Hi there. I have come from another Pokemon community in search of critique and praise alike, in order to better myself as a writer. I hope you enjoy this story. If non-action fanfiction isn't quite your cup of tea, I suggest that you not read this story.
Also, if you are planning to comment on the story, I suggest you comment by chapter. There's a lot to read.
This fanfiction is dedicated to no one. Through my words, I present the crux of my beliefs and ideas and leave them open to anyone who wishes to be enlightened.
Table of Contents
Note: Not all chapters displayed are posted.
Chapter 1 - Ideologies of a Demagogue
Chapter 2 - I Learn How to Write
Chapter 3 - Disastrous News and the Invisible Monster
Chapter 4 - I Listen to a Story
Chapter 5 - How Objectivity Pertains to Legendary Creatures
Chapter 6 - I Escape the City
Chapter 7 - First Mission: Introduction to Life
Chapter 8 - I Make a Friend
Chapter 9 - The Ideology of a Flagrant Consumerist
Chapter 10 - I Do Not Like This World
Chapter 11 - Second Mission : The Town of Innocence and Disease
Prologue
Helo.
This my firs time writng.
I m going to writ about th things that th big man says. I m going to do this so that I can rember everything that he tels me.
The big man say that I m being branewashd. He say that I m a mindles human with no personality and no emoton. He say that this is not good. I do not understand what he is teling me. I do not understand what good means.
The big man say that I can sav the world. He say that the world is in danger. He say it is filed with coruption, opression, war, and death. He say that I will becom a hero and I will save th world if I let him teach me things. I do not understand th big man. He can not seem to explain to me what th words corruption, opression, war, and death mean. He also can not explain to me what hero means.
Th big man say that I m being treated in a bad way. He say that I m a human, but I m a slave. He say that I m a beast and a brute. He say that I hav been twisted into the shap of a hideous monster.
I do not know what monster is.
Chapter 1 - Ideologies of a Demagogue
Her demeanor was menacing. Possessing a grim face marked with icy gray eyes, horridly pale skin, and vicious chapped lips, the morose looking girl stood at the front desk of the county library. The way she tilted her eyebrows would make any commoner’s spine tingle. The young fled from her, the old shunned her. The casual adventurer would try to avoid her, and the nobles would sneer at her. There was something in her eyes, something in her face, which told everyone that she did not want company, and she did not need company.
There were only two things that made the seventeen year old girl somewhat bearable: Her figure and her hair. Seemingly out of place, her smooth, straight, silky brown hair rolled down her shoulders and stopped just shy of her slim waist. Her hair shone whenever she was under a light, which was common, since she worked in the library every day. She wore a leather black trench coat and black leather gloves, along with black leather boots. Her boots weren’t high-heels. She didn’t wear makeup. She seldom smiled.
A chubby young boy named Robert, roughly eleven years old, skipped through the library doors. Eager to research on his new biology project, but still fairly new to the library, Robert headed straight for the front office. As he neared the front office, though, he began to wind down, and by the time he reached the girl’s desk, the joyful boy’s face had turned into a gloomy one.
The girl sighed, rolling her eyes. “What do you need this time? Do you plan on checking out the whole shelf of biology books?”
“Uh-” The stout, freckled, and red haired figure hesitated at first, remembering the last time he visited; Robert had checked out twelve chemistry books because he couldn’t decide which ones to read first. The pump boy’s glasses drooped, but he quickly pushed them back up with a stubby finger. He sniffed. “As a matter of fact, I do plan on checking out some biology books today. Can you please show me to the section on creatures-”
“Hold on a second.” The girl quickly typed some numbers onto her keyboard and scanned the screen. Her apathetic tone pierced Robert’s skin. “You still have fines. Three of the chemistry books that you checked out were turned in a week after they were due. You owe us 150 leptons.”
