revan gave Yale a confused look before entering the post and looking through the binoculars.  

He could see the humans milling about, some fighting with each other, but all mostly just trying to live.  Off to the side, he saw food being tossed from one of the dispensers, the humans immediately fighting over the scraps.  There were cries of pain and anguish so loud, they could hear it from where they stood.  The Wall stretched for miles in both directions, and behind it, the humans lived in their hovels.  

"Ain't that somethin'?" Yale piped up.  "And now your job is to make sure those filthy animals don't cross over and infect us with themselves.  Makes ya feel proud, huh?"

Revan didn't know what he felt.

"C'mon, I'll show ya to orientation," Yale said, leading the rat away from the horrible sight.