Chemical Utopia
Bullet-One
Officer Warre patrolled the streets, finishing up his rounds, as he had every night for the last thirty or forty years. He stood beneath a streetlight, looking around the empty Jersey streets dreamily. Nothing had happened on his shift all night, and it was nearly time to go home, as long as O'Malley was on time. The new guy, Garth O'Malley, had always been late by a few minutes. But that was okay; there was no rule against being a little late on the job, as long as it was persistent and by over half an hour. Officer Warre checked his watch again. Three-fifty-nine on a Friday evening and not a lick of trouble throughout. Suddenly, he heard a shatter, as if a store window being broken, and laughter by a few adolescent males. He strode down the street to where he heard the noise.
"Oh, shit, man, it's an officer!"
"Fuck it-run!"
"Hey!" Officer ran down the three as about five of the adolescent males ran the opposite way. One had lagged behind, trying to grab empty bottles of alcohol and empty bags. Officer Warre recognized him as Topher, a friend oh his daughters who attended the same school as her and was in the same age group; a fifteen, and already getting himself in so much trouble.
"Officer Warre..." He began, trying to clean and seem sober at the same time. Officer Warre crossed his arms over his chest and watched the young male struggle. "Isn't it a lovely evening?"
"Quite lovely indeed, Topher." He replied, walking up to him. Topher staggered backwards, falling on some broken glass. He winced and swore under his breath, looking up at the officer innocently. "You know the rules, Topher; Fifteens aren't allowed out past midnight without a twenty or another elder. What do you think you're doing, anyway?"
"Oh, those guys were probably eighteens...ha-ha, we're having some fun! We basically ran out of booze, and we were thirty, sooo-"
"Watch your language. Don't think just because I know you on a personal scale means that I am going to go easy on you." The officer stooped down to Topher's level, taking out his handcuffs.
"No!" Topher sprung up, about to dash away. "I'm sick of this Chemist shit! I'm sick of it! You can't control me, Man, you just cant anymore. Bert's the only one I listen to; he's the only one with sense!"
"I said watch your language, Master Elijah!" Officer Warre warned the male again, calling him by his last name.
"Fuck you! I'm gonna do what I fuckin' want and what Bert wants me to fuckin' do!" Topher ran off, and Officer Warre tried to run after him. The end of his district was the end of the block, where he was allowed to go no further, and Topher knew it. He reached the end of the block and Topher kept running, laughing manically. "Bert will have his revenge in the end, you fuckin' shit!" He cried, laughing again. "Bert will have control!"
"Officer Warre...what’s gone wrong?" Officer O'Malley asked. Officer Warre shook his head, turning to face the newbie.
"Just another Bert-believer...him and his servility...Gee, why do we even tell these kids about them?" Officer Warre and Officer O'Malley began to walk back to the original streetlight where Officer Warre had been waiting.
"Well, I don't know...because if we didn't, they wouldn't understand the non-servility of Gerard, and the Angels and Saints." Officer O'Malley replied.
"I thought that's why we had Chemist schools and churches...I just don't know any more." He replied, taking out a cigarette. O'Malley laughed shortly and shook his head. "What's wrong?"
"I was just reminded of 'Cancer'...it's my favorite hymn; did you know that?"
"It's a Black Parade song! What's wrong with you?" Warre exclaimed, referring to the term used when one had passed on, leaving one world to join the Black Parade.
"I know, but, it's still my favorite. I hope they play it at my final celebration. Will you tell the choir boys that? When they surround me and they sing before they ship me off?" Now it was Officer Warre's turn to laugh.
"O'Malley, I'm sure I'm joining the Parade before you do, cancer or not." And now is when he light up. "I'll see you tomorrow; if not, at mass?"
"Yes, I'll see you both times. Have a good evening, Officer Warre." Officer O'Malley said cheerfully.
"You, too. I'll tell the family you said hello." Officer Warre replied and began to walk home. He was troubled by the behavior from Topher he had seen that evening. A friend of his daughter, a believer in Bert. He prayed that he would not poison his daughter's mind, for her sake. He would contact the school on Monday morning and alert them of the issue, and he would most likely be kicked out and forced to go to a school in a Used Community. He shivered a moment at such a though. If Noel had had to be sent even to the outskirts of a Used Community, there would be trouble; damage would be done. But that was never going to happen...she would never break a rule that would send her any where near such a community...
