The Imperfect World

My hand makes contact with the cold glass and my eyes land on the woman behind it, shaking, and unpredictable as she starts to speak.

“I don’t remember where I was infected…..but I know I had a fever that lasted for three days. I was put in a containment room and my parents were told that this is it…. That I can never be normal. I cried and never realized that it would be the last time I felt sadness. What I felt later was rage. Uncontrollable rage. I wanted to kick and scream and then punch and kill. I took a knife to the eye of a male nurse and…”

“Enough” The woman falls silent as a man’s voice cuts through.

“Thank you miss Vandell. You may go back to your room.” Dr. Morris says to her. She retreats, touching her shoulders to warm herself.

“I wanted to hear more.” I tell Dr. Morris. As a young but reputed journalist I want to do justice to every story I report.

“It’s the same old, nothing new. They start to show symptoms three days after they get infected. They turn violent and attack anyone at sight. You can read the millions of casefiles. It’s all the same. We thought the pandemic in 2020 was bad, this is….can’t believe I’m witnessing another virus outbreak. Anyway, you were not even born back then when it took place.” Dr. Morris replies.

I had read about disease epidemics and the COVID-19 pandemic, but never imagined that anything major could happen again at this scale. This viral outbreak is not just affecting physical health but also changing patients’ personalities.

I collect the new data and run back to my office to write it for the newspaper “The Inside Times”, started by my childhood best friend Ridley Davey. She was always pushing for change. We used to go on student protests and political campaigns when we were in middle school. She would get frustrated with the lack of transparency and change in the system. I was the optimist that reassured her that we could make things better. I got selected in Yale at just fifteen for a special journalism program while she started The Inside Times which was crowdfunded. I joined the team shortly after and I became her investigative journalist.

Today The Inside Times is a leading newspaper that is missing its founder. Ridley vanished without a trace a year ago. Every day of my life is spent searching for answers and yet nothing turns up.

I sit at my desk and finish typing away tomorrow’s section before closing the light. Once again, the last one to leave the office at 2am.

There’s violence on the streets and I roll up my window as I drive back home. I hurriedly wear my face mask with one hand and drive with the other. This contagious disease can spread through airborne particles. There’s a mandate for everyone to stay indoors other than healthcare workers and cops……and us journalists.

I drive to my street and park my car.

“Marco.” My girlfriend Alexis calls out giving me a hug. We briefly snuggle outdoors in the fresh breeze before running indoors in fear of catching something.

“Guess what?” She says in a happy yet serious voice. I just stare at her hazel eyes, too exhausted from work to think. She goes back to the room and comes out with a giftbox.

I take it from her hand and open the box with curiosity. Inside the box laid an at-home test.

“Two red lines.” She says. I look at her shocked.

“Why are you happy? You also don’t seem sick.” I tell her touching her forehead in a panic.

“Why would I be sick? I’m pregnant.” She says. I just stare at her unable to form words for once in my life. She looks at me giddily.

We lay on the couch discussing our futures for another one hour, her feigning ignorance over the bleakness of the world while I start to feel the fear of raising a child in this horrible and corrupt world.

“We should go get some sleep. You have an important interview tomorrow.” She tells me as she walks toward the bedroom. I feel restless so I sink further in to the couch and watch her walk. The moonlight illuminating the living room just enough where I can see Alexis smile back at me before blowing me a kiss and walking away.

Suddenly I hear a loud wail of a woman from the forest behind our house. I glance outside my window and open it with shaky hands as memories come back to me of Ridley walking into the forest. She looks at me with a smile before disappearing behind the trees.

I feel something horrible is about to happen. I go back to bed.

“I heard a cry of a woman. Similar to the one I heard before Ridley disappeared.” I softly tell Alexis, not wanting to startle her.

“How about we discuss this tomorrow? After the interview?” She says smiling. “Get some rest.”

***

“Marco Beckett….the president is ready for the interview.” A young man announces, probably his personal assistant.

I follow him through the long corridor with tall glass walls. I look outside the window at our polluted city and the thought of my child growing up here pains me. The assistant ushers me into a room after giving instructions on not to remove my mask or come in contact with our president, Edgar Harmon.

