By Harle Quinn
Prologue:
There is a little town in the middle of America called Perfect. You might have heard of it. Hair is always perfect and nearly every child is blonde and blue eyed. Some are of Spanish heritage but they all came from Europe. There is rarely a frown in this town. A perfect American town. The schools are perfectly clean as well as the students. A swear word never makes an appearance and no one dares to go against the rules.
Everyone wakes up at exactly 7 in the morning and prepares for the day. Fathers work in town and most moms are always at home or at the local mall. After school, little boys and big boys go to the park and play after completing their homework. Big boys nearly always made an appearance at the local diner. Little girls play dolls and house. Big girls chat about make-up and hang out at the local diner when they are done with their chores. 9 PM is always bedtime.
They go to church every Sunday and played by the beach every Saturday. Generation after generation has done this. Yet no one wonders why. It’s a way of life, isn’t it? No one dares to be different. That will bring corruption and change and the people of Perfect are afraid of change. Although, sometimes change is a good thing.
Chapter 1:
It was an unusually warm day in January when Alice Lancaster, a city girl from London, and family were driving down the dusty road to Perfect. She only lived in London for a year and a half. Before that, she lived in sunny San Diego. Her parents are Mr. Bob and Mrs. Shirley Lancaster. Mr. Lancaster is a town-folk that wanted the same for his daughter. Alice had dark hair and dark eyes. She wasn’t like her mother or father. She liked change. Consistency annoyed her a bit. So she was a bit miserable going to Perfect.
Mr. Lancaster has lived in Perfect for about 8 years because his parents moved to San Diego. He still had a bit of Perfect in him. He had dark hair and light eyes and was about 4 inches off of 6 feet. He wore a suit every day with a tie tied in the Windsor knot. He was a businessman. He was a man devoted to his family just like a boy that grew up in Perfect. He wanted to return to Perfect with his family but was nervous on how they would react. Luckily for him, they accepted with some reluctance.
Mrs. Lancaster was a petite woman from England. Alice didn’t remember where her mother was from exactly but she had an accent that stuck with her forever. When she was 16, she moved to Upstate NY. She liked wearing t-shirts and jeans a lot and designer clothes made an appearance often. Mrs. Lancaster had dark hair and dark eyes. She was 5 younger than Mr. Lancaster. She was definitely a city girl and was used to the bright city lights that surrounded her but agreed to move for a bit.
“Papa, do we have to move to Perfect? Sounds like a prep town.” Alice asked as soon as they approached town. She looked at the people outside. “They look like they’re stuck in the 50’s.”
“Allie, honey, this place was founded in the 50’s. They like it so much that they stay like this for every new generation.” Mr. Lancaster replied as he pulled up a driveway. “Take a look, Allie. That’s going to be your home for a few months. Who knows?” he laughed and threw his arm around Mrs. Lancaster. “Maybe we might stay here.”
Alice turned outside and saw the kids playing in the street. She glared at her mother and father. “I liked London better. James was there.”
Mr. Lancaster sighed exasperatedly. “Honey, you had to let James go. And besides, we might be back in London soon.” Mrs. Lancaster assured. “Darling, you’ll love this place. I found it rather charming.” She opened the door and let herself out. “The movers will be here any minute. Pick a room, honey, and make sure to mark it.”
She looked at the Victorian style home. It was much more different from the suburb ranch houses that surrounded neighborhoods. “I pick the tower.” She stared at the tower sticking a bit out of the house. “Looks like a nice place.” She opened the car door and stepped outside. “I’m gonna go explore. I’ll be back later.” She grabbed her rainbow shoulder bag and walked out. It was sunny and she flipped down her sunglasses. She was lucky that she wore a sleeveless shirt and her jeans.
She began to walk down the street, noticing people staring at her. The boys continued to play at the park just a block away and the girls resumed their conversation about make-up. Oh yeah, mum, like fun I’ll have fun, she thought. She walked into the park and sat on a bench against a tree. “Oh I miss James.” she sighed.
James understood her completely. A goof buddy; her goof buddy. She couldn’t count the times they just fell over laughing at anything. She lived her definition of an average life. It was filled with music from whatever Times Square plays and days just rocking out. Or they would meet at Hyde Park and wander London. She loved her English friends. Loved the way the talked, laughed, and acted. Her best friend was Sherry.
It was Sherry who introduced her to James. He was very shy at first and stiff. But they slowly made into a great dance team. They reached up to the point where they could only dance with each other. They specialized in club dancing and classical ballroom. They were about to try more of a Vogue and swing vibe when she had to move back to America.
