The Void Outside

Revolutions of the Rebellious (4)

Today is 3 Day. On 3 Days people of E clean their seclusion. The process of cleaning a seclusion is to do it with house members to maintain perfection, but those who need to clean are checked down for living in an imperfect place. After five checks, all imperfect people occupying the imperfect seclusion are punished. In E, all seclusions must be spotless to be perfect to raise perfect people.

The little one, now nine and alone in their seclusion never has to clean on five days. Punishments were introduced in E to teach people how to be perfect from imperfect people, eliminating most imperfect people. The little one learned enough from others and their caretaker to be just like everyone else. They keep their world safe from the unique nature of the world before them. The little one is the reason punishments keep being taken out. Punishments are the only force effective enough to create a safe environment for all deserving members of E.

Seclusions in E aren't as decorated as the homes in the old world. Changes to rooms are made by Council members only. Anyone who makes changes of their own is not a perfect person. The little one is bored most days. But from the old world videos they watch every 1 Day, the little one knows showing boredom makes an imperfect person.

They remade their bed and dusted off the empty shelves. Turning the tabs on and off, they checked for discoloration in the water. They pulled down towels to appropriately fit the rack and swiped all fog stains off the surface. 3 Days are supposed to be easy. Clean the basics of the seclusion and silently wait for the day to continue. Meals aren't served until after the activity of the day.

It hurt the little one to sit alone. The last time they got to sit across from anyone in their seclusion was spent attempting to convince each other of following their lead. No one won because no one person ever wins in E. That's not how it works in an equal world. And the little one was the only one who could understand that.

The day prior, the little one witnessed another Void punishment. It was easier to watch now that they had experienced almost a decade of punishments. It was seen as an accepted fact the life of E. That's how the world doesn't fall apart. They are sacrifices if they offer nothing valuable. Punishments are okay. But they still twitched as the gates silenced the imperfect little person's screams. Not enough to claim imperfection for their own, but enough to feel it and beg for it to stop. And it did stop because the little one is perfect.

All seclusion doors unlocked and opened. It's time for the first meal. Everyone in E followed each other down the vast halls of the seclusion building. They entered the cafeteria and sat in the same order they left their seclusions in. Council members scanned all in the cafeteria and only released E for food when everyone had been accounted for. Perfect people stay in order; it's easier that way.

The little one ate and left when they were supposed to. Without their caretaker, it was harder to push food down their throat, but perfect people eat when they're told to.
They left when they were told to and sat in the garden. With no one to talk about the previous meal with, it was quiet and lonely. It hurt to watch other seclusion members converse.

When conversations were done, the little one followed E to the factory where they would work the metal arms to creating new beds for new perfect members of E. But those perfect members won't be perfect forever. No one is perfect for...

Next is second meal. The little one followed E back to the cafeteria and ate when told to. Only four times did they choke on their food, shoving the rest down the closed throat while watching others stuff bite after bite in their own mouths. Then it was over again. It's always over thirty minutes after it begins, and it never changes. Nothing in E ever changes, and it's...

Back to work after lunch. For five more hours the little one works where they're directed to work. It's never the same. Always in the factory but never at the same station. The Council needs members of E to change positions sometimes. If someone doesn't listen, they get sho...

It's down time in seclusion after that. Like a brown recluse they've seen so many times in the old world videos, the little one waits to hunt for their prey when it's silent and empty.

Equality is perfect. Perfect is structured. Structured is same. Same is equality.

That's what everyone in E is told, but two years ago the little one was told by their caretaker that E doesn't stand for equality. The little one was never given the real meaning by their caretaker, but they don't need an answer. And permission doesn't need to be given to do things. The little one wouldn't be attending third meal, and without a sickness, this would be their final strike until punishment was given to them. Punishment is better than E.

The door opened and the little one stayed seated. Once everyone in the cafeteria was scanned and accounted for, the Council would look for the little one. They watched the people of E walk past their door until the last person disappeared behind the wall. The little one stood up, checked the long corridors and ran to the exit of the seclusion building.

Unnecessary noise in E is imperfect, yet it was impossible to catch. No one would hear the little one. They escaped punishment in that moment. But they showed imperfection to everyone in the cafeteria, which causes punishment. Scraped knees and skinned palms aren't enough punishment to teach people perfection.

The little one pushed themself up to their feet, looking behind themself and scanning the area before continuing forward. "Count your breathes," their caretaker said. "One, two, three, start over... One, two, three, and again... One, two, three... One, two..."

Without looking forward, the little one ran into a Council member. They were slammed to the ground and held as the beginning of their punishment. A member of E would be seen as imperfect if they forced someone on the ground. The Council members are im...

"Let me go!" The little one hit the Council member's ankle, kicking their feet to try slithering away. "Let go! It hurts!"

The little one wasn't listened to as an imperfect person never gets heard. It is a privilege to be heard. The rest of E took a break before it was the scheduled bedtime to watch the little one's punishment. As the videos shown to perfect people suggested, being raised in an unhealthy environment with caretakers that didn't follow the rules always results in a rebellion by the younger people. Influence, though it's been attempted to be rejected in E, always exists. E isn't equal.

Never did the little one think they'd be on the other side of a Void punishment, but it's better this way. The Void is better than E. Anything is better than E, and no matter how much the little one wanted to think otherwise, their mother was right. E is just as dangerous as the Void, but in the Void also happens to be freewill. If the little one's mother couldn't find that, then they'd make sure they did.

Still, the Void was stuffy and nauseating; the Void was still far from perfect, and the little one was scared. They kicked and screamed and cried and pled, anything to escape the grasp of the Council. They didn't want to leave, but it was too late now.

"Help me! I'm scared!" It seemed more people of E found their own imperfection and begged the little one to be let go. A nine year old has more of a voice than a three year old, but nine year olds usually learn what true perfection in E is. The little one didn't learn from past executions.

The Council gathered the begging members of E and held them outside, ready to release them to the imperfection of the Void. All imperfect people go to the Void, and everyone enters the Void sometime.

"Please! I'm sorry, let me go home!" Nothing worked, though.

The Council stepped back into E with their guns drawn to the imperfect people. Slowly, the cries of the little one and all innocent victims were silenced by the gate.

Imperfect people are not allowed to spread their imperfect beliefs.