His Happy Daughter

Day One

"Daddy!" "Shhh! Rosemary, darling, remember what daddy has told you?" "But I want to play outside." "I know, baby, but if you go outside, we both will get really really hurt." "But-" "Please go back inside."

Rosemary Hale hated how her father would keep her stuck in their house all the time. She wanted to run around, to go on duty with her father, to be able to exist without fearing death. She was 13 at the time, and her father said she wasn't allowed out into the town until she was at least 18. She was sitting on the roof of her house that was just outside of her room, watching all of the Bobbies walking around. She watched as people went in and out of red Booths, seemingly happier than before. "Rose?" A voice came from inside the house. She scurried into the open window, her father standing in the middle of her bedroom.

"Rosemary, what have I told you about sitting on the rooftops?" He sighed. She crossed her arms and glanced at the window. "No one saw." She never understood why it's such a big deal to be hidden in a world where everyone's high out of their minds. "Because constables and doctors are on a different type of Joy than others are. Even if people are on Joy, children are a fear of the past. If you're spotted by anyone, it'll be utter hell, and we'll both get killed."

These two tend to have this argument every day. She never understood why children were sent away, and why they're now outlawed. "How does Uncle Jack expect us to live if none can bear a child." Rosemary fought back. Her father stared her down, opening his mouth to talk, when there was a knock on the door. "Oh- bugger. Stay here, Rose." And he quickly went down the stairs. Rose moved to the hallway, sitting back against the wall before the banister. Her home was small, quite tall as well, and her father found it lucky that this was the house without people up his ass, questioning why a single man needed a house for two.

"Constable Hale, good afternoon! There's been some noise complaints about your house? Some people even claim to have seen a child? I'd fear finding you with a child." Someone stood outside of the door. Rose glanced around the wall corner, and looked down at her father standing in front of the door, blocking whoever could be standing just outside. "A child? No, I don't have a child, it's illegal. Some people probably just overdosed on Joy, and are hallucinating their childlike innocence back in an outwards perspective." Rose's father shrugged. "Ah, I see. Well, I wish you a good night, sir." The man outside the door slightly bowed, and went on his way.

The door clicked shut, and the constable sighed, before looking up the stairs. Rose quickly ducked her head back, as he made his way upstairs. He was significantly taller than her, especially since she was sitting, he towered over her. "That's why I want you to stay inside." He spoke. Rose crossed her arms and turned away from her father. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and crouched down to his level, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Rosy, I love you. That's why I need you to stay inside. If it's ever found that I am keeping a child-"

"We both die. I know." She tightened her grip on her arms. He stood up, knowing that getting to her would be a struggle. He went down the stairs of the house, and started working in the kitchen. Rose stood up and went back into her room, digging around in her bedside drawer. She grabbed a bottle full of Joy pills. The bottle she held had brown pills in it. Two more bottles were on the drawer she dug through, one bottle pink, and the other white. Her father, despite being a constable, never forced her on Joy. Since she isn't a part of the real world, yet, she doesn't really need to be on it. She has enough childlike innocence where taking the pills wouldn't do anything but ruin her memory.

She opened the bottle in her hand and looked at the brown pills that lay in the bottle. She grabbed one and looked at it, observing the tiny pill she held. "Rose." His voice was so calm behind her. "Why did people start having these?" She asked, studying the pill, unable to take her eyes off of it. "I can't tell you that, darling." He spoke, walking to stand beside her. "What does it do?" She glanced at him. Curiosity lining her face, clouding her judgment. "I highly recommend you try it, but once you start, you are not allowed to stop, understand?" His voice was stern. She glanced back down at the brown pill she held, looking intensely at it. Popping it into her mouth, and taking it dry, she realized it tasted like chocolate. Chocolate's a nice flavor. Her room around her became bright and cheery, and she suddenly felt any and all worried that she could have slip away.

The constable sighed, happy that his daughter is one step closer to being able to adjust to the life that's been made for her, but something tugged in the back of his mind. It wasn't wrong for his daughter to try this drug, it was the law. So why did it feel wrong? "Come, let's have dinner." He spoke, taking off the mask he wore, and holding a sincere smile for the girl he's raised. She smiled back at him, and went "okay!" And followed him downstairs, a newfound excitement in her.