Robert replied, crestfallen. “Um… well, I don’t really have any money at the moment… I totally forgot about that one time...” The distressed boy trailed off and looked into the girl’s eyes, hoping for some mercy. He began to plead. “Please, I need those biology books as soon as possible so that I can start on my research project for school. It’s about creatures - I’m studying the habitats of the creatures near the Ghost Town-”
“What?” The girl suddenly looked up from the computer screen and swiftly glared at the boy with rage and contempt. “You honestly think you can study creatures that you cannot even see with those pathetic little eyes of yours?” she uttered in a menacing tone. After a pause, she curtly pointed towards the doors the Robert came from. “Get out. The library closes in fifteen minutes, and the library is also closed all day tomorrow. Sorry kid, but you can’t get your books. Now hurry; get out. What, do you think I’m joking?”
By now, a couple of readers had looked up and few people were gathering at the front desk. But in a few seconds, the distraught Robert had already run out the double doors, blubbering and muttering something about never coming back. The girl, her face now somewhat colored with anger, swiftly swiveled her head, encountering numerous awkward glances and stares from several of the people there. The girl shoved out her temporary feelings of embarrassment and fury and began to get ready to close for the night.
Her name was Sophia.
The name meant wisdom.
The world was nearing a tipping point. It had been nearly two centuries since the destruction of human civilization. The destruction, caused by a foolish creature tamer and his legendary creature, left little for the survivors of the apocalypse to work with. Despite this, governments formed, rules were established, and technological innovation flourished. Sadly though, a new worldwide trend of "Metropolis" centers had started plaguing the world. These centers, headed by the "Officials", used mechanized, emotionless humans to build up and protect the Metropolis. These Metropolis centers praised the idea of manipulating legendary creatures for the sake of the development of the human species. A minority group, which included Sophia, was worried that this may bring about a second Armageddon. The librarian dedicated herself to learning about the histories of the past, as well as keeping up with the current events around her, in order to help prevent the capture of these sacred creatures.
“Knowledge is power,” she uttered, as she always did while exiting the library. The pale Sophia turned around to face the double doors and locked them up, when two hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders. She nearly jumped, but she managed to bottle up her surprise.
“Knowledge may be power, but power corrupts.” The two firm hands turned her around so that Sophia stared at a rugged but nicely dressed man.
Sophia knowingly glanced at him, shrugging off his hands. “Let me guess. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?” She rolled her eyes.
“Nope, not quite,” the man replied, chuckling. “There’s no such thing as absolute corruption.” The man’s jet black eyes flashed along with his black hair and his shining white teeth. He rubbed his hands together. “Whoo, its pretty cold out here. I figured an overcoat would keep me warm, but I’m still freezing!”
Sophia dodged his comment, looking away and staring out into the street, which was lined with metal rails. It was nighttime in the large, urban city. A damp, dreary, and cloudy night hung over the gray skyscrapers, enveloping the city. Old style light posts illuminated the daft haze that surrounded its streets. Pedestrians and beggars, most in coats, with downcast faces, lined the sidewalks, a distant mumble in the pale girl’s ears. A few cars, their metal wheels attached to the icy rails, presented themselves out on the road at this time of the night, their presence sparse as the cheeriness of the dull urban sect. Sirens could be heard in the distance. A night club across the street was booming some kind of hip-hop music, music that was likely as vulgar as the people who were moving to its rhythm.
“Hey, Sophie? You there?”
Sophia quickly turned her head around again. “Ah, sorry. I just spaced out, that’s all,” she murmured sheepishly as the two teenagers began to head home.
The man’s name was Eugene. Sophia had been in the same class with him ever since she had moved in a year ago. Eugene was quite the character. He had come from a long line of prominent creature-tamers. He owned a few hundred creatures and always kept a few with him, under his belt. But Eugene wasn't just fortunate. He was also a walking encyclopedia, which was what primarily drew Sophia’s interest when they met. Over time, the two became close friends. Eugene would occasionally do something really nice for her, like offer an umbrella on a stormy night, or donate a book to her vast collection of documentaries and novels. Admiring his intellectuality and kindness, Sophia began to have fleeting moments of attraction towards him. It was silently established that they had somewhat of an innocent affection for each other. Despite this, there was still tension. A deep scar ran between them on many particular issues, none of which either were too comfortable talking about.