She looked over to the dance academy near the park. She got up and began to walk towards it. A hand came crashing down on her shoulder. She turned to see the quarter back. “Don’t go there. People that are not normal go there. I understand if you’re a little confused.” Alice took one look at him and continued to walk.
She looked both ways before crossing the street. A bus was departing from the studio. She heard it honk and froze in place. She knew she could leap over a car but not a bus. Strong arms grabbed her and yanked her out of the way. The driver stopped and leaned his head out the window. “Miss, are you all right?” he asked.
“I-I’m fine.” Alice stuttered and looked at her savior. He was tall just about 5’11” or so. He had dark hair like hers and brown eyes. He was dressed conservatively; a t-shirt and jeans with dark shoes. He wasn’t fat, nor skinny, nor muscles; just average. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder and looked normal to her. Her definition of normal.
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, a mysterious couple moved into a lovely Japanese home. Their clothing consisted of black and their furniture as well as everything was up-to-date and modern. The woman had long dark hair and an Italian face whereas her partner was more of an English heritage. “So this is Project Perfect.” the woman murmured. “A little too strange isn’t it, J?” she asked.
“Yes, and it’s up to us to crack it, 9.” J replied. “I can’t believe they were trying to create the perfect town. Especially one that’s trapped in the 50’s. Couldn’t they pick a better time?”
“J, we’re here to annihilate them not criticize them. MI6 told us that there were two kids that are going against the grind here.” 9 replied. She looked at the outside. “These people need to be freed. They can keep how they life but we need for it to get up with the rest of America. Also, it’s wrong to kill people who might have good and outlandish ideas.”
“We’ll crack this case, 9. I know we will.” J replied as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
Chapter 2:
Charles Coulier was the most ‘not average’ guy in town. He would call himself normal on his own terms. Maybe it was because he didn’t follow everyone else’s dress code or that it was only he and his mother living in Perfect. Whatever. He had his French line from his father and he preferred to be on his own. He usually never talked in class or hung out with people. He was a loner. He was a loner even at the dance academy he started to attend weeks ago. The people there were the ones born in Perfect and want out. He couldn’t dance with anyone. They didn’t fit his style.
He packed his bag after the lesson and walked outside. He saw as people boarded the bus to leave Perfect and never return. He only heard some of them made it but others just disappeared. A girl dressed as wild as can be and probably from the outside world, looked both ways from the park before crossing the street.
The bus driver sighed and closed the door as the last person stepped in and began to drive off. His eyes widened in shock when he saw her and honked his horn as loud as he can. She turned and had the most frightened look on her face. Charles didn’t think; he just reacted. He quickly pulled her towards him off the street. He was well aware of how close he pulled her.
The bus drove off but they didn’t notice. “Are you ok?” he asked in his deep, bass like voice. She could only muster a nod. “I’m Charles. Charles Coulier.” She looked about a few inches off of 5 feet but she still had to tilt her head to look at him. She had midnight colored hair and the most violet eyes he had ever seen. Her skin was fair probably from being cut off from the outside world. She was wild with her sleeveless Rock shirt and jeans with spiked belt. She was a little bit on the skinny side but she still looked close to normal. A beaded purse dangled from her shoulder; its luminance nearly outshone her shiny purple doc martins.
“Alice…Lancaster.” she replied before pulling away a bit. “Um, are they taking applications for the dance academy?” she asked.
“Yeah. That bus was carrying the entire class to New York or somewhere. They said they got bored with Perfect.” Charles replied. So am I, he thought.
“Why aren’t you on that bus?” she asked, getting curious.
That hurt, he thought. He only started a few weeks but she made it seem like he was the dunce of the entire class. “Well, I don’t want to leave Perfect yet because I started a few weeks ago. But I would like to travel.” Charles replied.
“You don’t seem as 50’s as everyone else. Did you get into the time warp a little late?” she asked as she went into the studio. He followed her silently.
He showed a small sign of a smile. “Yeah. I always grew up a little different from the people of Perfect. I’m the only one in town that has a computer/laptop.” He rested against the counter as she filled out the application form. They were gifts from his relatives in LA. They sent him both a laptop and the latest computer as birthday and Christmas gifts. They couldn’t visit Perfect; “it cramped their style too much.”
“Now you’re not the only one. I just moved in today. Sommer Street?” She looked at him briefly then back at the paper. “Anyhow, I have my own laptop with all the necessities.”
He smiled. “I live on Sommer Street. Which house are you in?”
“Um, the big Victorian home.” She replied hesitantly as if she wasn’t sure if she could trust him or not.