I sit on a large chair which turns on its own facing the large room with one man sitting in front of me several feet away. He motions me to wear my headphones.

“You wanted to see me in person. The best journalist of 2050s. What do you want to know? I have ten minutes.” He says giving a forced smile as he glances at his watch.

“You know you could do more. So I’m here to find out why you don’t.” I say confidently.

“Do more? To control the virus? We’ve already contained it in our country. All the cases this month are from individuals that went to vacation in other countries. We stopped them before they could hurt anyone.” He replies.

“Not true. Every single day I see violence and anger in so many people on the streets. I think you’re not acknowledging the real numbers.” I tell him.

“Well, you certainly can’t blame the government that people don’t want to follow the rules. Can you?” He says.

“You said there would be a cure by the end of the year. And I think there is. But you don’t want people to be cured. You want us to fight and die.” I hit back, anger visible on my face. It’s no longer about journalism, it’s about humanity.

“Marco. I know you are very reputed and accomplished in your field. But what you don’t understand is that…” Edgar says before coughing blood. “Go away.” He shouts as his eyes turn red. He’s been infected. I open the door and run from the room as his assistant and walks in and screams.

I drive back home and see Alexis in the driveway clutching her phone with her hand. She runs up to my car and shows me the video of our president killing his assistant by smashing his head with a heavy chair.

“We need to leave.” I tell her and grab her arm as we run toward the forest. Ridley used to walk in these forests and sit at a lake, pondering something. Some days I would join her as she would tell me her ideas of an ideal world.

“The lake might be somewhere here.” I say as I frantically look around.

“What lake? Do we even know where we are? What if we get lost.” Alexis yells in a frustrated tone. But I spot something. A blue butterfly which reminds of Ridley’s necklace. I take Alexis’ hand as I follow the butterfly for several ragged steps before we reach the lake.

“Wow.” Alexis says in wonder as the lake sparkles magnificently.

“Look” I say as I spot a strange opening between two trees that form a circle with its branches. There’s faint light that’s coming from inside the circle.

I take Alexis’ hand and walk toward it before inserting my hand in it. It magically disappeared as stronger rays of light came out of it. Alexis and I look at each other before stepping inside the portal together.

***

The portal closes behind us as we step into the most beautiful landscape straight out of fairytales. Sky with pinkish hue, bright green grass, fresh warm air with slight breeze, bright flowers and the most beautiful castle in front of us.

“What’s this place?” Alexis asks me caught in the wonder of the place.

I point to the castle “Let’s try to go in and find out.” I tell her.

We both get up and start to walk toward the castle while glancing at the beauty of the land. But we both stop in our tracks when we hear someone clear their throat behind us. We turn around and face a beautiful woman wearing a sparkly blue gown and a butterfly necklace. My eyes meet hers and I get shocked.

“Ridley?” I say. Ridley smiles at me before glancing at Alexis.

“I thought you’d arrive alone. Glad you found someone to join you.” She says.

We both quietly follow her as she leads us inside the castle. It feels like a dream. Maybe I’m still asleep after hearing the woman cry. Must be the stress.

“You’re not imagining it. I created it.” Ridley says looking back at me before leading us into a huge bedroom. The room looks royal. Everything in the castle feels royal. I sit on the bed and Alexis apprehensively looks at me.

“You can read our thoughts?” I ask Ridley. She laughs.

“I just know you.” She says. “Get some rest. Later in the evening I’ll tell you about the history of this place. Meet me in the dining hall for dinner.” She says and closes the door as leaves.

“Marco? Where are we? Are we in a different state? The sky is so weird.” She says looking out the window.

“Different state? Alexis, we walked through a portal in the middle of a forest and entered a place with sparkly flowers, pink skies, a castle and met RIDLEY.” I say unable to believe that this is real.

***

The dining hall is quite big with a giant chandelier and a large dining table with thirty chairs. Yet it was just Ridley alone, waiting for us to join her for dinner. Alexis and I both sit with her at the table. Ridley claps her hands twice and a chef walks in with a plate.