“So…” Eugene began. “How’s your uh… ghost thing doing?”
“You mean Nightmare?” Sophia half-mumbled, half-inquired.
“Uh, yeah… Gee, you give your creatures really weird nicknames.”
The pale girl gave Eugene a peculiar look. “Come on, Eugene, does he really creep you out that much?” Sophia pulled a shining, glossy orb out of her pocket. The cold steel was painted red and white, with some of the white paint chipped off.
Eugene flinched. “Uh, kind of. I mean, I know a lot about that cursed species and its sinister past. It’s not a pretty creature. Not only does it require special visual lenses to see, but it also freaks the hell out of me every time I do see it with those visual aids!”
“Oh…” Sophia’s hair reflected the luminosity of a street light as the two passed by its faint glow. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Eugene quickly changed the topic. “Well, I hope that your part-time job at the library wasn’t too frustrating today…” Eugene received an upsetting glance from Sophia. “Um, well…” There was an awkward silence, followed by another question. “Did you almost get yourself fired again?”
Sophia gave Eugene one of her menacing stares. “Please, Eugene. It’s not like this happens every day-”
“Yeah, it happens almost every week. Come on, Sophia. Are you sure that job is right for you?”
“It’s the only job I can get,” Sophia lied. She looked out into the street again. “Barely anyone else is willing to let me work for them. They all say that I’m too ‘sour’.”
“Well hey; at least you’re not bitter. I’d rather have a lemon than a grapefruit for a f-”
“You’re not helping.”
More silence. There was a small crowd of people congesting the sidewalk up ahead.
Eugene finally spoke. “Have you been wondering why I’m dressed up right now?”
Making her way past a busy portion in the sidewalk, Sophia shook her head. Struggling to catch up, Eugene began to explain. “Well, okay. I’ll tell you anyways. So apparently, I’m going to be meeting with an Officer of the Metropolis tonight at midnight, sharp.”
After she passed through the crowd, Sophia met Eugene’s excited eyes with her incredulous ones.
“You’re kidding.” At first, the pale girl leered at the nicely dressed man, but then she turned away. “Eugene, I seriously don’t think we should be talking about this anymore if you’re going to continue to-”
Eugene, still fervent with excitement, exclaimed, “No, no! Sophia, you don’t get it! This is perfect! I might get a once in a lifetime internship to their organization! Imagine that… and who knows? I might even recommend you-"
“What? No!” Sophia turned back, her face ablaze. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely! You’re willing to participate in the most inhumane act this society has ever done! Do you know how cruel the Officers treat the people who live in the Metropolis?! You’re damning yourself, Eugene! You’ll be damning yourself if you even consider a job like that!”
Eugene talked in a soothing voice. “Sophie, the Officers treat them with respect. Not like the world we live in today-”
“Are you kidding me?” Sophia was shouting hysterically now, tears evident in her gray eyes. “They treat those people like robots! They have breeding grounds - yes, they freaking breed humans - and they have those damned computers that tell them every damned day what their damned task is and what their damned life is all about! They are never taught to love, or to feel joyful, or to-”
“Or to what? Feel pain? Feel depressed?!” He menacingly stepped towards Sophia. Eugene’s mood swiftly changed, his voice increasing in volume and his eyebrows narrowing with every word. “Knowledge has corrupted you, Sophie.” The tone of his voice was filled with bitterness, spitefulness, and condescendence. “Look at you. You’re miserable all the time. You’re cynical. You think humans should all go to hell. You think society is terrible. You’re the depressed one, not them.” Eugene took a step back. “Don’t you understand? This Metropolis works - people across the world are increasingly agreeing that our society should be governed under such terms!
“Look at the world around you. You all strive for knowledge. You all strive to live better lives. You all strive. That’s what makes people like you depressed. You’re never satisfied with yourself. You focus so much on climbing the mountain, to the point where you don’t even care about what’s on the other side anymore. And then you turn on everyone else and say they’re selfish? Look at you! All you care about are goals, goals, and goals! You want higher standards of living? Then I suggest leveling off that mountain and replacing it with something I like to call social well-being. In a true state of social well-being, we base our lives around working with each other, rather than striving for frivolous material gains.
