Utopian Crimes

Your eyes squinted against the harsh light above, your body felt sluggish in its refusal to move, and your lungs ached as you breathed. Every inch of your body was in pain as you tried to sit up.

“Oh? Are you awake?”

The voice was soft and serene, almost like that of an angel luring you back to the land of the living. As your eyes adjusted, you opened them wider. The sight before you was incredible. Whether it was a dream or something else entirely, you didn’t know.

The city around you was perfect, with not a hint of dark corners of trash anywhere you looked. That rancid stench from the sewers was gone, and there was no dead grass anywhere between the sidewalk and the road. Trees were manicured perfectly, animals were groomed and looked well-fed, birds chirped audibly over the lack of traffic noises.

You lifted your gaze from ground level. The buildings rose high, each of them crafted with artistic flourishes around every corner. There was no sign of the bleak, gray minimalism that had taken so much of the world by storm.

Most startling were the people, however. No matter where you looked, there were only smiles. There was never a tear or any sign of heartbreak. Everyone was happy.

“Where am I?” you asked.

“Well, you’re on Earth,” the person in front of you responded.

“No, this … this isn’t Earth.”

The person seemed confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’ve lived here as long as we can remember. Water?” They handed you a plastic bottle full of water.

“Thank you.” You took a few gulps, then wiped your mouth. “What happened to this place? I mean, where’s all the, you know … garbage?”

The person looked truly bewildered now. “Garbage on the streets? Don’t be ridiculous. We haven’t had garbage in our streets for nearly two-hundred years.”

Your mind swam at the timeframe. “A-and the animals? The infrastructure?”

The person shrugged. “We care about everyone and everything. Here, there is no crime, no negativity, no fear. We all live in peace and harmony, and we do what we have to so we can keep it that way.”

“Right.” You got up from the bench you’d found yourself on and went for a quick stroll, the person following along behind you. As you went down the street, you finished off your water bottle.

“I could get used to this place.” It beat your old world, if that was what the situation was. “Nice and quiet, and everyone seems kind.”

You tossed your water bottle in a nearby trash can and turned back to the person. Gone was their smile, however, replaced instead by a look of sheer, unrelenting horror. “What?” you asked. “What’s wrong?”

“You monster.” They backed off as you took a step closer.

“The bottle?”

Tears welled up in their eyes. “You should’ve recycled.”

You rolled your eyes. “Who cares? It’s garbage.”

They ran away, screaming, “Leave me alone!”