In May 2014 the first official case of Ebola was recorded in Sierra Leone. Over the course of two years, the country, alongside neighbouring Guinea and Liberia, was engulfed in a fight against a deadly epidemic that had been unprecedented in the region. To respond to the outbreak, the government of Sierra Leone invoked a state of emergency: freedom of movement was restricted, customary practices identified as risky (like traditional burials) were criminalised and the military was called in to assist in the policing of borders, the setting up of checkpoints and in manning quarantines. For many living in hard to reach rural areas, the intervention represented a unique (and occasionally violent) encounter with a state that was normally experienced as absent. Young people mobilised in response—either as volunteers or in resistance against the response. This paper explores how in the aftermath of Ebola, the experiences, memories and aspirations of young people in rural areas affected by the outbreak offer new avenues for conceptualising the relationship between the centre and periphery. Ultimately the paper suggests that through the eyes of rural youth we might be able to explore much bigger questions about legitimacy and authority in the shadow of crisis.