Where the Wildflowers Bloom

(Thank you, Mrs. Ledbetter, for this awesome opportunity!)


         Trillium sat in a chair, hooked up to several wires and unable to move. The room was a plain gray with the atmosphere of abandonment and loneliness - the death room. She was tired of the beating, and from the now-powerless-thanks-to-her Parson punch that sent her sprawling into unconsciousness earlier.
         "Begin elimination process," said the voice. The lights dimmed as machines struggled to awaken from their grave of suspension. A colorless substance slowly made its way through the thin tube towards the woman's arm.

~~~~~

         "Trillium Hanson reporting for duty," said a young woman over her radio, walking towards her assigned area to patrol. Her uniform was crisp and ironed, her dark shoes were polished, and her hair was neatly but loosely pulled back into a braid.
         "Acknowledged. Assignment: patrol local area and check dosage system in household. Report and destroy illegal items if found."
         Trillium walked up to the first house and knocked on the door. A man answered, fully dressed and hair combed back. His gray outfit matched the assigned clothes that had to be worn on a Wednesday. His children, both little boys, stood still nearby, wearing similar attire. Trillium nodded with approval at their loyalty to the Book of Codes, which stated and illustrated what had to be worn on what day and events.
         "Good morning," she stated, "At what hour did you take your dosage?"
         "Seven o' clock a.m."
         She nodded again. This was her routine every morning, asking the same people the same questions and getting the same answers.
         "How many do you have left?"
         "Three more doses for each of us," he replied, slightly gesturing towards his sons, who stared blankly at their father and Life Guidance Officer assigned to them.
         "Very good. Have a productive day," she ordered. He nodded and gently closed the door.
         Checking off a list, Trillium walked to the next house and walked up the steps. She had just knocked once when she heard shots inside. Startled, but quickly recovering, she opened the door to the familiar scene of a family of three - a mother, a father, and their young daughter -  lying dead in their blood. Her radio came to her lips. "Hanson to report Gerald family elimination."
         "Acknowledged."
         The dosage that was required and routine to the society did sometimes take away cares to the point of suicide. It was accepted as an unfortunate and very common side effect that was dealt with periodically. However, because of the drug, society was not concerned, and it was taken in stride.
         Trillium kept walking. She finished her routine, wrote her report, ate lunch, and went to the next neighborhood. Once in a while she encountered a few people out walking to their jobs or running errands. They nodded to each other cordially and would briefly talk about how calming the colorless dome they lived in was, which kept out forbidden elements such as blue skies with gentle white clouds intrusively floating by, energized by the forbidden spring breeze lightly blowing through the forbidden wildflowers surrounding the forbidden snow-capped mountains in front of a forbidden crystal lake. Yes, orderly and simple, stable and secure. No one could get out without being killed by the closest Life Guidance Officer. No one wanted to leave, so it was not a problem.