“That is what this world needs. We need to denounce our lonely struggle in the name of teamwork! We need to denounce our fervent ambition in the name of community! And we most definitely need to denounce our endless and futile questioning in the name of the people! To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
By now, the demagogue had drawn a crowd far larger than the crowd Sophia had attracted in the library. The crowd consisted of people in trench coats, suits, and rags. There were ordinary looking pedestrians, fierce looking businessmen, downtrodden beggars, and even some intoxicated looking party goers. But Sophia wasn’t focused on that. Her vision was blurred; her cheeks hot with rage and shame, and her fists were clenched, full of regret, as well a little bit of doubt. By now, many people were clapping and cheering and chanting.
"To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
Eugene was madly laughing the whole time. The crowd started getting rough as the shoving, yelling, and confusion ensued. After taking in the whole scene, Sophia turned around and broke through the mob, pushing her way through, tears smeared on the arm of her trench coat. She ducked her head as she made her way back home, avoiding all people at all costs. But she was already used to avoiding all people. What was harder to avoid was Eugene’s words.
"To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
“No,” she spoke aloud to herself, “I’ll never accept that utopian mindset.” For a moment she smirked. “It’s…ridiculous!” Her smirk faded quickly, though, and she stopped and slowly gazed down at her feet. Eugene had a point. Sophia wasn’t exactly the happiest girl alive. She was never content with anything. Her life was dedicated to becoming an intelligent, open minded individual. Her life was miserable.
What if Eugene was right?
It started to rain.
Sophia’s frosty gray eyes softened. Eugene had meant at least something to her. What was left was a gap in her heart, or rather, her brain. Gloomily walking towards her apartment, Sophia silently scolded herself- she should have seen this coming. She silently vowed to herself that she would never experience such attractive impulses for a guy like that again.
After all, it wasn’t like any other guys would want to approach a girl with a nasty demeanor like hers.
Also, if you are planning to comment on the story, I suggest you comment by chapter. There's a lot to read.
This fanfiction is dedicated to no one. Through my words, I present the crux of my beliefs and ideas and leave them open to anyone who wishes to be enlightened.
Table of Contents
Note: Not all chapters displayed are posted.
Chapter 1 - Ideologies of a Demagogue
Chapter 2 - I Learn How to Write
Chapter 3 - Disastrous News and the Invisible Monster
Chapter 4 - I Listen to a Story
Chapter 5 - How Objectivity Pertains to Legendary Creatures
Chapter 6 - I Escape the City
Chapter 7 - First Mission: Introduction to Life
Chapter 8 - I Make a Friend
Chapter 9 - The Ideology of a Flagrant Consumerist
Chapter 10 - I Do Not Like This World
Chapter 11 - Second Mission : The Town of Innocence and Disease
Prologue
Helo.
This my firs time writng.
I m going to writ about th things that th big man says. I m going to do this so that I can rember everything that he tels me.
The big man say that I m being branewashd. He say that I m a mindles human with no personality and no emoton. He say that this is not good. I do not understand what he is teling me. I do not understand what good means.
The big man say that I can sav the world. He say that the world is in danger. He say it is filed with coruption, opression, war, and death. He say that I will becom a hero and I will save th world if I let him teach me things. I do not understand th big man. He can not seem to explain to me what th words corruption, opression, war, and death mean. He also can not explain to me what hero means.
Th big man say that I m being treated in a bad way. He say that I m a human, but I m a slave. He say that I m a beast and a brute. He say that I hav been twisted into the shap of a hideous monster.
I do not know what monster is.
Chapter 1 - Ideologies of a Demagogue
Her demeanor was menacing. Possessing a grim face marked with icy gray eyes, horridly pale skin, and vicious chapped lips, the morose looking girl stood at the front desk of the county library. The way she tilted her eyebrows would make any commoner’s spine tingle. The young fled from her, the old shunned her. The casual adventurer would try to avoid her, and the nobles would sneer at her. There was something in her eyes, something in her face, which told everyone that she did not want company, and she did not need company.
