A Future Fairy Tale
At one point in the future, there will be a place where everyone’s needs are met. But only if everyone meets their expectations by ‘paying their dues’. However, outside of this place everything is quite the opposite. This is where there are no expectations, because of this not a single luxury imaginable exists for its inhabitants. Between the two stands a wall that looks as if it was initially meant to be perfectly circular, yet the perimeter skews too far outward and never corrects course. Almost as if who designed it could never get it quite right.
Outside of the walls the sky is surprisingly clear, if one were to just look straight up it might even seem pleasant. But tied to the land are dilapidated huts fashioned out of sheets of various commercially failed attempts at ‘the hot new alloy’. Among the residents living near the base of the wall will be Candice, a young girl born into the outer rim but close enough to what lay inside to know what she was missing. Both of her parents work to ensure that she lives a comfortable life considering the reality of their situation.
See, their neighbors are not kind company and enjoy endless freedom. This means that any and all violent, debaucherous, and deplorable desires can be realized. Murders and robberies oftentimes go unpunished, besides cases of retaliation. Nonetheless, some use this freedom to live benevolent and joyous lives, such will be the case of Abraham.
The neighbor of Candice and her family, Abraham lived within the walls of this utopia prior to his stint outside of them. He keeps to himself, growing his own food, minding his own business, and occasionally drinking wine merrily. This will pique the curiosity of all the degenerates (this is what those inside the walls call them) living around him, though he is very unwilling to talk about this portion of his life.
Nonetheless, Candice pesters this man constantly. Throughout her childhood, she will hear of embellished tales regarding the safety of life within the walls, a society where all of one’s concerns simply disappear. Abraham entertains these conversations only for Candice, he finds her curiosity to be endearing.
One day, while she is coming of age, she will ask her hermit neighbor, “Abraham, why did you choose to desert such a comfortable place to live?” And with a slight chuckle (as if he had been waiting too long to be asked this) he will reply, “Girl, inside those walls lies the recipe for all we could ever imagine, but the cooks are incompetent and disillusioned simply by the prospect of their desires. Those who fall victim to this mistake forget their place and their duties, leaving them to be punished harshly.”
Noticing that Abraham seems to be growing tired, Candice takes this as her cue to leave despite her question being left quite unanswered. She will regret this decision.
The next morning Candice and her family will wake to the news that Abraham passed in his sleep the night prior (another murder no doubt). Not only is this disconcerting to the young girl but also to her parents as well, seeing as they depended on his knowledge of farming to feed their home up until this point.
Quickly will the family fall into hardship in the absence of Abraham’s guidance, the next two fields of crops are to yield only corn suitable for horses.
Out of ideas and on the verge of starvation the small family has no choice but to turn to their daughter. Candice’s mother and father are left with only one realistic option, to send their daughter within the walls in hopes she may be able to make a living and share the benefits with them.
So, the next day Candice is sent to the only entrance into the utopia, a large gap in the walls manned by guards vetting all those who wish to enter. After having spent all the daylight hours in line with all sorts of wretched humans with no business entering, she will be met by a guard named Sam.
Unbeknownst to her, this Sam is a deceiving character, one who Abraham happened to be acquainted with during his time in the utopia. Those within the walls refer to him as ‘Uncle’ and attribute him to having a sizable amount of wisdom. Though not being a father (fitting considering his title) leaves him with glaring blind spots in his understanding of the world.
He greets her with a smile, “Well, what might an innocent girl such as yourself be doing at these gates by herself?” Candice replies, “My family and I are struggling, I’m looking to become a participant in your society to support them.” Noticing her eagerness and subsequent naivety Sam attempts to treat her kindly, “It happens to be that I’m about done for the day, I can have you admitted right this instance and show you around our city if you’d like.” Candice will oblige merrily, not knowing what waits in her future.
As they enter the walls she is struck by the lack of sunlight, for above this utopia lays a heavy cloud of smog. Despite this every nook and cranny is heavily illuminated by bright fluorescent lights hovering above, it was even blinding to gaze upon the well-kept roadways and buildings made of glass and glossy metals. She shields herself from the light as she enters, and Sam laughs at her in response.
As he leads her to see the notable landmarks and offices that will be useful for her to start her new life Candice cannot help but notice the layout of the utopia. All roads lead to the center of the poorly formed circle, there a large stage made completely out of gargantuan wooden planks lies. She asks Sam about the significance of this but quickly has her attention deflected elsewhere by him.
After he concludes his tour he brings her to a large high rise, “This is where you will stay, everything is already arranged for your arrival as is custom here. Take the next day leisurely, enjoy your new home!” She promptly thanks him for his immense amount of kindness and entered.
Unbeknownst to Candice, and unmentioned by Sam, that following day is to be the election for the utopia’s new leader. She wanders the city all day long, taking in what it has to offer as people stream past her towards the center to cast their ballots. Dusk comes about and so does a sizeable crowd surrounding the large wooden platform. Candice, still curious as to its significance, feels drawn to be a part of the spectators and joins them.
To her surprise she sees Sam, now dressed in a suit, atop the podium waving out to the crowd. A banner saying, “President-Elect, Uncle Sam!” hangs above his head, “Thank you all for your required participation in our society, I will make sure to serve me right as long as you do the same,” he proclaims.
“Now we must move on to the nasty portion of today’s celebration, will those who hear their names called please report to the podium, don’t make us drag you,” he continued dryly. Candice’s eyebrows raise in response to the words she hears. Sam begins to rattle off names and upon reaching the second he meets Candice’s gaze in the crowd, “…Candice…” the two syllables seem to last lifetimes for her.
Slowly Candice will take step after step towards that awful stage as names continue to be read, not that she will be paying attention anyway. She stands on the steps up to the stage behind the man whose name was called before hers, a man carrying a broadsword and wearing an archaic suit of armor trudges past them as they wait. Her mind is wrought with confusion, she cannot make any sense of what is unfolding around her.
Sam motions for the first man to step up onto the stage and address the crowd, “Mr. Wilhelm has been convicted of murder by means of a firearm, I’m sure we all are familiar with the punishment?” Mr. Wilhelm holds his arms out with his head down, and without even a half-second of hesitation, the man dressed in armor swings his sword and slices cleanly through both of Wilhelm’s extended appendages.
Candice will scream, who wouldn’t? But her cries will be cut short as Sam motions once again for the next in line to rise, she obliges seeing no other option. “Candice, you did not vote today,” he paused momentarily to meet her gaze, “The punishment for refusing to participate in the system that makes this place great is the loss of freedom of speech.” She sighs in relief knowing her arms will stay with her.
This relief only lasts momentarily though, as promptly the man in armor grabs her arm and turns her towards him, only to grab her tongue with the other and cut it right out of her mouth. She crumples to the ground instantly.
And thus, Candice will forever be mute in the future, with no way to express herself, all because she wouldn’t participate.
