Its a dark, gloomy night. I can’t see anyone as I am pushing the wheels forward on my wheelchair to move. I saw a figure come out of the darkness out of nowhere and started walking towards me. Closer and closer he came. And then I started to make out his rounded hat and his long coat that he was wearing. And then I realised that he was a detective.

Was I compromised? Do they know what I and Vincent have been getting up to? I panicked. As his hand slowly went into his inside pocket I was worried about what he was about to bring out. It was a DNA checker. The man said “finger please”. I put my finger into the device and a little spike took a small droop of blood from my finger. The screen showed JEROME MARROW and showed I was a navigator. The man said “You’re a navigator, at Gattica?” I replied “well that’s what it says doesn’t it?” I just wanted him to leave before anything got suspicious and I would have to improvise, I’ve always been a bad liar. The man said “it doesn’t say you’re crippled” I felt discriminated and angry. I thought to myself, why couldn’t a cripple be a navigator? Just because I’m different doesn’t mean it should restrict me from the thingsNormalpeople do?… ………………………..20 YEARS AGO ……………. …………….

I was walking to the swimming pool in my new pair of swimming trunks that my and goggles that my dad bought me. I was scared that mum and dad were not going to show up to watch me in the race. I scanned the crowd of parents waving at there children and shouting good luck to see if my parents where there. And then I saw there faces in the crowd. My mum and dad waved, and I waved back. The referee came over to me and said “its time to start the race” I walked over to the edge of the pool and was ready to start. I saw the other boy’s line up next to me, ready to race as well. They looked much bigger and stronger than I was. My knees were trembling. The referee shouted “When I blow the whistle, you start” everything went silent. I tried to focus. I just have to remember what dad said, stroke stroke stroke breathe, stroke stroke stroke breathe, stroke stroke stroke breathe. Everyone was waiting for the whistle to blow.

With a loud noise the whistle went.

I dived into the water with all the power my tender and shaking knees would let me. As my face felt the warm water of the swimming pool I panicked. I was throwing my arms around with no technique, hardly a stroke. But all I know was that it was working. I could hear that all the parents in the crowd where shouting and urging there sons on , but not my parents. It was as if my dad knew I was going to make first place and win the race. But as the race was almost coming to an end I started to tire. This was when the other boys had the advantage, they where much stronger and had much more stamina than I did. I looked back and I saw they where catching up …. Quickly. I did as many stroked as my tired arms would let me but it was not enough. I was wasting my energy fast and as I looked to my right, the inevitable had happened. I saw one of the boys on my right overtake me with seconds o go. As much as I wanted to I could not do anything about it. Finally the race ended and I came second. I took a look into the crowd to see my parents as I was really upset. I saw my dad. He had no emotion on his face but just stared. I did not know what was going through his head but it was not good. As I and the other boys climbed out of the pool I saw their mums run up to them and say thing like “unlucky son” and “better luck next time”. But I saw smiles on their faces. My mum came up to me and hugged me, but did not say a word. I said to her “where’s dad?” she did not reply.

As I got changed I could not help think of what my parents where thinking about. As I came out of the swim centre I saw my dad’s car. As I opened the door, it smelt of anger and disappointment. I strapped my seat belt in and my dad said “I’m ashamed of you….I’m ashamed of you”.

He shook his head and pressed his foot on the accelerator and drove home.