“Don’t worry, you can trust me. I live a house away. You know, the Tudor place? That’s my mom and I; the oddballs of town.” Charles laughed a bit. He didn’t speak much before but it was just something about her that pulled out his confidence. “Do you want me to walk you to school? Or maybe a tour of Perfect? Although, if you saw Pleasantville, you don’t need a tour.” She laughed and turned in her application.
“You are funny. I don’t seem to meet the funny people here. Yeah, I’d like a tour. Let’s go.” They headed out the door. They started at 2 and walked around until 7. As they passed by shops and local hangouts, they laughed and talked about their lives and anything that would pop up in the conversation. When they returned to Sommer, they were chatting like old friends. She turned to him and smiled. “I had a great time tonight. You’re a very talented writer. Maybe I’ll bring some of my writing tomorrow. We’ll trade.”
“Sure.” Charles replied. He looked at his watch. It was five to 8. “You better get inside. The power shuts off at 9.”
“Why?” she asked.
He shrugged as they walked up her steps. “Curfew I guess. They just shut off power at 9. We know to go to bed at 9.” Which is stupid, he thought. “I think it’s kinda dumb. We’re allowed to stay up until 10 on weekends.”
“I’m gonna change this town.” Alice announced.
“Nothing will ever change. The people of Perfect hate change.” Charles replied.
She grinned like a Cheshire cat. “That’s what they said about the Monarchy, then Princess Diana came into the picture. Goodnight.” He watched as she closed the door and walked back to his place.
“Hi, Charles!” called his mother from the living room.
“Hi mom.” he replied before setting down his backpack by the coat racks. He grabbed his books and went upstairs.
“Did you meet that lovely family just a house away? I met Shirley, the mother. She is just the most colorful thing I’ve ever seen. She has so many cute t-shirts, I’m going to start a trend.” She stood and twirled in her dress and apron. “Imagine going outside without worrying your shorts are going to show.”
“Ok, mom, I’m going upstairs for homework.” Charles went up the stairs and into his room. He dropped his books and lay down on his bed to think. He fired up his laptop and clicked on ‘Journal.’ His expertise fingers danced across the clacking keys as he wrote out his adventure for the day. A smile graced his face as he thought about Alice. He saved it and turned it off before readying for bed.
Alice was just…so different; maybe that was what Perfect needed.
Chapter 3:
Alice woke up at the sound of her alarm. Funny, she thought, I thought Charles said that the power was cut off at 9. He wasn’t wrong though; she was in the middle of something when the whole house went black. She had looked out her window and all she saw was black.
“Alice darling, there’s a little boy here for you!” shouted her mother.
“I’ll be down in a minute.” She ran to the bathroom to change as soon as she realized what time it was. She grabbed her bag and used the railing down the stairs. She rushed to the kitchen. “Hi.” Alice announced breathlessly.
“He’s the son of the woman I met yesterday. She needs my help as do all women in the world.” Shirley Lancaster smiled. She set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. “So what’s your name?” she asked as she grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down.
Charles sat across from Alice. “My name is Charles, ma’am.” He answered in the voice that sent shills down her spine and stared directly at her. “We really should be getting to school.”
Alice nodded, wolfing down her breakfast and grabbing her bag before heading out the door with Charles. “Do we really have to be there this early? It’s only about 7:45.” She looked at her watch as they walked down the road.
“Do you have a strange feeling about Perfect, Alice?” he asked. She nodded slowly. “So do I. Anyhow, I wanted to spend a little bit more time talking to you.” She couldn’t tell if he was blushing or not. “So, what are your hobbies?”
“I love writing. I spend my time just writing away. What do you guys do here for fun?” she asked as they turned a block and approached the school.
“99% of guys prefer to play sports in the park and 99% of the girls spend time in groups and make-up.” He shrugged. “A small 1% of each gender prefers the community center, dance school, or bowling.” Charles replied. “I grew up with the dance school. I always said I wanted to join. So now that I’m 16, I joined.”
“You look like a strong dancer.” Alice smiled. “And believe me, I’ve seen many schools and dancers of all types.” She looked at the clouds. “James and I were dancers. We specialized in ballroom and club. We were about to do swing when I moved.” She frowned. “I miss him terribly. We were the best partners and it just stopped. So far, the people here don’t suit my style.”
“Do you want me to wait for you after school? That way, we can go to the Dance Academy together.” Charles asked as they approached the school.
“Sure.” The bell rang, thus beginning the first day of school in Perfect for Alice. She wandered through the halls, attracting some stares. Strange music played over the PA system as she walked down the hallways. When she got to the main office, she tapped on the little bell. A plump and somewhat elderly woman with a smiling face appeared. “Hi, I’m a new student here and I don’t have a printout of my schedule.”