~~~~~

         "I say we lead the resistance closer to the edge. That way we would be the first ones out."
         The ancient underground complex had been abandoned since the creation of the atmospheric purification. It rid the air of the toxins left over by the war, which was fought chemically. Underground housing had been built with separate ventilation in order to preserve some of the population. To rid the danger of another devastating war, and to take advantage of their ever changing technology, the high powers of the nation built the Great Dome of Freedom - freedom from worry, violence, and unpleasant emotions. Of course, love and comfort were sacrificed, and happiness was a mere legend, but the price was well paid, and there were no more wars, no more family struggles, and no more arguments over who was in charge by the people.
         "True. But you know that the Dome is more heavily guarded the closer you get to it."
         "What should we do then?"
         Several voices were in the dimly lit room. Some men and some women, young and old, but all after the same thing - the forbidden side of life. The room itself was modest, decorated with bright paintings and interesting collages. The walls were yellow and the carpet was blue. Off to the side was a shelf of old and decaying books - the last of their kind. Glass art occupied the far end of the shelf, right next to an old record player, indeed the very last relic of music. The group of resistance lounged on green and purple couches, a few red chairs, and on the floor.
         "We all know what we need. We need help from the inside."
         "Who in this God - forsaken Dome," a man's voice bellowed, "could we go to without getting killed and getting all of this destroyed?"
         "Maybe we should go ahead and set off the bombs..."
         "No, no, wait," the soft speaking leader stood to his feet. He had a kind demeanor, and was well respected throughout the small resistance. "Those bombs have the power to hurt a lot of innocent people."
         "Every one here is innocent," this time, an old woman, "the drug has taken over their brains and they know not what damage is being done."
         "They don't care."
         "Well, we do," said the leader, "and I sure as hell am tired of sitting around, waiting for everyone to kill their families and themselves because of this drug."
         "What are we going to do?"
         A tall skyscraper sat in the heart of the city. It reached the very top of the dome. Inside was a massive production warehouse. It was the Central Drug Manufacturing Company; it controlled everyone's dosage and schedule. Everything was written on record, so as long as the people followed the rules, everyone was happy, and they would not be in trouble with the CDMC. This particular building was of great interest to the resistance. When the appropriate time came for them to set people free, they would detonate powerful bombs throughout the structure and destroy the heart of the society they were prisoner to. As a result of the bombs, the whole dome would fall to the ground, giving people the chance to see the outside world. The houses and smaller buildings were able to
withstand the blows, thus the resistance needed to make sure the citizens of the city were in their homes at the time of the destruction. That was where they needed the inside help.
         The leader put a hand to his chin in thought and slowly looked up. "Get our help."

~~~~~

         Trillium stood in front of her plain mirror and took the braid out of her hair, letting it hang loosely around her shoulders. As she prepared her last injection for the day, something shot through her open window and shattered the glass vile in her hand. Startled, she quickly looked around for the source. Embedded in her cracked mirror was a rusty nail. She picked it up and tossed it in the trash, then selected another vile. Again, it shattered. Trillium strolled to the window and closed it. When she prepared her very last dose, the window shattered and once again she found herself staring at her bleeding hand. She was completely out of her drug, and it had to last her until tomorrow evening. If she reported that she was out, then she would have to be processed. She washed off her hand and did not bother to even finish preparing for bed, then laid down on her mattress in uniform and closed her eyes for sleep.
         She ran her hand through sand. A seashell covered her ear. A man called to her softly - her father; beckoning her to come hold his hand and walk with him through the ocean's tide. The water was churning. She was afraid.
         Trillium shot up in bed in a cold sweat. It was time to go to work.
         The young woman barely had time to start on her first street before hands from somewhere in the shadows quickly yanked her into the darkness. She fought for freedom, or, at least her arm back. But the man kept hold of her and kept dragging her farther away into the underground, telling her to stop fighting.
         Trillium quickly found that she was absolutely no match for her captor, and was forced to comply, allowing him to lead her to the underground complex she had long thought was destroyed. His hand firmly gripped her arm as he led her to a room. As soon as she saw it, she withdrew with anxiousness.
         "Let me go, now!" she started struggling and he had to forcefully push her into the room and slam the door shut. She pressed up against it until she heard it lock. Testing the handle, she found escape quite impossible. Slowly turning around, and experiencing strong withdraws from the drug, she stared at her prison. The walls and bed were blue, and colorful books were displayed here and there. Posters and paintings were all over the place. What frightened her the most was the small, single window - hardly noticeable at all - providing a view to the outside of the gray dome. She saw wildflowers growing among the long green grass. Graceful butterflies flew from flower to flower, and made their way to the crystal lake sitting at the bottom of majestic mountains. Trillium found herself enchanted by the sight. She imagined herself in a colorful orange sun dress, running through the meadow. Could a sight like this be a factor in dangerous wars? Was this landscape so threatening?
         Time passed by in her little prison. All effects of the drug were gone, and she felt like a new person. Her suppressed thinking was now awake and she had thoughts of real freedom. She began to question all that was brainwashed into her. She realized that it should not, must not, be considered normal to have so many people die from the drug.
         Hours went by, and she spent it teaching herself to control her emotions. She was no longer afraid, because she understood what was going on.
         The door opened. The same man entered, with a smile of trepidation.
         "Are you all right, miss Hanson?"
         She took a moment to look at his sincere expression. She took a moment to gaze at colors and pictures. She took a moment to look him straight in the eyes and answer truthfully without second guessing.
         "Yes."

