Get more out of Protagonize! Login or sign up as member.

A View of the Other World

Recommend

Bill: Hey, so I have a problem with this guy.

Nick: What's the problem?

Bill: Well...he broke into someone's house and stole a television.

Nick: What?! Why did he do that?

Bill: ...I don't know.

Nick: Well, did you ask him?

Bill: He said he wanted it. So he took it.

Nick: What, really? Didn't he know it belonged to someone else?

Bill: Yeah, but he still stole it. So that's a problem.

Nick: Yeah, he does have some problems. What should we do with him?

Bill: Well, I was looking into the Other World for some ideas...

Nick: And?

Bill: I think we should build a giant castle and lock him inside.

Nick: What?! That's a strange thing to do Bill. I can't really see how that would help him. What's the castle for?

Bill: Well, we need to fit all these other people inside too.

Nick: What? Bill! Why would we put them in the castle too? Do they have problems too?

Bill: Yeah.

Nick: Well...what did this guy do?

Bill: He got really drunk and then drove his vehicle into a park. Almost ran someone over.

Nick: That's nuts! Why did he do that?

Bill: Well, I think it was the alcohol.

Nick: But...did you ask him why he drank so much?

Bill: Um, well, I think cause he's addicted. Yes. That's right. And that means he can't stop.

Nick: So we put him in the castle too. I see where this is going, Bill.  You think the castle will solve all of these people's problems. I don't know though, Bill. It sounds kinda weird. What did that girl do? Did she do something foolish too?

Bill: Worse than foolish. She murdered someone.

Nick: What?! My goodness, why would she commit such a deed? Did you ask her? Wait...let me guess, she couldn't explain her actions either, right?

Bill: Well, I didn't really ask her. I just assumed that she was a bad person and that...

Nick: That you could just throw her in a castle. I see, Bill.  And why don't you explain the castle part for me really carefully. Then I'll better understand your reasoning for this idea.

Bill: Well, if they are locked inside the castle, then they won't do anything bad again.

Nick: ...But Bill. That's cause they're locked in a castle. So...the man who drove drunk won't have any alcohol or a vehicle to drive. The man who stole stuff won't have anything to steal. So obviously they won't do those things again. Cause they're locked in a bloody castle. But wait...what about the girl? She can still kill people cause there will be others in there with her! Now what? Bill, I can't help thinking you want to lock them in the castle just so they won't do anything bad to you!

Bill: Well yeah, and we need to protect the general public too...

Nick: Yeah, but Bill! We can't just lock them in there and throw away the key! Cause when they get out they'll be like a swarm of angry hornets!...Wait a second. You're not suggesting we lock them in there for the rest of their lives are you?!

Bill: Well no, I think we'll let them out eventually...

Nick: And you think they won't have any problems after they're let out?

Bill: Yes...at least, that's what the Other World does.

Nick:  Okay, so what does the Other World do about keeping order within the castle?

Bill: Er, well, they hire some guards with weapons to be inside. So that's what we'll do. We'll have men with guns to keep order inside the castle.

Nick: Right...so we have guards. You know, it sounds like these people are being treated like animals! Being watched over by men with guns! Being contstrained within an area! Next you'll say we feed them with a giant trough!

Bill: Hey Nick--animals--that's a great idea! We should even put them in cages!

Nick: ...Bill...don't tell me. That's what the Other World does?

Bill: Yes.

Nick: You're telling me that they build giant castles, hire piles of men with guns, keep people in cages, ship in a whole pile of food, and guard these contrained people all day and all night--these people who really just need to solve their problems and get on with life?

Bill: Um...it would appear so.

Nick: And this is all done just because these people cannot justify their ill actions...and we, as the general public, don't won't anything to do with their problems. So we push the issues under the rug and lock these people in a bloody castle?! This is ludicrous, Bill. You're hired to watch the Other World for good ideas! This is not a good idea, Bill.

Bill: Right. Sorry.

Nick: Yes. My goodness. Why did you have to be the one with the view into the Other World? We should've got someone with a little more judgement than that.

Bill: Nick?

Nick: Yes?

Bill: I said sorry.

Nick: Oh. Yes. Good. Let's go figure out why these people are doing such weird and terrible actions. Something must be astray in our system of society...

The End
5.00
2

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

NOT YET RATED
Please login to rate this chapter!

RATINGS BREAKDOWN

POST A COMMENT

Wanna say something? Make yourself heard!
We reserve the right to delete spam, flames, or other nasty stuff.

Please login or sign up if you'd like to post a comment.

7 COMMENTS ABOUT THIS WORK Feed

Author guidance for This work

olius_brightwell Bill and Nick are important decision-makers for the way their society and world is run. This is because Bill has a rare talent; he can see into the Other World. So he is hired to view the Other World for good ideas on how to run their own world. This Other World may be vaguely familiar to the reader, however, in these stories it is seen from the perspectives of Nick and Bill.

Bill, unfortunately, is not very good at discerning between good and bad ideas. And that is why his adviser, Nick, is there to apply his sturdy common sense to keep Bill in line.

The purpose of this story is to approach our world with fresh perspectives, and to go deeper into the systems of our society that we take for granted or do not question. There will be a fair amount of satire, along with a chance to bring forth important social, political, religious, spiritual, philosophical, and ecological issues.

So let me know if you have a chapter to add. There may be room for added characters, changes in writing style, and further plot beyond dialog. Thanks ;)

WORK STATS

2 PARTICIPANTS IN THIS WORK

WORK TAGS

THE GOODS

SPREAD THE WORD!