“Certainly. I’m Mrs. Puff.” The elderly woman walked over to a file cabinet and pulled out a file. She pulled out a sheet of paper and smiled. “Alice Lancaster?” Alice perked up her eyebrows. How did she know my name, she wondered. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.” she smiled. Alice walked back out and looked at her paper. “Ok, room 310 English.” She walked down the hallway and towards the third building. She opened the door to 310. “Um, hi.” The muzak she heard earlier still continued.
19 faces stared blankly back at her. The tall, nervous man in front walked over and motioned for Alice to come over. “Hello, you must be Alice. I’m Mr. Fletching. Class, this is Alice Lancaster. She’s from London.”
“Hello, Alice.” The class responded without feeling. In New York, some would exclaim greetings and in London, most would just say ‘How’s it, mate?’ God, it’s Village of the Damned, she thought.
“Take a seat behind Rick, please.” Mr. Fletching pointed to a seat in the third row and the second column. She slid into her seat and pulled out her notebook. The teacher continued his lesson. Alice wrote notes down on paper as well as story ideas that would plop into her head. But they ended up being letters to James. She frowned then pretended to pay attention to the lesson.
Most of her classes were the same except for her French. She aced her French class back in Eton and had done so before in San Diego. Mr. Debouched was surprised to see her speak nearly fluent French. She noticed that the same muzak was heard everywhere and all day. She waited at the front of the school after the last bell had rung. Charles was actually smiling when he made his way down the steps. “Nice time in French, Alice?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. “God, it’s going already? At least gossip is fast.” Alice began to walk. Charles fell in step with her. “You know, there’s a competition that’s going to be held here in Perfect. At the community center near downtown. Three schools are coming here to compete. If we win, we get a cool trophy and if the school’s a fixer-upper, they help the school.”
“When are they coming?” he asked.
“3 to 4 months.” Alice replied. They arrived at the Dance Academy. “Where’s everyone else?” she asked at the nearly deserted class.
“Ah…it’s just you and me.” Charles scratched the back of his head nervously. “Not many people want to learn dance. The school is shutting down after us. Funding is low as well.” He sat on a bench and pulled off his sneakers and tied on his dance shoes. He noticed her still standing there. “Um, there’s a restroom down the hall if you want to change there.”
She nodded and went into the hall. She made her way to the restroom and changed into her low-rise, stretch flare grey sweats and t-shirt. She put her hair up into a ponytail. She grabbed her ballet slippers and slipped them on. They may not be dance shoes but they were comfortable to wear during the intense dancing. She put her clothes in her gym bag and walked back out. Charles was stretching on the bar when she stepped back into the room.
She cleared her throat and he turned. His face gave no reaction but his eyes told Alice that he didn’t disapprove her choice in wear. A middle-aged woman stepped in, looking like she was exasperated with everything. “Nice to see you, Charles. Who is this?” she asked rather kindly.
“I’m Alice Lancaster.”
“Oh! You almost got ran over by the bus yesterday, I remember you!” she smiled. “I’m Marie. Unlike all these people, I grew up on the outside. So let’s see what you’re made of, kid.” She hit the radio and Alice began to dance across the floor. “Very good.” Marie clapped.
Alice pulled out a flyer for the competition. “We need an act that will blow away the rest of the swing groups. There’s only three and they’re regional. I was wondering if we could do the Aladdin song ‘Friend Like Me.’ I can mix some ballroom and club moves with the swing. And if we practice enough, we can pull it off.”
Marie looked over the competition rules. She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think we can do ‘Friend Like Me’. What do you think, Charles? If you don’t agree, then we can pick another song.”
“I like the song. If we put enough energy into it, we can finally open the eyes of this town.” Charles commented. He nodded. “But do any of us have the CD or tape or something?”
Alice waved the disc triumphantly. “I’ve got it on Mp3.” She walked over to the CD player and pushed play. They listened to the music before working on the moves.
They danced, laughed, and sang until 7 or so. Charles looked at his watch and stopped the CD. “We gotta get home.” He slipped off his dance shoes and stuffed them in his bag and put on his regular shoes. Alice ran out and changed quickly in the restroom before meeting Charles in the hallway. They walked home again, talking about life.
“Goodnight, Charles.” Alice smiled as she went in.
“Goodnight, Alice.” Charles turned to walk the few feet towards his home.
Chapter 4:
“You’ve got mail.” binked the computer voice. Alice looked over to her laptop and clicked on James’ e-mail address.
