“I’m ironing my overalls, Adam!” I replied, as I quickly emptied the fossil fluids in my glass down the sink.

I pressed my wristwatch and saw it was Lily. Tall and graceful, with her bag on her back. That beautiful smile pasted on that perfect face. She quickly placed the bag on the ground and zipped it open.

“Look what I’ve got!” She took out a map, the size of my window. She threw a wig to me. I put it on. She stuck her tongue out and laughed before doing a little dance. She enjoyed using these props. I was so sorry I had to ruin the moment.

“You have been found out!” I said, as she rested on my lap.

The smile on her face faded.

“Yes, Adam saw your tree.”

She laughed. “Is it my plant now?”

Her laughter was beginning to annoy me. I tried to keep calm, but the words just burst out of me. “Yes! Your tree. The only reason it’s here is because you said you needed some help hiding it or your roommate might discover it. Now, I swear Adam will —”

She placed the back of her hand on my forehead. “Too much fossil fluids I see.”

I scanned her and there wasn’t any panic on her.

“I’m getting bored,” she said. Just like that. She was getting bored.

She suddenly dropped her suit on the rug. The hollowness was filled as she graciously made her way to the bed….

I awoke to find her sound asleep. I tried to control my breathing, so as not to disturb her. But she stirred and rolled over to my arm. I folded it, bringing her face closer to mine, and then kissed her on the forehead.

She woke up and pointed to the ceiling. “Is that it?”

I failed to keep my eyes away from her body. I just nodded.

“Let me see.” She said.

I grabbed a chair and stood on it. I parted the ceiling and what I saw left me breathless. The plant burst from the ceiling. It now had shiny red things on them.

She beamed. “Oh my. There are fruits already.”

Fruits? A tree with fruits growing in my ceiling, what was this? Were they poisonous?

She was next to me in a flash, plucking off the fruits. Before I could warn her, she had already sunk her teeth in it. Her eyes widened as liquid from the fruit ran down the sides of her lip. She gave out a sound of endearment.

“Here,” she said, as she stuck the fruit in front of me, “take a bite.”

I shook my head reluctantly. She took another bite and teased me again. Well, I was in way too deep anyways. So I just thought, what the heck; I dug into it. Flavours burst in my mouth; dust mingled with sweetness.

As I ate up the whole thing, we plucked some more and enjoyed ourselves. But, as blissful as this moment was, a question kept ringing in my head. What now? What next? There was no way to conceal this any longer. Maybe I could burn it. But the flames would attract attention.

Lilly could see the panic in me as I stared at the Rehabilitation Centre in the horizon next to the Centre of Lawful Corrections.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix this.”

“How?” I asked.

Just the other second, I was so happy and enjoying these…fruits. And now, I’m stuck with worry and despair.

“There’s only one way. Get me a plastic bag.”

I quickly rummaged around my apartment, and returned with it. She plucked away at a few fruits and we swept the leaves off the carpet. We threw them out through the window. We watched them glide around the sky like feathers from a beautiful green bird.

After a long silence, I looked up at her, staring out into the horizon. I rose and stood behind her, cloaking her with my arms, like a bat. She barely moved. She was focused on the towers that stood isolated beyond the buildings and institutions of the city. It stood out like a golden leaf on the horizon.

Out of the blue, Lilly asked me if I knew why those buildings were erected and then isolated. I didn’t understand anything beyond the stories and slogans thrown by the holograms and projectors. I knew a few ghost stories about those institutions. Most were just drunk-man’s drool I heard at the bars Adam and I frequented. Nonetheless, a cold shiver ran down my spine. Especially when I thought about that branch hanging from my ceiling. So I answered her accordingly.

“It’s for absconders, I guess. Those who’ve broken the chain of collectivism.”

Then I turned to Lilly and asked her what she thought. She laughed and said, “You’re sounding like your good friend Adam there.”

“Yeah well, I just read that on my wristwatch,” I said as I put my arm behind my back.

“The people locked in there have rejected the idea of group thinking and embraced individuality. I think it’s much safer for them, and society, if they are locked away.”

I shuffled uncomfortably and cleared the thickness forming in my throat. What was I to make of her views? Yes, I thought, she is crazy. Definitely.

“They could hurt themselves, let alone others,” I said. “Anyways what are we going to do about that darn plant hanging from my ceiling?”

She sighed. “Don’t worry.”

“But -”

“But nothing,” she said, with unfamiliar venom in her voice. “Imagination is against the law. Ironically, self-governance is the law, yet we live according to an already predetermined timetable. The hypocrisy is too disgusting.”

She folded her arms and looked away.

I said softly, “But I was only asking about that branch hanging on my ceiling.”

Just then, Adam walked in. He sank to the floor. But how did he get in? I must’ve forgotten to lock up.

“Brian! What’s going on here?”

“I can explain.”

“You can’t. Article –”

“Stop with your slogans,” I said. “Do I look like a pawn to you?”

“Pawn?” Adam asked, with sarcasm in his voice. “Listen to yourself. What has gotten into you? Where are you getting this nonsense from. This isn’t a game.”

“It is. Don’t you see? It is.”

“See what?” Adam asked. He looked puzzled. “All I know is I must do what I can to get a grain of rice in my belly. I must contribute to the cause and earn my freedom.”

“Do you realise how weird you sound?”

I gulped down more of my drink. Adam looked straight in my eyes, like he had stumbled upon buried treasure. “Are those fossil fluids in your hand?” He shook his head. “You know it’s illegal to have them in your apartment.”

I laughed. “You really don’t have a purpose.”

“I have a purpose. I’m governing myself,” the potato head said proudly. He beat his chest and stood at attention like a soldier, “What are you doing?”

“You are not governing anything, dummy. Least of all yourself,” Lilly said.

I gulped the rest of my drink down my throat and said, “That doesn’t sound like self-governance to me.” The effects of the burning liquid were beginning to take effect. And to be honest, at this point I didn’t care much.

Adam’s eyes were red.

“Who are you? Are you recording this?” Adam asked Lilly, as he turned towards the camera that now had wires hanging from it.

Lilly grabbed the plastic off the floor and stormed out.

“And where are you going?” Adam asked as I followed her.