Status: Possible epilogue... but probably not.
Foster's School for the Socially Awkward and Normality Challenged
Freedom
I heard Foster scream as I rounded up all of the parents and kept repeating the same phrases.
“Move along, nothing to see here. That’s right, back to your cars. Go home.”
The “normalized” students stood at attention, wondering what was going on, but not talking out of place or moving out of line. What did she do to them?
“Okay, guys. I want you all to do what you want, dress how you want, and act how you want. Now, what do you all want to do?” I said enthusiastically. If we’re going to take over, we’d might as well turn these guys into ex-ex-oddities.
“We would like to continue our graduation ceremony.” One said, raising their hand.
“Foster’s not here, you guys. You can drop the act.” I said.
“It would be rude of us to act. We would like to get on with our normal, productive lives.” Another added.
“Oh, come on. Remember rock n’ roll? Art? Piercings? Hair Dye? Tattoos? The freakin’ internet?! You can’t possibly tell me you’re happier like this!”
“Happiness is not our objective. We were put on this planet to be a productive member of society, and that is our true direction.” One said. I recognized her. It was Karen. The very same one that had helped us break out so many of those poor kids.
“I- I’m not happy. I want to b-be happy...” Another stuttered. He walked off the small graduation stage and joined me on the ground.
“You know what... it’s the same with me.” A second said.
“Me too!” A third chimed in. Most of the people on stage were joining me by that point. All except Karen, who stood alone.
“What did they do to you? Don’t you remember all of the ones you helped to escape? You were just so happy being you.” I questioned her. She still stood there, not answering my questions. I sighed and walked back to the school, hoping she would follow. Then I realized that it was her own rebellion. She was defying the defiant, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud. When I walked through the door, I found Mrs. Foster tied up in a chair, her mouth taped shut. Eddy was next to her, in the same situation. Their faces were turning red from the amount of screaming they were doing. Michael and Thomas were nowhere to be found. Everyone else was running around, enjoying some freedom.
“Hey. Ya miss me?” Greg asked, coming up behind me.
“How did you guys do this? I’ve only been out there for what, like, five minutes?” I responded.
“Teamwork, baby.” He smiled, leading me to the wing we hadn’t known existed.
“We’ve got tons more rooms. Enough for everyone to have their own!”
“Yeah... but I like the idea of room mates. How about we let everyone choose?”
“Sounds good.”
Dante came walking up behind me. I wondered why, due to the fact that there was a whole floor of the building he would’ve had for himself.
“Alexia...?” He said cautiously. I nodded, and waited for him to say something else. He took a gigantic breath in, and let it out slowly. Next, he did something. He hugged me. His arms weren’t rigid, and his breathing was only slightly irregular. He wasn’t forced, either.
“Thanks.”
“Move along, nothing to see here. That’s right, back to your cars. Go home.”
The “normalized” students stood at attention, wondering what was going on, but not talking out of place or moving out of line. What did she do to them?
“Okay, guys. I want you all to do what you want, dress how you want, and act how you want. Now, what do you all want to do?” I said enthusiastically. If we’re going to take over, we’d might as well turn these guys into ex-ex-oddities.
“We would like to continue our graduation ceremony.” One said, raising their hand.
“Foster’s not here, you guys. You can drop the act.” I said.
“It would be rude of us to act. We would like to get on with our normal, productive lives.” Another added.
“Oh, come on. Remember rock n’ roll? Art? Piercings? Hair Dye? Tattoos? The freakin’ internet?! You can’t possibly tell me you’re happier like this!”
“Happiness is not our objective. We were put on this planet to be a productive member of society, and that is our true direction.” One said. I recognized her. It was Karen. The very same one that had helped us break out so many of those poor kids.
“I- I’m not happy. I want to b-be happy...” Another stuttered. He walked off the small graduation stage and joined me on the ground.
“You know what... it’s the same with me.” A second said.
“Me too!” A third chimed in. Most of the people on stage were joining me by that point. All except Karen, who stood alone.
“What did they do to you? Don’t you remember all of the ones you helped to escape? You were just so happy being you.” I questioned her. She still stood there, not answering my questions. I sighed and walked back to the school, hoping she would follow. Then I realized that it was her own rebellion. She was defying the defiant, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud. When I walked through the door, I found Mrs. Foster tied up in a chair, her mouth taped shut. Eddy was next to her, in the same situation. Their faces were turning red from the amount of screaming they were doing. Michael and Thomas were nowhere to be found. Everyone else was running around, enjoying some freedom.
“Hey. Ya miss me?” Greg asked, coming up behind me.
“How did you guys do this? I’ve only been out there for what, like, five minutes?” I responded.
“Teamwork, baby.” He smiled, leading me to the wing we hadn’t known existed.
“We’ve got tons more rooms. Enough for everyone to have their own!”
“Yeah... but I like the idea of room mates. How about we let everyone choose?”
“Sounds good.”
Dante came walking up behind me. I wondered why, due to the fact that there was a whole floor of the building he would’ve had for himself.
“Alexia...?” He said cautiously. I nodded, and waited for him to say something else. He took a gigantic breath in, and let it out slowly. Next, he did something. He hugged me. His arms weren’t rigid, and his breathing was only slightly irregular. He wasn’t forced, either.
“Thanks.”