To: Ririsan@aol.com
From: Eton342@eton.edu.uk
Subject: GET OUT OF PERFECT!
Here’s what I found out Perfect: Lots of people have disappeared from it. Some investigators have found murdered bodies in the deserted town next to Perfect. All of them were dancers and artists as well as others that involve creative thinking. Love, they’re dangerous! It’s a government project. It’s to create a virtual reality so they could control people. You three need to get out of there and fast! There are these two people that are with MI6: Agents J and 9. That’s all I know about them. They live in a Japanese home.
Snogs,
James.
To: Eton342@eton.edu.uk
From: Ririsan@aol.com
Subject: Re: GET OUT OF PERFECT!
I’m going stick around for a while. Maybe foil their plans. Lol. About our long-distance relationship…I don’t know if it’s going to work or not. I met this guy, Charles. He saved my life and is a sweetheart. He reminds me of you (without the adorable accent, of course). He’s very sweet.
Always,
Alice
Sounds like you like the bloke. ;-) Sounds like he likes you too. Well, I’m not standing in the way. But if you ever return to England broken hearted by some average Joe, I’ll still be here with open arms. Well, I think it’s about beddy bye time in your time zone. Goodnight, my looking glass child.
Subject: I think it’s from all the sweets you eat because you’re too sweet
Thank you, James. Night, love.
The next day came and Alice ventured into the next neighborhood towards the Japanese home. The man and woman both answered the door. “Hi, my name is Alice Lancaster and I heard that you have some information about Perfect. I can help you out.”
A few weeks later came Alice’s birthday. The party came as a surprise as Charles led her blindly through his home. “Charles, this isn’t funny. I can run into something.” She fidgeted but Charles kept a firm grip on her shoulders.
“Don’t worry. I’ll never do that. Come on. Just a little bit more.” He maneuvered her through the kitchen and into the backyard. “Ok, take off the blindfold.” She ripped off the piece of cloth and gasped at the sight.
His whole backyard was transformed with colorful streamers, balloons and any decoration they could throw in. There was a strawberry ice-cream cake and music ransacked from Alice’s CD collection.
“I planned it, y’know.” announced Charles proudly. She gave him a kiss on the cheek that left his face burning.
“Thank you.” she smiled. The festivities ran until late. Games and dances were held with Alice twirling and spinning from one group to another. The few people invited from around the neighborhood and school left with their presents behind. Alice and Charles sat on the porch swing in front of his house as the parents cleaned up. “Thank you…again for the party. It was really cool. The most boiled down one I had in a while.”
“You didn’t get my present yet.” Charles took out a small package and handed it to her. She looked at him before opening the case. She gasped at the sight. He took it and clasped it around her neck. “It was my grandmothers. I loved her a lot. I want you to have it.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Charles.” Alice smiled and fingered the locket. She opened it and smiled. “It even has our pictures inside.” They sat in each other’s comfort watching the sun set romantically.
And so it continued for weeks that ran into months. They had their moves down pat and knew it like the back of their hands. Alice adjusted to life in Perfect but couldn’t shake off the cold and shivering feeling she had ever since her parents drove her into town.
They were in the dance studio with the competition just a week away. They were finalizing their technique on that balmy Saturday afternoon. “Da, da-da, da, da, da, da, da-da, da, da-da-da-da-da. Boom!” Charles hummed as he twirled her out and in. She jumped on his lap as if they were kissing. “We’re going to kill at the festivals.” She laughed and looked into his eyes. He looked into hers. They didn’t notice their heads moving closer and closer until their lips touched. It was brief and lingered for a couple seconds before they pulled back.
“Um…” A long silence passed between them. “We should…go check why Marie’s taking so long.”
Charles cleared his throat. “Yeah.” But neither moved.
The radio played in the background. “Marie Burkes was found dead at Grover’s Park this morning.” Their heads turned. “Police couldn’t find out how or why but they’re working hard on the case.”
“Oh my god.” Charles hugged Alice.
“A piece of paper was stapled to Miss Burke’s arm. Project Enhanced Reality Formally Effectively Cryogenic Time.”
Alice murmured, “Perfect…” She raced over to her bag. “Oh my god, so James was right.”
“About what?” asked Charles.
“Perfect is a government project.” She flipped through notebooks. “It was to create a reality, more like virtual reality, to control people.” She grabbed his hand and ran all the way to the Japanese home on the next street beside Sommer. “I got the information from James who found it online. They’re murderous monsters.”
“What? How?” he asked as they coasted into the home.