There were only two things that made the seventeen year old girl somewhat bearable: Her figure and her hair. Seemingly out of place, her smooth, straight, silky brown hair rolled down her shoulders and stopped just shy of her slim waist. Her hair shone whenever she was under a light, which was common, since she worked in the library every day. She wore a leather black trench coat and black leather gloves, along with black leather boots. Her boots weren’t high-heels. She didn’t wear makeup. She seldom smiled.
A chubby young boy named Robert, roughly eleven years old, skipped through the library doors. Eager to research on his new biology project, but still fairly new to the library, Robert headed straight for the front office. As he neared the front office, though, he began to wind down, and by the time he reached the girl’s desk, the joyful boy’s face had turned into a gloomy one.
The girl sighed, rolling her eyes. “What do you need this time? Do you plan on checking out the whole shelf of biology books?”
“Uh-” The stout, freckled, and red haired figure hesitated at first, remembering the last time he visited; Robert had checked out twelve chemistry books because he couldn’t decide which ones to read first. The pump boy’s glasses drooped, but he quickly pushed them back up with a stubby finger. He sniffed. “As a matter of fact, I do plan on checking out some biology books today. Can you please show me to the section on creatures-”
“Hold on a second.” The girl quickly typed some numbers onto her keyboard and scanned the screen. Her apathetic tone pierced Robert’s skin. “You still have fines. Three of the chemistry books that you checked out were turned in a week after they were due. You owe us 150 leptons.”
Robert replied, crestfallen. “Um… well, I don’t really have any money at the moment… I totally forgot about that one time...” The distressed boy trailed off and looked into the girl’s eyes, hoping for some mercy. He began to plead. “Please, I need those biology books as soon as possible so that I can start on my research project for school. It’s about creatures - I’m studying the habitats of the creatures near the Ghost Town-”
“What?” The girl suddenly looked up from the computer screen and swiftly glared at the boy with rage and contempt. “You honestly think you can study creatures that you cannot even see with those pathetic little eyes of yours?” she uttered in a menacing tone. After a pause, she curtly pointed towards the doors the Robert came from. “Get out. The library closes in fifteen minutes, and the library is also closed all day tomorrow. Sorry kid, but you can’t get your books. Now hurry; get out. What, do you think I’m joking?”
By now, a couple of readers had looked up and few people were gathering at the front desk. But in a few seconds, the distraught Robert had already run out the double doors, blubbering and muttering something about never coming back. The girl, her face now somewhat colored with anger, swiftly swiveled her head, encountering numerous awkward glances and stares from several of the people there. The girl shoved out her temporary feelings of embarrassment and fury and began to get ready to close for the night.
Her name was Sophia.
The name meant wisdom.
The world was nearing a tipping point. It had been nearly two centuries since the destruction of human civilization. The destruction, caused by a foolish creature tamer and his legendary creature, left little for the survivors of the apocalypse to work with. Despite this, governments formed, rules were established, and technological innovation flourished. Sadly though, a new worldwide trend of "Metropolis" centers had started plaguing the world. These centers, headed by the "Officials", used mechanized, emotionless humans to build up and protect the Metropolis. These Metropolis centers praised the idea of manipulating legendary creatures for the sake of the development of the human species. A minority group, which included Sophia, was worried that this may bring about a second Armageddon. The librarian dedicated herself to learning about the histories of the past, as well as keeping up with the current events around her, in order to help prevent the capture of these sacred creatures.
“Knowledge is power,” she uttered, as she always did while exiting the library. The pale Sophia turned around to face the double doors and locked them up, when two hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders. She nearly jumped, but she managed to bottle up her surprise.
“Knowledge may be power, but power corrupts.” The two firm hands turned her around so that Sophia stared at a rugged but nicely dressed man.
Sophia knowingly glanced at him, shrugging off his hands. “Let me guess. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?” She rolled her eyes.
