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NineteenEighty-fourOutside,eventhroughtheshutwindow-pan,theworldlookedcold.Downinthestreetlittleeddiesofwindwerewhirlingdustandtornpaperintospirals,andthoughthesunwasshiningandtheskyaharshblue,thereseemedtobenocolourinanything,exceptthepostersthatwereplasteredeverywhere.Theblack-moustachio’dfacegazeddownfromeverycommandingcorner.Therewasoneonthehouse-frontimmediatelyopposite.BIGBROTHERISWATCHINGYOU,thecaptionsaid,whilethedarkeyeslookeddeepintoWinston’sown.Downatstreetlevelanotherposter,tornatonecorner,flappedfitfullyinthewind,alternatelycoveringanduncoveringthesinglewordINGSOC.Inthefardistanceahelicopterskimmeddownbetweentheroofs,hoveredforaninstantlikeabluebottle,anddartedawayagainwithacurvingflight.Itwasthepolicepatrol,snoopingintopeople’swindows.Thepatrolsdidnotmatter,however.OnlytheThoughtPolicemattered.……Thethingthathewasabouttodowastoopenadiary.Thiswasnotillegal(nothingwasillegal.sincetherewerenolongeranylaws),butifdetecteditwasreasonablycertainthatitwouldbepunishedbydeath,oratleastbytwenty-fiveyearsinaforced–labourcamp.……Itwasalwaysatnight—thearrestsinvariablyhappenedatnight.Thesuddenjerkoutofsleep,theroughhandshakingyourshoulder,thelightsglaringinyoureyes,theringofhardfacesroundthebed.Inthevastmajorityofcasestherewasnotrial,noreportofthearrest.Peoplesimplydisappeared,alwaysduringthenight.Yournamewasremovedfromtheregisters,everyrecordofeverythingyouhadeverdonewaswipedout,yourone-timeexistencewasdeniedandthenforgotten.Youwereabolished,annihilated:VAPORIZEDwastheusualword.