The church bells rang; four o'clock on a Friday evening. It was Saturday now, by his watch, and he would not wait for it to begin after a few hours of sleep; a day to be spent with his family and to do some work around the house. He had work from two A.M. to four A.M., and his art class to teach from three P.M. to four-thirty P.M. Yes, it was going to be a lovely day as well.
"Oh, shit, man, it's an officer!"
"Fuck it-run!"
"Hey!" Officer ran down the three as about five of the adolescent males ran the opposite way. One had lagged behind, trying to grab empty bottles of alcohol and empty bags. Officer Warre recognized him as Topher, a friend oh his daughters who attended the same school as her and was in the same age group; a fifteen, and already getting himself in so much trouble.
"Officer Warre..." He began, trying to clean and seem sober at the same time. Officer Warre crossed his arms over his chest and watched the young male struggle. "Isn't it a lovely evening?"
"Quite lovely indeed, Topher." He replied, walking up to him. Topher staggered backwards, falling on some broken glass. He winced and swore under his breath, looking up at the officer innocently. "You know the rules, Topher; Fifteens aren't allowed out past midnight without a twenty or another elder. What do you think you're doing, anyway?"
"Oh, those guys were probably eighteens...ha-ha, we're having some fun! We basically ran out of booze, and we were thirty, sooo-"
"Watch your language. Don't think just because I know you on a personal scale means that I am going to go easy on you." The officer stooped down to Topher's level, taking out his handcuffs.
"No!" Topher sprung up, about to dash away. "I'm sick of this Chemist shit! I'm sick of it! You can't control me, Man, you just cant anymore. Bert's the only one I listen to; he's the only one with sense!"
"I said watch your language, Master Elijah!" Officer Warre warned the male again, calling him by his last name.
"Fuck you! I'm gonna do what I fuckin' want and what Bert wants me to fuckin' do!" Topher ran off, and Officer Warre tried to run after him. The end of his district was the end of the block, where he was allowed to go no further, and Topher knew it. He reached the end of the block and Topher kept running, laughing manically. "Bert will have his revenge in the end, you fuckin' shit!" He cried, laughing again. "Bert will have control!"
"Officer Warre...what’s gone wrong?" Officer O'Malley asked. Officer Warre shook his head, turning to face the newbie.
"Just another Bert-believer...him and his servility...Gee, why do we even tell these kids about them?" Officer Warre and Officer O'Malley began to walk back to the original streetlight where Officer Warre had been waiting.
"Well, I don't know...because if we didn't, they wouldn't understand the non-servility of Gerard, and the Angels and Saints." Officer O'Malley replied.
"I thought that's why we had Chemist schools and churches...I just don't know any more." He replied, taking out a cigarette. O'Malley laughed shortly and shook his head. "What's wrong?"
"I was just reminded of 'Cancer'...it's my favorite hymn; did you know that?"
"It's a Black Parade song! What's wrong with you?" Warre exclaimed, referring to the term used when one had passed on, leaving one world to join the Black Parade.
"I know, but, it's still my favorite. I hope they play it at my final celebration. Will you tell the choir boys that? When they surround me and they sing before they ship me off?" Now it was Officer Warre's turn to laugh.
"O'Malley, I'm sure I'm joining the Parade before you do, cancer or not." And now is when he light up. "I'll see you tomorrow; if not, at mass?"
"Yes, I'll see you both times. Have a good evening, Officer Warre." Officer O'Malley said cheerfully.
"You, too. I'll tell the family you said hello." Officer Warre replied and began to walk home. He was troubled by the behavior from Topher he had seen that evening. A friend of his daughter, a believer in Bert. He prayed that he would not poison his daughter's mind, for her sake. He would contact the school on Monday morning and alert them of the issue, and he would most likely be kicked out and forced to go to a school in a Used Community. He shivered a moment at such a though. If Noel had had to be sent even to the outskirts of a Used Community, there would be trouble; damage would be done. But that was never going to happen...she would never break a rule that would send her any where near such a community...
The church bells rang; four o'clock on a Friday evening. It was Saturday now, by his watch, and he would not wait for it to begin after a few hours of sleep; a day to be spent with his family and to do some work around the house. He had work from two A.M. to four A.M., and his art class to teach from three P.M. to four-thirty P.M. Yes, it was going to be a lovely day as well.