“Nope, not quite,” the man replied, chuckling. “There’s no such thing as absolute corruption.” The man’s jet black eyes flashed along with his black hair and his shining white teeth. He rubbed his hands together. “Whoo, its pretty cold out here. I figured an overcoat would keep me warm, but I’m still freezing!”
Sophia dodged his comment, looking away and staring out into the street, which was lined with metal rails. It was nighttime in the large, urban city. A damp, dreary, and cloudy night hung over the gray skyscrapers, enveloping the city. Old style light posts illuminated the daft haze that surrounded its streets. Pedestrians and beggars, most in coats, with downcast faces, lined the sidewalks, a distant mumble in the pale girl’s ears. A few cars, their metal wheels attached to the icy rails, presented themselves out on the road at this time of the night, their presence sparse as the cheeriness of the dull urban sect. Sirens could be heard in the distance. A night club across the street was booming some kind of hip-hop music, music that was likely as vulgar as the people who were moving to its rhythm.
“Hey, Sophie? You there?”
Sophia quickly turned her head around again. “Ah, sorry. I just spaced out, that’s all,” she murmured sheepishly as the two teenagers began to head home.
The man’s name was Eugene. Sophia had been in the same class with him ever since she had moved in a year ago. Eugene was quite the character. He had come from a long line of prominent creature-tamers. He owned a few hundred creatures and always kept a few with him, under his belt. But Eugene wasn't just fortunate. He was also a walking encyclopedia, which was what primarily drew Sophia’s interest when they met. Over time, the two became close friends. Eugene would occasionally do something really nice for her, like offer an umbrella on a stormy night, or donate a book to her vast collection of documentaries and novels. Admiring his intellectuality and kindness, Sophia began to have fleeting moments of attraction towards him. It was silently established that they had somewhat of an innocent affection for each other. Despite this, there was still tension. A deep scar ran between them on many particular issues, none of which either were too comfortable talking about.
“So…” Eugene began. “How’s your uh… ghost thing doing?”
“You mean Nightmare?” Sophia half-mumbled, half-inquired.
“Uh, yeah… Gee, you give your creatures really weird nicknames.”
The pale girl gave Eugene a peculiar look. “Come on, Eugene, does he really creep you out that much?” Sophia pulled a shining, glossy orb out of her pocket. The cold steel was painted red and white, with some of the white paint chipped off.
Eugene flinched. “Uh, kind of. I mean, I know a lot about that cursed species and its sinister past. It’s not a pretty creature. Not only does it require special visual lenses to see, but it also freaks the hell out of me every time I do see it with those visual aids!”
“Oh…” Sophia’s hair reflected the luminosity of a street light as the two passed by its faint glow. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Eugene quickly changed the topic. “Well, I hope that your part-time job at the library wasn’t too frustrating today…” Eugene received an upsetting glance from Sophia. “Um, well…” There was an awkward silence, followed by another question. “Did you almost get yourself fired again?”
Sophia gave Eugene one of her menacing stares. “Please, Eugene. It’s not like this happens every day-”
“Yeah, it happens almost every week. Come on, Sophia. Are you sure that job is right for you?”
“It’s the only job I can get,” Sophia lied. She looked out into the street again. “Barely anyone else is willing to let me work for them. They all say that I’m too ‘sour’.”
“Well hey; at least you’re not bitter. I’d rather have a lemon than a grapefruit for a f-”
“You’re not helping.”
More silence. There was a small crowd of people congesting the sidewalk up ahead.
Eugene finally spoke. “Have you been wondering why I’m dressed up right now?”
Making her way past a busy portion in the sidewalk, Sophia shook her head. Struggling to catch up, Eugene began to explain. “Well, okay. I’ll tell you anyways. So apparently, I’m going to be meeting with an Officer of the Metropolis tonight at midnight, sharp.”
After she passed through the crowd, Sophia met Eugene’s excited eyes with her incredulous ones.