“Appetizers” Ridley says.

“Potato wedges.” Alexis says and digs in happily.

The conversation at dinner becomes eye opening as I learn things about Ridley that I had never known before. She becomes an open and reveals to us that her imagination becomes a reality at the lake.

“Even as a kid I’d just create this world and step in and disappear in it for a few hours. Nobody came looking. This time I just went and never came back. Not a bad decision considering a smart person decided to do the same” Ridley says.

Alexis and I exchange concerned glances. “Is this magic?” I ask Ridley.

She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. I like it here. Don’t you?” She asks.

We both nod our heads. This isn’t the worst place to be and raise a kid, whatever this place is.

***

I start to understand Ridley’s motives for creating this place. Ridley always wanted a utopia. A place rid of corrupt world leaders. She used to draw this world when we were kids. She brought it to life, created people in it and is now ruling it. But I notice her demeanor, like she owns everything here, and everyone owes her something in exchange.

“If you can’t grow coffee, then you can leave. But remember what leaving means.” She says to a farmer.

I have to interject so I call her name. She gives me a huge smile as she stands in front of me.

“Is this what you truly wanted? Are you sure you’re not becoming the very thing you despise?” I ask her and she immediately denies. She states how she personally cares for everyone and that there’s plenty of food and water.

“Yet they can only have the basic necessities when they obey you. Did you create them just to know what it’s like to be powerful?” I ask her prying for more information.

“This is why I hired you. You know exactly what to ask. You understand what’s is going on in a person’s subconscious. The things they don’t want to admit.” She replies back.

I take that as a yes. But she continues “However, whatever is going on out there is due to the corrupt system. This place, even if imperfect, is still better than anything that is out there.”

I can’t argue back because Ridley’s world might just be the place for us. A safe haven.

Alexis starts walking up to us from the castle. Her eyes look swollen like she’s been crying. Ridley gives me a concerned glance but before I could process the situation Alexis lunges at Ridley and punches her in the face. A tussle starts between them but Alexis clearly hits back, not afraid of the consequences.

I try to pull her away and notice her hands are warm. So is her face. She pushes me and I fall on the ground as we all end up back in the forest.

“She’s infected. Get her off of me.” Ridley screams. We both try to control Alexis as she kicks and screams, screaming at us.

“We have to take her to the hospital.” I tell Ridley but she just looks around, noticing the loss of her ideal world.

“Ridley, this is the real world. We can’t run anymore. We have to face it.” I pull her out of her thoughts. We both get in the car as I drive to the nearest hospital where all three of us get put in a confinement room.

Dr. Morris visits me. He tells me Alexis is stable but her muscles are still aching. They have given medications to calm her down but she has fits of rage once in a while. Ridley had slight fever and a mental breakdown.

“Where were you for three days? I’ve been trying to contact you.” Dr. Morris tells me.

I try to respond but give up knowing how ridiculous it would sound. “We just went to the forest and found Ridley by the lake and got lost.” I tell him.

“They found a cure.” He tells me smiling. “You guys could be receiving it any day now. It was an emergency since the president was infected. So, they had to accelerate the approval process for the vaccine. You guys are lucky.” He informs me smiling.

I rejoice happily and look up to find myself back in Ridley’s world. Ridley stands in front of me and behind her is her castle from where Alexis waves at me.

“Ridley, what the hell did you do? She’s sick. They found a cure. We have to go back.” I plead with her.

“You really think things will work out in your favor out there? You’ll just end up as another case of the millions of cases. The scenario you just saw is not real, and it’s never going to happen in the real world.” She tells me as walks back toward the castle.

I take a look at Alexis at the window, still smiling and trying to get my attention. I wave back at her but my mind is clouded.

Inside my mind is a tug of war on if I should fight back against Ridley to go to the real world only to be met with possible disappointments or accept this new world as Ridley offered.

I always told Ridley that things would change. But it will take time. Perhaps until then we should stay here. Alexis and I could raise our child in a colorful world where the flowers glow bright under the sun and grass stays green forever, in this imperfect utopia created by Ridley Davey.