“Because, Charles Coulier, they kill whoever has a radical thought. Hello, I’m Agent 9 working for MI6. I’m here with my partner, J. The Agents that control Perfect are former agents who’ve gone down a bad path. They wanted people to live up to their view of the American dream. However, if someone dares to be different and give ideas to people, they would eliminate them.” A tall woman leaned over a glowing table with documents on it.
“The dance groups. They were different. Some of them made it to the outside world but we never hear from the rest…” Charles became ghostly white. “My sister? She wanted to be a star. Her name was Lola.”
“We have a list of people who have disappeared from Perfect. Lola Cassidy Coulier is one of them.” J replied. “The Perfect Agents are working to spread their ideas and although we support free thought, if it affects others in a harmful way, we need to tone it down a lot. We were sent here to stop it.”
“But how? How do we do this? I mean, Perfect has always been just a town.” asked Charles.
“We don’t know, Charles. Perfect is a government project that’s a bad seed. It doesn’t really connect with the government but it involves many formers.” 9 replied. “They let people in but not out. We need you two to do some work for us. Can you handle this?” They nodded. “Ok, we need to find out how the kids live up to their parents future to the exact same houses and kids. All we have is that the leader, William McIssac, took two or three families and brainwashed them. He cloned some but we don’t know how the kids get brainwashed.”
“They have a video presentation tomorrow. For new kids that just came into Perfect.” Charles looked over to Alice. “Usually, the kids that watch the video come out just like the rest of Perfect. Alice, you can’t go.”
“That video may be the key to this whole mess. We’re bringing in reinforcements. Now, you said that your friend James knows about this?” asked J.
“Yeah, James. His name is James Vanderbelt; he is the future Earl of Vanderbelt.” Alice replied. “He did some researching online before I left and he came up with some pretty peculiar things.”
“Like how the electricity goes out at 9 sharp?” asked Charles.
“Exactly. And how everyone does the same things.” Alice replied. “Do you guys know where this McIssac guy is?”
“That’s Mayor McIssac, isn’t it?” asked Charles. “He founded the town, so he should be mayor.”
“You kids catch on fast.” J joked. “We need a way to track him down. The forces come in within the next week or so. You two need to go to school tomorrow and find out all you can. We’ll equip you with everything you need in case you get in trouble.” They took out some equipment and explained all they needed to know.
They returned home after the session and sat on Charles’ veranda swing. “Funny how just a day changes everything, huh?” asked Alice.
“Yeah…” A silence passed between them. “Listen about today--”
“What I want to say is--”
They laughed. “Ladies first.”
Alice took a deep breath. “I really liked that kiss today. And after these few months in Perfect as the “other” oddball, I liked getting to know you. And if I get turned tomorrow,” She took off the locket around her neck. “I want you to remind me of this. You gave this to me on my birthday three weeks after I moved here. If I never turn back, don’t forget me.” She slipped it around his neck.
His eyes widened. “I’d never forget you.” Her eyes moistened. He wrapped his arms around her and let her have a good cry. He patted her back and soothed her. They went up to Charles’ room for his mother was sleeping downstairs and spent the night in each other’s comfort.
Tomorrow was a big day for both of them. He was heading towards the Mayor’s and she was to brave the school and figure out the Project. If they lived to see the next day, they would take their families and move far away. They parted for the night and prepared for whatever they were to do.
Agent J and 9 were also preparing. This was a case they both worked on ever since they joined the MI6. they knew they had counterparts in this town: Agents K and 6. All four had a long history together. But now it was a final showdown.
That night was the last night that Perfect would ever remain the same.
Chapter 6:
Alice woke up at precisely 7. She put on her gear and her most extravagant wear before heading downstairs for breakfast. She met Charles’ steady gaze with one of her own. They acknowledged each other simply by nodding. They walked outside. “We’ll meet at the Big House at exactly noon.” Charles planned. As soon as they reached the corner, they split.
Alice walked down the hallways with her cool and finessed gait. Her dark hair flowed behind her as if she just stepped out of a Bond movie. She walked to her first class and took her seat. Mr. Fletching glared at her instead of his easy-going demeanor. After roll was taken, Mrs. Puff walked in frostier than the Frappichinos at Starbucks. “Alice Lancaster, report to the principal’s office please.” Mr. Fletching said icily.
She calmly gathered her things and walked out of the room. She breezed into the Principal’s office and head a VCR click play. She sat demurely in her chair until the video started. She kicked the glass and jumped onto the desk. The school authorities came at her as she fought her way out.