~~~~~

         "Trillium Hanson reporting for duty." said a young woman over her radio, walking towards her assigned area to patrol. Her uniform was crisp and ironed, her dark shoes were polished, and her hair was neatly but loosely pulled back into a braid. She could not believe she was doing this, but at least she was aware of it.
         "Acknowledged. Assignment: patrol local area and check dosage system in household. Report and destroy illegal items if found."
         Trillium walked up to the first house and knocked on the door, feeling depressed now that she was, at the moment, deprived of the colors and books that had been forced upon her. The familiar man answered, fully dressed and hair combed back. His gray outfit matched the assigned clothes that had to be worn on a Wednesday. His children, both little boys, stood still nearby, wearing similar attire. Trillium liked them, and hoped her expression concealed the feelings she was experiencing.
         "Good morning," she stated in a friendly tone, "At what hour did you take your dosage?"
         "Seven o' clock am," the man tilted his head, sensing the change.
         "How many do you have left?"
         "Three more doses for each of us." he replied, slightly gesturing towards his sons, who stared blankly at their father and Life Guidance Officer assigned to them.
         "Very good. Have a productive day." she ordered.
         Checking off a list, Trillium walked to the next house and walked up the steps. She stopped short of knocking on the door, remembering the family who had died in there a week ago. The young woman opened the door and slowly walked in to the lifeless structure, full of dullness and nothing. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she ran her hand along the plain, gray wall, and tears welled in her eyes as she thought about the family who fell victim to the side effect of the drug everyone was forced to take. The air was stale and artificial, still and overwhelming. What kind of life was this? Were they better off now?
         Finished for the day, Trillium reported to the CDMC to pick up her dosage package. It was then she noticed that the Dome Leader, Malcom Parson, surrounded by his guards and assistants, had walked up to her. She set her box down to shake his hand.          All she knew about him was that he was the only one who did not take the drug. He was supposed to be a stronger leader that way. Hanson looked him over and sensed the difference between him and the others. She hoped he didn't sense the same thing, since she had not taken the drug in over a week.
         "Good afternoon, Trillium," he smiled a suspiciously friendly smile.
         "Good afternoon, Mr. Parson," she returned, doing her best to hold a blank stare. "To what honor is this introduction?"
         "I wish to see you in my office to discuss your future."
         What future? "Yes sir."
         "Come along."
         Trillium picked up her package and followed him and his group to the elevator. They crowded inside and she was astonished at how many floors there were. His office was at the top. It took about five minutes to get there. In the duration of that time, she caught their leader eyeing her curiously. What she did not realize was that he was noting every symptom of her lack of drugs. He hid it with his friendly smile. They stepped into a long corridor and into an office. The two of them proceeded as the others stood outside the door.
         She followed him until he walked around his wooden desk and sat down in his leather chair. Paintings colored the black walls and he actually had a view to what was outside of the dome. Trillium had to tear her eyes away in order to hide the fact she was more than interested in examining her surroundings.
         "You aren't following the rules, my dear Trillium. Normally I would have you arrested and processed already," he stood to his feet and circled around his desk, still holding his sinister smile, "but you're - special."
         "Oh?" she folded her hands behind her back military style to hide the shaking.
         He laughed, "Do you think I'm stupid? You're helping the resistance. What they're up to, I don't know. I do know, however, that you were forced and misguided – the fault is not yours, my dear. But there's no way you can deny it. I can tell by the way you're acting and the way you hold yourself that you've been different."
         Trillium felt herself slide into the trap, "What do you want?"
         "I knew you would see reason," he clapped once and placed himself in front of her, frightening her with his charming smile, "you tell me where the resistance is, and I will let you live."
         For a moment, she couldn't speak. But the secret was out, so she decided to ask some questions of her own, "What kind of life is this when all people do is wake up, take their drug, work, come home, eat, and sleep, every single day? What's their purpose?"
         Mr. Parson's heels made slow, clicking sounds on the floor as he strolled to sit down on top of his desk.
         "Their purpose is to keep this Dome going."
         "Why?"
         He stared at her a moment, dumbfounded that she had so many questions on the purpose of life. "To keep them alive, of course."
         "Alive for what? They don't love each other, they feel no closeness, no happiness - nothing."
         "They don't feel pain, sadness, anger, grief!" he threw his hands in the air and gazed at her, exasperated, "what a terrible Dome this is."
         "Indeed."
         "But this isn't about their future, this is about yours," he growled, "I have no time for these childish games and my patience with you grows thin. With the snap of my finger I could order you dead. Lead me to the resistance, or you will die."
         Trillium had already come up with a plan
         "You don't want to die, do you?" he continued.
         She didn't care if she lived or not, if only she could get something done first, "No."
         "Then will you help me?" he asked gently, once again smiling.
         "Yes," she answered quietly.
         "Very good, I'm glad you see it my way," he placed his hand on her shoulder and led her to the door. He handed her the package of dosages, "Contact us whenever you are ready. Try to talk them into giving up on their own. Start back on your dosage."
         "Of course."
         Trillium closed the door behind her and passed the guards on the way to the elevator. They looked like zombies. The elevator closed and she examined the buttons. She selected not the bottom floor, but the floor to central safety. Once there, an alarm sat waiting for her to set.

~~~~~

         "Are you sure we can trust her, Rafe?"
         "Oh yes."
         "You know if she gets caught she can lead them to us."
         "This is true. But I believe she has a good heart and a good head on her shoulders. She has the power to do what needs to be done at anytime."
         At that moment, the door opened and the two men turned to see Hanson walking hurriedly towards them.
         "I've been caught, Rafe," she said, sinking onto a soft sofa, "They want you and the others to turn yourselves in. Are the bombs ready?"
         "Yes...you were caught? By who?" Rafe sat down beside her.
         "Malcom Parson, the man in charge of the Dome. After I left his office I set the alarms to go off in two hours. Everyone should be in their homes anyway."
         "I'm proud of you, Trill," Rafe smiled a genuine smile and pat her on the back. He looked up at his other companion, "Tell the others the good news and get them prepared. This is the day where everything pays off."
         "Everyone's dose will be wearing off by the time the drugs are destroyed."
         Rafe nodded his head with approval, "Good. That way they'll be able to react to the change of scenery."

