Beyond The Happy Pills

[1]

Natsu

I stared at my father as he gathered our identification papers and stuffed them into his briefcase. He checked and checked the copious amount of papers to make sure it said everything necessary.

"Relax dad," I said as I crossed my arms. We were in line to board the train and his worried expression was giving me a headache. "We'll be fine. We have all the papers, and I'm sure they'll recognize you."

My dad, Igneel, took a nervous glance around him before he took a deep breath. "Right...not many people are allowed to come into the town."

"More like nobody is allowed to enter that town at all." I said after an eye roll, "I still don't understand why we have to leave our perfectly okay home to go to this...suspicious, shady, weird town."

"They offered me a job." Dad fixed his red tie, "in case you haven't notice, I'm a big deal. A famous scientist can go a long way. Moving to Magnolia would do us some good, financial wise."

  I nodded my head, "for the money. That's the only reason I'm okay with leaving my friends. We need the money."

  "That we do my son." Dad rolled up one of the papers and slapped my chest with it. "After your wrench of a mother walked out on us we have been barely making enough for rent. I appreciate you offering to get a job, but I don't want you to drop out of school. You are seventeen, you have a future."

  I rolled my eyes, "right."

"PLEASE BOARD THE TRAIN, PLEASE STEP A FOOT BACK FROM THE YELLOW LINE' a tired-sounding male voice said over the intercom. Everyone moved back one, then when they train arrived the line started moving as everyone started walking toward the train to board. I rolled my suitcase behind me. My stomach began to fill with butterflies, we were so close. There was no going back.

"Go back." Or maybe there was. A man looked at our papers and pulled out a white document of his own and put them side by side, possibly to see if they matched. He folded his paper again and stuffed it into the back of his pocket. "Please go back, your train won't leave until this one will."

Igneel nodded. "Okay, How long will we wait for our train?" He moved aside so people could pass us.

"Since you are the only ones boarding the train, it should be here exactly after this one leaves. They don't want a lot of unwanted attention from people." The man in the security getup said.

"Whose they?" I asked curiously. He ignored me and touched my back, guiding me and my dad toward the back of the line. After we made it to a bench he patted my back. "Sit and wait please." He walked away while talking into an intercom.

"That was even shadier."

"I think they told me this would happen," Dad mused. "I must've forgotten."

People stuffed themselves into the train. "This is gonna take forever."

My dad groaned, "better get comfortable."

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After the train was stuffed with people and their stuff it left. Not seconds later, our train arrived. People looked down at their papers to see if that's the train they ride, but it wasn't.

My dad and I walked toward the security for the second time, and this time we were welcomed in. It felt like royalty to enter that train. We were the only ones there, the only ones allowed in. The security guards told people to back off as we entered. The moment I sat down the train bolted.

My dad was still standing up so he promptly fell and I was glued to the seat. The train went so fast I felt as if I would be squished into my chair. "Why the fuck isn't their seatbelts!" I shouted.

"I wish I was on a fucking seat!" My dad caviled as he tried his hardest to stand up.

The train slowed down a bit, which relieved me greatly. My dad was able to get up with a dizzy look on his face and walked next to me and sit down.

I turned my head toward the window next to me. I presumed or at least hoped, I would be facing a beautiful town with bountiful land and tall green trees...instead I stared at a wall. All I could see was the grey wall of a building we were in.

My dad fixed his hair and I kept my eyes at the wall. Soon our train stopped and we stood up, the doors open and we were greeted by these two women who held cups, water bottles, and the widest smiles known to man.

"Hello and welcome to our town!" One girl basically squealed. My dad nodded toward them in acknowledgment. He probably wasn't too cheery after he face planted not too long ago.

"I'm sorry about the train, we don't get any visitors at all! You two are the first ones ever!" Another one said in the highest pitch possible.

I learned a bit into my dad and whispered in his ear, "shady."

My dad shrugged me off and pointed toward the cups and bottles. "What is this?"

"Oh! This is the pills you are supposed to drink!" One giggled. "Silly me! Forgetting!"

"Why do we drink pills?" I asked.

"This town is one big experiment. The government is trying to see if people could live happily and if there would be any conflicts. So far it has been successful." Igneel opened his briefcase and pulled out a white paper with a bar graph. "See, these people used to be 'savages', until the government started making them swallow this pill." He grabbed one of the women's cup. "According to statistics, people live better with the pill."

  "In order for you two to live here, you have promised to drink the pill every morning and whenever you two feel it starting to wear off." One of the preppy women said.

"That sounds like a hassle," I complained.

"You'll learn better in the new school you'll be attending." Dad gave me one of the small cups and water bottles. "Drink."

I tilted my head back and swallowed the transparent pill and water. "Thanks." I croaked as I gave back the cup and bottle. My father swallowed his own pill.

"Where to now?" I asked as I stuff my hands into my pockets.

The women giggled and said in unison. "Our town!"