Through the glimmering and polished streets with barely any cars. Through the narrow lanes and cobblestone sidewalks. Through the rolling hills and jagged mountains. Through the fog and rain and snow. Through the cool air that comes with though. Past the dense forests with lots of birds. Past the bare trees ripped of all their leaves. And past the stone barrier that separates us from the outside world — there lives a small place nestled behind rows of trees and hills. The stench of fresh pine drifts through the air as people glide through the streets.

The sun shines down on them as it always does — they have never had a cloudy day, nor have they had rain; but they are not a dry place. The ground is moist and warm, as the grass flourishes with the nourishing sun. The people who are there haven’t been able to crack the mystery of how there is moist ground. The modern and fancy lanterns shine bright all the time, spreading their harrowing light round the place. The sky is bright with zero clouds scattered around. Though they are warm, they have never been cold. It has been this warm all year round, and it has been that way for 78 years. 

Some say that this land is perfection because everyone is smiling and enjoying their time. Except one…

The boy who no one knows his name sits on a stool each day. His mother comes by with food every once in a while, to restore the cheerfulness that he has been rid of. There is no reason to his distress, he is emotionless. Perhaps he has uncovered the secrets that this land holds; or perhaps he has just had a bad day. People walk past him as he stares blankly. His skin is red and blistering from the sun, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Sometimes people think he’s homeless and living in a state of poverty. Some people walk over with a basket with fresh apples or pears and offers them to him, but he never speaks back, or perhaps he hasn’t had the time to learn. 

In the truth, he is the only person who hasn’t been brainwashed. When he was young, he ripped a large machine that fit over his head off, but the doctors didn’t notice, so he lived on his life as a normal person, rid of the happiness that everyone else had. People can hardly believe the stories from outside their land. Stories of depression and agony, everyone is in disbelief when they hear about the outside world. Some were invested in the mysteries about the outside world, but they couldn’t find anything else besides what they told them. In the schools, people go outside and play endlessly. The schools teach the lesson of adventure and exploration, but they do teach normal subjects too. To everyone in the land, it is simply ‘perfection.’ To the one boy, who wishes he could leave. That’s all he’s ever wanted to do…