Young Writers Society

“The Perfection Trials. These science experiments have been proven to eliminate flaws and change the definition of humanity. Soon, we hope to change humanity for the better-“ Emily opened the panel in the wall, pulling out two case files. She placed one in front of Alex, and the other in front of Sadie.

“Read through these, and tell me how their lives would change if they were flawless.”

Alex picked up the one placed in front of them. “It’s yours, Sadie.”

Sadie frowned; perplexed. She realized Alex’s was in front of her. They must have gotten them mixed up. Sadie slid Alex’s file towards them and reached for her own.

“Don’t switch. Sadie, open Alex’s file. How could their life improve without flaws?”

Emily sat down again, sliding back into her perfect sitting position, posture straight and hands folded on her lap.

Sadie hesitated, looking at Alex to see what they thought about all this. But then she hesitantly pulled their file back to herself and flipped it open. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was a detailed record of their life. It was almost creepy—

A horrifying thought hit her. If she had Alex’s — then they must have hers. And she didn’t want to know what dirt they’d dug up on her. It was a thick folder. She reached for it again, wanting to get it away from them before they could read it.

Emily gently placed a hand on her file. “Answer the question, Sadie Lovett.” Her half-smile seemed almost sinister now, even though it hasn’t changed. Her white clothes seemed to glow with the walls, and her eyes, those drowning green eyes, locked onto Sadie with a strange combination of pleasantries and water-downed anger.

Sadie felt threatened. She started at Emily for a long moment, feeling increasingly unsettled. She stood up. “I want to leave.”

“Meyer, it’s clear they won’t listen to me. Explain the importance, please.”

Alex tapped their fingers on their thigh, trying to talk xemself out of a panic.

“Yo, let’s all be chill about this.” Meyer stayed seated, looking at Sadie calmly. “This isn’t a big deal. Just a chat. Nothing more. We’re just getting to know each other.”

“No, we’re not,” Sadie argued, glaring at him. “I don’t know anything about any of you except the two of you are creepy stalkers and there’s no reason for me to stay here with you creeps.”

“You wanna know what this is all about,” Meyer said.

“No, I don’t,” she snapped.

“Yes you do. You’re curious or you’re bored or you’re both or you wouldn’t have shown up. You really gonna let a few questions get under your skin and get you all worked up?”

She glared at him.

“Cmon, give it a shot,” Meyer said easily, gesturing at her seat.

She glared at him, then at the other two, but reluctantly sat back down.

“Thank you, Meyer.” Emily say up straighter, if that was even possible. “Now, would it make you feel more comfortable. We have 897 from to choose ones. You could also request to hear failed stories for encouragement.”

Alex cleared their throat, face burning at the sudden attention. “We just uh, well I-“ Xe shook their head. “Why are you doing this? Without the cryptic answers about light and dark and what not. What are you gaining from this?”

Sadie nodded. Alex raised a good point -- and she agreed with them fully on this. This all seemed like some sick game... although Meyer was right that Sadie was curious about it all.

"I'll let you take this one, Ems," Meyer said.

“This experiment isn’t my own, and it would be a mistake to speak on behalf of motives I don’t understand. However, even I can understand the benefits of a perfect humanity. We have all subjected ourselves to mistakes, thinking they’re inevitable.”

Emily picked up the two case files. “Alex Garcia, imagine your life if your parents were perfect and responded with kindness when you came out. And Sadie Lovett, imagine your life if your parents were perfect as well. Imperfection is the root of all pain, and it benefits everyone for it to be eradicated.”

She put the files back into the panel, closing it quietly. “This experiment will save the world. If we refuse to let it, everything that’s ever been will be ground into powder. The world will land in impenetrable darkness.”

(Oop! Sorry for the delay! I thought I'd replied until I just came back to check if you had and realized I never actually finished my post. Sorry!)

"How doom and gloom of you," Sadie said dryly. She crossed her arms and sat back in her chairs, locking eyes with Meyer. "You seem to be less full of it than she is. Give it to me straight. None of this darkness and light nonsense."

"Oh, so now you like straight things?" Meyer lifted an eyebrow.

She snorted, but it was enough to draw a smirk out of her.

"You know the saying 'life sucks and then you die'? Think of this like that. Only, we're gonna teach you how to make your stuff stop stinking. Get the bug out of the code of your life, so to speak."

She glared at him, and if looks could kill, his life would be in danger. She'd sort of settled in doing freelance hacking work for hire. A fantastic programmer. How did he know that?

"See, if you would have cooperated, you would have known we knew that," Meyer said, guessing her thoughts. "It's alllll in your file."

Sadie glared at him, then at Alex, wondering what they thought of it all.

Alex usually didn't know how to react to things. They were taught young that xer first response was always wrong, and wrong was always painful. But, for once in their life, they were very, very sure of how xe felt.

Alex did not like this, not one little bit.

First of all, how long had the trials been stockpiling that file? It was cruel and unusual that they didn't get to see their own file, but xe was pretty sure it was... extensive. Far too much to their liking. One thing Sadie did not need to see was, well, the entire damn file.

And, of course, one of the caseworkers was speaking in riddles like a Saw movie wannabe, and the other was trying his best. And Sadie...

God Sadie.

They liked Sadie already. And Sadie didn't want to be here, so why would Alex want to be here?

Oh, that's right, because xe was practically homeless and unemployed! So not only were they in some weird stalker's lab, xe had no way out. How fun!

Alex sighed, deeply and painfully sighed, before sinking their face in xer hands. "You planned this, didn't you? You purposely choose people so desperate, they can't help but agree to your conditions. Well, it's working. I hope you're happy."

Alex quickly stood, scattering the chair in their wake, before rushing out of the room. Collapsing onto the hallway floor, they stifled their breath to mask the sounds of their frantic hyperventilation. Xer parents always told them they'd end up at rock bottom, nowhere to go.

They decided xe hated it when they were right.

"You're sorely mistaken if you think I need you." Sadie kept her arms crossed, looking sourly between Emily and Meyer. She felt bad for Alex, but she was more confrontational than they seemed to be. They were on their own for now. She had bigger fish to fry.

"Then why are you here?" Meyer asked challengingly.

"I was bored," she said crisply, looking back at him with the same challenging expression on her face and a glint in her eye. "And now I'm getting annoyed."

"And yet you're still curious." Meyer finally leaned forward, putting his hands down on the table as he looked at her. "You wouldn't still be here if you weren't."

"I'll walk out right now," Sadie threatened. "Try me."

"Go for it. There's the door." Meyer gestured at it. "Feel free to go back to living your dead-end little life from the back of your crappy car."

"My life is just fine," Sadie snapped, standing up.

"Sure, if you're happy with mediocrity." Meyer leaned back, crossing his arms again. "I mean, you'll never know how we found you or collected this whole file on your life or why you're here. But go for it."

She glared at him.

"Or have a seat and try to be good for once in your life."

Emily sat there, watching the two argue without a single reaction. Her face didn't change, her body language constant. "Sadie Lovett, The Perfection Trials does not seek to harm you, only to help. If you refuse its help, that is your choice. I will not stop you, but I highly advise against it. Now, you seem quite agitated, so if you need a moment to step out and collect your thoughts, feel free to do so."