She looked at the blue box playing music; the source of the god-awful muzak that she constantly heard. She took the fire ax and smashed it. When she returned outside, people looked like they had just awoken from sleep. Some, who were permanently trapped in the spell, came at her angrily. She used her karate training and took them down. She used the glass daggers and stabbed them directly over the heart to ensure their fate. She disappeared and ran across rooftops towards City Hall, hoping that Charles made it in.
She used the hairspray can to point out the laser securities before making her move. She made a quick check to see the halls are empty. Little did she notice the glass eye watching her every move.
Charles found the secret entrance into the building. He remembered Agent 9 and J’s specific instructions: Lure McIssac out. He moved like a dexterous espionage through the white hallways of City Hall. He scaled down from the second story and into McIssac’s office. “William McIssac, you are under arrest.” Charles announced.
The old mayor turned around. “I’m sorry? My boy, you cannot turn me into the forces. Ah, I know you. You’re the oddball who always seemed to be able to escape all of the brainwashing programs. I’d never thought I’d run into you like this.”
“Why are you killing people?” he asked as he raised his sniper.
“Because, my dear boy, Perfect is supposed to be a place of happiness and normality. If we bring change, it would be a disaster. The people are happy. Have you seen the outside world, Charles? It’s a dangerous and filthy world out there. I just wanted a pure and simplistic town in the middle of America.” Mr. McIssac said, circling the boy.
“I know it is.” Charles replied. “But what you’re doing is wrong. We need change so we can learn.”
“Oh you and your silly shenanigans. You can learn all you need right here. You can be forever happy at this paradise.” The old man sat in a chair behind the desk. “But there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
Agents J and 9 had just entered the building and made their way past guards and ‘turned’ people. They wove their ways through the air like black spider monkeys. They came to a section where two agents waited for them. “The rest of you look for Lancaster and Coulier. We’ll handle these two.” The troops left the four alone. “Well, well, well, how long has it been? 5 years, 9?”
“Let the fighting begin.” 9 announced.
Agent 6 looked exactly like 9. Her eyes were just silver and her hair was blinding white in an indefinite contrast of 9. They took their positions and waited for whatever to come to come.
Alice ran through he white building. An arm grabbed her and pulled her into a closet. A strong halogen was held up to her nose. “Alice, it’s me.”
“Charles? But what about McIssac?” she asked as his face blurrily swam into view.
“McIssac can wait. Aren’t you tired of sacrificing yourself for everyone else?” he asked. He led her away to a room. “Do you want to watch a movie with me?” he asked. “I mean, you’ve had a long and tiring day of taking over a school. You should put your feet up and rest for a while.”
“Yeah, I should, shouldn’t I?” she sighed. She let Charles do all the moving for her. She laid down on a recliner. She didn’t feel wires attached to her head as she fell into a sleep. Nor did she feel the binds wrapping her to the chair.
“Charles, I’m going to show you something.” Mr. McIssac held up a remote and clicked a button. The doors slid open behind the bookcase and a man dressed up like Charles wheeled out a bound and unconscious Alice.
“ALICE!” he screamed. He ran towards her. The look-a-like threw him back. “What are you doing to her?” Tears ran down his face.
“Simply refining her to situate Perfect. Now, I can return her to normal if you sacrifice your own free thinking.” Mr. McIssac stood and walked over. “It’s your choice my boy.” Charles looked between the old man and the woman he loved then bowed his head. “I knew you’d see my way, young lad.”
They hooked Charles up to a separate yet similar chair. “Let me hold her hand.” Charles asked quietly. Mr. McIssac nodded as Charles gently held Alice’s hand. The look-a-like threw the switch. Charles screamed in pain and Alice’s eyes flew open.
“CHARLES!” she screamed.
He struggled and jolted as the electrons raced through his brain. “A-Alice…I-I w-will a-a-always l-love you.” he grunted. After 5 minutes of pain and torture, Charles was limp. They wheeled him away, leaving Alice to sob. She noticed a shiny thing on the ground and gently picked it up. It was their locket.
Agents J and 9 rushed in mostly in tact to find their newfound friend sobbing on the ground. “What happened?” asked J.
“They…they turned Charles!” she made out between sobs. 9 put a comforting hand on Alice’s shoulders. “NO!” she cried out and ran after in the direction they left. The two agents followed. “CHARLES!” she shouted as tears blurred her path.
They arrived at a strange room. Alice brightened at the sight of Charles and ran to hug him. He pushed her back with an expressionless face. “See, Miss Lancaster? We will always win.” Mr. McIssac grinned.
“Charles…” she whimpered. She bowed her head when Charles raised a club. As soon as it neared her head, she pulled out two light dirks and blocked it.
