Census

“What the hell are you doing?” Dan's voice was accusatory as he watched Sally quickly put down her pen.
“I'm filling it out. Why?” she said weakly.
“The Senseless? Have you lost your ever-lovin' mind? I told you about that” he said. "That's how they track you.” He was less angry than she expected, more disappointed.
“Oh. I guess I forgot. Sorry.”

Sally had been a bit of a project. It wasn't that she fought his ideas, or didn't recognize the truth of them. She just didn't have the suspicious nose. She needed to have it shown to her, sometimes repeatedly. She was beautiful and meant well, so he could always find a way to forgive her.

Some of her weird city friends thought she was too young for him. Those idiots. Slaves, he thought. How could they possibly understand?

Sally moved towards the trash can, and reached out to drop the form.

“Stop!”, Dan yelled.

She came to a halt and gasped as she put her right hand over her chest.

“But I thought you said-”

“Fireplace!” Dan barked. “You ever heard of DNA? Fingerprints?”

“Oh. I hadn't thought of that.” she said.

Dan sighed heavily and collected himself. “I'm sorry I yelled at ya. It's just frustrating sometimes is all.” Sally nodded..

Sally approached the fireplace on the other side of the living room. She pulled back the screen and tossed in the form. She picked the Atlanta Falcons Bic cigarette lighter from the plastic ashtray on the mantle. She knelt down and lit it up, reaching into the fireplace.
She stood back and watched the flame turn blue then orange. The form disappeared to ash.

Dan crossed the room, lifted a single slat on the blinds and peered out across the untended yard.