~~~~~

         Alarms blazed through the Dome. They echoed off the walls and hit everyone. As people migrated to their windows by the masses, they saw the heart of the Dome explode on every floor. The roof of the Dome was the first to be destroyed by the crumbling building, tearing down the walls. Debris fell harmlessly on sturdy houses and people ducked for cover. There was screaming and chaos, and people panicked as everything happened at once.
         "Let's go! Everyone out now!" a loud voice led the way towards the mountains. People ran after them, curiously enchanted by the the fresh air and cool, green grass under their bare feet. Some stayed behind, but most of the population ran for the beautiful flowers and trees. They wanted to touch it - feel it. Members of the resistance led sections of the city to freedom.
         Trillium Hanson smiled slowly as the dust settled. The Dome was completely demolished after what seemed an eternity and the people were enjoying the outside world they were truly meant to be in. She climbed over rubble and encouraged frightened people who were timidly poking their heads through doors. She heard the wonderful sound of children laughing and playing together in the tall grass as she headed towards them. However, her enjoyment was short lived as a hand reached out of an alley she was passing, clamped over her mouth, and yanked her against a body. Her arms were held still as she struggled, but he was stronger.
         "You conniving little inconvenience," said Malcom as he dragged her further away from freedom and towards a small building, "at least you're going down with me. I'll show everyone what happens when someone crosses me."
         He opened the door and others took charge of her. They forced her down some stairs into a dark room. When they turned on the lights, she saw the death room. As frightened as she was, she knew he had not won.
         "Killing me won't make things better for you," she stated arrogantly.
         "Pleading for your life?"
         "I'm rubbing it in."
         Enraged, Parson swung at her. She felt a sharp pain to the side of her face and she crashed to the floor.
         "I hope you're ready, then, because I'm going to kill you."

~~~~~

         Trillium sat in a chair, hooked up to several wires and unable to move. The room was a plain gray with the atmosphere of abandonment and loneliness - the death room. The lights dimmed as machines struggled to awaken from their grave of suspension. A colorless substance slowly made its way through the thin tube towards the woman's arm.          She closed her eyes, ready to accept the consequences of destroying the Dome, but the door burst open and Rafe lunged inside. He cut the line of poison before it reached her and tackled Parson's man who remained to eliminate her, making him no longer a threat. Neither of them knew Malcom was there watching them until Trillium felt the coldness of a gun press against her temple.
         "So you're the leader of the resistance, Rafe Parson."
         Trillium frowned, and Malcom laughed, "Yes, Trillium, Rafe is my brother."
         "Malcom, aim that anywhere but at her."
         "How else am I supposed to keep you in line? I have nothing to lose now."
         "But you have a chance at a new life, Malcom!" Rafe spread his hands, "now there's hope for a better life with purpose and happiness."
         "Your brother is too weak, Rafe. His weakness is what ruined this society in the first place," said Trillium, still at the mercy of Malcom.
         Malcom sighed, "I was a humanitarian. I came up with that drug as a doctor to keep people from being hostile to one another."
         "So instead they commit suicide and live like vegetables. Malcom, you were raised better than that."
         "It doesn't matter anymore. The people are out enjoying the fresh air. But what will you do when they start killing each other?"
         "Teach them to help each other."
         "And when they die?"
         "Teach them how to live," Rafe smiled weakly, "You still can have a part in this. You are a doctor."
         "If I still wanted to be a doctor, I would not have come up with the Dome and the drug. I wanted the violence to be gone. I wanted sorrow and pain to be gone. Rafe, you of all people should understand where I'm coming from. You know what we went through growing up," the gun started to lower
         "Mal, we couldn't appreciate the good without the bad. It's supposed to make us stronger."
         Malcom lowered his head and looked at Trillium, "You two will see what I mean when they come after you with their weapons and violence and perversion," he reached down and untied her. Rafe and Trillium stood together. Malcom smiled a defeated smile and walked away, never to be seen again.

~~~~~

         Trillium and Rafe Parson sat together on the edge of a cliff overlooking the town. People were building houses, growing crops, and enjoying the weather. Children were at school, eating lunch at the moment.
         "This is good, Rafe."
         "I'm glad it worked and we all lived through it," he laughed. All traces of the Dome had been erased for many years and the society was for a new beginning.
         "And here we are where the wildflowers bloom," Trillium said, "I believe we can handle anything, now."
         "I know we can," Rafe smiled and looked at the growing community.
         Sunlight peeked from white, fluffy clouds, shining on the Parsons and the town. Things once forbidden now thrived. Fish swam in the lake, snow melted on the mountains, and people once again had purpose.
         
The End.