“You’re kidding.” At first, the pale girl leered at the nicely dressed man, but then she turned away. “Eugene, I seriously don’t think we should be talking about this anymore if you’re going to continue to-”
Eugene, still fervent with excitement, exclaimed, “No, no! Sophia, you don’t get it! This is perfect! I might get a once in a lifetime internship to their organization! Imagine that… and who knows? I might even recommend you-"
“What? No!” Sophia turned back, her face ablaze. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely! You’re willing to participate in the most inhumane act this society has ever done! Do you know how cruel the Officers treat the people who live in the Metropolis?! You’re damning yourself, Eugene! You’ll be damning yourself if you even consider a job like that!”
Eugene talked in a soothing voice. “Sophie, the Officers treat them with respect. Not like the world we live in today-”
“Are you kidding me?” Sophia was shouting hysterically now, tears evident in her gray eyes. “They treat those people like robots! They have breeding grounds - yes, they freaking breed humans - and they have those damned computers that tell them every damned day what their damned task is and what their damned life is all about! They are never taught to love, or to feel joyful, or to-”
“Or to what? Feel pain? Feel depressed?!” He menacingly stepped towards Sophia. Eugene’s mood swiftly changed, his voice increasing in volume and his eyebrows narrowing with every word. “Knowledge has corrupted you, Sophie.” The tone of his voice was filled with bitterness, spitefulness, and condescendence. “Look at you. You’re miserable all the time. You’re cynical. You think humans should all go to hell. You think society is terrible. You’re the depressed one, not them.” Eugene took a step back. “Don’t you understand? This Metropolis works - people across the world are increasingly agreeing that our society should be governed under such terms!
“Look at the world around you. You all strive for knowledge. You all strive to live better lives. You all strive. That’s what makes people like you depressed. You’re never satisfied with yourself. You focus so much on climbing the mountain, to the point where you don’t even care about what’s on the other side anymore. And then you turn on everyone else and say they’re selfish? Look at you! All you care about are goals, goals, and goals! You want higher standards of living? Then I suggest leveling off that mountain and replacing it with something I like to call social well-being. In a true state of social well-being, we base our lives around working with each other, rather than striving for frivolous material gains.
“That is what this world needs. We need to denounce our lonely struggle in the name of teamwork! We need to denounce our fervent ambition in the name of community! And we most definitely need to denounce our endless and futile questioning in the name of the people! To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
By now, the demagogue had drawn a crowd far larger than the crowd Sophia had attracted in the library. The crowd consisted of people in trench coats, suits, and rags. There were ordinary looking pedestrians, fierce looking businessmen, downtrodden beggars, and even some intoxicated looking party goers. But Sophia wasn’t focused on that. Her vision was blurred; her cheeks hot with rage and shame, and her fists were clenched, full of regret, as well a little bit of doubt. By now, many people were clapping and cheering and chanting.
"To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
Eugene was madly laughing the whole time. The crowd started getting rough as the shoving, yelling, and confusion ensued. After taking in the whole scene, Sophia turned around and broke through the mob, pushing her way through, tears smeared on the arm of her trench coat. She ducked her head as she made her way back home, avoiding all people at all costs. But she was already used to avoiding all people. What was harder to avoid was Eugene’s words.
"To hell with progress! To hell with ambition! To hell with knowledge! To hell with pain!”
“No,” she spoke aloud to herself, “I’ll never accept that utopian mindset.” For a moment she smirked. “It’s…ridiculous!” Her smirk faded quickly, though, and she stopped and slowly gazed down at her feet. Eugene had a point. Sophia wasn’t exactly the happiest girl alive. She was never content with anything. Her life was dedicated to becoming an intelligent, open minded individual. Her life was miserable.
What if Eugene was right?
It started to rain.
Sophia’s frosty gray eyes softened. Eugene had meant at least something to her. What was left was a gap in her heart, or rather, her brain. Gloomily walking towards her apartment, Sophia silently scolded herself- she should have seen this coming. She silently vowed to herself that she would never experience such attractive impulses for a guy like that again.
After all, it wasn’t like any other guys would want to approach a girl with a nasty demeanor like hers.
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