“George Lucas definitely didn’t invent that one!” gasped McIssac.
“No, he didn’t. I did with the help of friends. PK, the Force, whatever you call it, there’s a high percentage in England.” She tumbled backwards into a low crouching stance. “Charles, you’ve got to hear me!” He swung the club again. She dodged it in time. She flew up and kicked the club out of his grasp. She dangled the silver locket in front of his face. “Remember, Charles?”
Charles paused as memories sunk into his brain.
He had just pulled her away from the street where she would’ve been easily crushed. They looked into each other’s eyes and knew at that moment, they were gone. “I’m Charles…Charles Coulier.”
“Alice…Lancaster.” The months that followed brought more happiness in Charles’ life and smiles. He enjoyed her company and she enjoyed his. They were being weird at school together and laughed about it all the way home. “Charles, do you believe in miracles?” she asked one night when they were stargazing.
“Yes, I do.” And that heaven sent me a miracle, he thought.
Those long days rehearsing and laughing that lead up to their first kiss in the dance studio. That same night was sleeping in each other’s arms. He liked how she fit in his arms and how he felt as if he could protect her from any evil from the world.
“Alice?” he asked. His clouded eyes cleared from the hypnotism effects. He fell into her arms. “Alice! You’re safe.” She held him close.
“You’re safe.” Alice smiled through her tears.
“I hate to break up this beautiful reunion but we have a bad guy to catch?” asked Agent J.
“Way ahead of you, partner.” Agent 9 laughed. She had tied McIssac to a chair. “Now tell us why you did this?” she asked.
“It started in my hometown. I wanted to settle down after being a retired psychiatrist but I couldn’t find a place like Perfect. So I thought, why not create my own town how I want it to be. So I took a couple of people I thought were suitable for Perfect, cloned them and hypnotized them. Every generation after that, I did the same.” he confessed. “Anyone that went against me was disposed of.
“William Fredrick McIssac, you are under arrest for homicide.” They heard sirens outside. “Don’t worry, kids, you won’t have to testify if you don’t want to.”
Charles held Alice. “We have another competition to be at.” He smiled at her and squeezed her again. She squeezed back as if to agree.
“Well, good luck to the two of you. And if you’re ever interested in being a CIA agent, call us.” J winked.
Chapter 7:
Saturday, April 20, the day of the competition. Alice and Charles sat in Charles’ new car and drove up to the Community Center. The judges were already there and the first dance school was already performing. They warmed up backstage, dressed as plain as they can be. Everyone else wore sparkly costumes and whispered about Charles and Alice. Mrs. Coulier, Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster sat in the audience, anxiously waiting for their children to perform.
The two warmed up while the second school performed. They walked backstage and rudely bumped into Alice and Charles. “Good luck,” one said snottily, “You’ll need it.” They took their seats in the audience. Obviously, they were thinking that they could downsize their competitors by trash-talking them.
“Representing the Perfect Dance Academy, Charles Coulier and Alice Lancaster performing ‘Friend Like Me’ from the movie soundtrack ‘Aladdin.’ The best of luck to both of them.” The lights were off onstage. Out of nowhere, the music started and the lights flashed on and off before focusing on the dance couple. They had headset mikes so that they could move and sing at the same time.
The second school, Mission Bay, was shocked at their outfits, which weren’t plain at all. Alice looked like a white Arabian princess and Charles looked like he was ready to go to a zoot suit riot. People’s hands were clapping along to the music as the pair glided across the floor. She rose on her tiptoes at one point.
When they were finished, all of the groups and judges came onstage. “Well, this was certainly a wide display of creativity, music, and happiness. The judges have made their final ballot. For bronze, we have Parkfield High School’s Rhapsody. Congratulations!” the audience cheered as the director accepted the award. “It was a close race between Mission Bay and Perfect Dance Academy but one pulled out ahead by 2 points. The silver goes to Mission Bay and Perfect Dance Academy gets the gold!”
Mission Bay grabbed their award and walked off stage. Alice and Charles stepped forward and accepted the award. They were given the mike to say their thanks. “We would like to thank Marie Burkes and win this in her memory.” Alice smiled.
“We would also like to thank our parents, God, and whoever was involved in this project. You mean so much to us, thank you.” Charles added. They hugged and walked backstage.
Perfect was never going to be the same again. So many new things had happened to the town as they caught up over the 40 years they missed. Alice and Charles left Perfect to go to London. Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster decided to retire in Perfect instead of Florida. Things improved and more people moved to Perfect. Although there were more, it still remained its charm and hospitality.
In a way, the ending of this story turned out…well…perfect.
End.