A/N: First Animal Crossing story for me. I haven't written a fanfic in a long time, but I have a good feeling about this one. ^^
Rated T for language, drug use, and violent themes. Just a little bit, but enough.
Chapter I: The Plea
The room was completely silent when the judge wasn't speaking. Isaac gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly up and down. A cold sweat crowned his head, and his mouth felt full of sand. The past few months that led to this moment felt to be a haze, and he had trouble focusing on this important moment.
"Mr. Pilgrim, I am sure you are aware of what charges have been made to you," the judge's accent was strongly Southern, and his voice was kind, almost understanding of the boy. Still, Isaac felt like a mouse before the man in the black robe. He would probably be just as afraid of the jury, but luckily this was a bench trial. "And the evidence is more than apparent..." He trailed off, clearly waiting for the juvenile to answer.
"Sir, uhm..." He tried to look at the man in his aged eyes, but could not. He instead spied on the immense painting behind him, the only decorative object in the surprisingly small room. A unique painting, starring Jesus in a purple robe, gazing peacefully at the viewer with open arms. That was no better. His eyes moved to the desk just below his hips, pretending to read some words on a piece of paper that he hoped didn't appear as blank as it was. He gulped again. "My lawyer advised me to plead guilty..." he hesitated, and gathered the confidence to look the judge in the face. With his courage came a tone of desperation. "Look, I'm just a kid. I got scared, I wanted to take action, I wanted to feel safe..."
The judge held up an experienced hand. "You don't have to explain yourself, my boy. There's no jury here."
Isaac's lips pursed as he glanced at his lawyer, Mr. Rod, sitting beside him. He turned further, catching the eyes of his mother and father. They looked just as frightened as Isaac was. "Your Honor..." he turned back to the man behind the desk, staring at his barely-visible necktie. "I would like to plead guilty, as recommended."
No one in the room showed surprise. The lawyer put a hand on Isaac's back comfortingly. With the brunette boy feeling this overwhelmed, it was kind of like a reward. Still it did nothing to ease the tension that coursed his body.
"Well, that sure makes this process a lot easier," the judge remarked optimistically and tapped the gavel.
"My little boy..." Isaac's mother sobbed, holding her only child. Isaac would normally be annoyed. He was sixteen, he didn't need to be babied. Instead, he held her in return, eyes watering as he struggled to contain his own emotions. He tried to distract himself by examining the spotlessness of the hallway. Everything shined, a lone woman in a business suit walked at the far end of the hall, talking on a cell phone. Everything seemed strangely calm. Except of course for the family of three.
It was only one of several times this happened during the course of the trial. When it all first began it was the worst. The accusations, all true. Calls from friends. Isaac's grandmother blaming the television. And even later. The lawyer urging the boy to plead guilty. Right before entering the trial room. And now, waiting for the final meeting with the lawyer.
"Margaret, it'll all be okay somehow. It's a lot better that he plead guilty," his father's soft voice reassured both of them as he gently pried his wife from Isaac. Just then, Mr. Rod, their lawyer, gently swung open the door.
"Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim, Isaac," the thin man in a brown suit greeted, motioning for them to enter. The three sadly rose to their feet and shuffled into the room, finding more than just the lawyer to occupy it.
"Hello again, young Mr. Pilgrim," the judge smiled at the teenager. Isaac managed to smile back, though it was clear he was not happy in the least. Two women also sat at the shiny oak table, one black-haired with a laptop open, the other blonde with several files under her arms.
Mr. Rod sat and leaned forward, folding his hands. "Now, Isaac, I know that I said before that they would take it easy on you if you plead guilty. But..." His eyes shifted their gaze to the side, considering his words. "There's been a bit of a change of plans."
Oh shit... Isaac thought, the panic of the court room resurging.
The judge put out a hand, volunteering himself to explain. "You see, son, a new program has been in development for individuals such as yourself." He stopped, awaiting a response from the boy.
"What new program?" Isaac's voice cracked. Why did this nice guy intimidate him so much?
Oh yeah. Because he decided Isaac's future.
"We believe that those with violent behaviors can be fixed. But anger management is expensive, potentially dangerous for those involved, and is highly individual. Not everyone can contain themselves by just taking a deep breath and counting to twenty."
Mr. Rod took back his stand. "Its working name is Animal Town. Here's basically what it is. A virtual village filled with animals that act as people. They walk, talk, have personalities, wear clothes, have jobs, go fishing, almost anything that you can imagine. They—along with the environment—are designed to bring out the best in people." The tall man sure seemed excited about the project.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. His mother turned skeptically to her husband, who shrugged. After a moment, Isaac peeped, "Go on."
The black-haired woman turned the laptop screen to the family to give them a look at the town in development. She zoomed in on a resident of the town, a purple sheep. Wait... Were those sunglasses?
"What happens is that you are put into long-term sleep. Your head is then hooked up to this virtual world, and it's sort of like a dream. You will be able to freely control yourself in the town. The town mostly runs itself, but occasionally you will be put up to challenges. You will have your own virtual home, that you will need to pay for. Not with real money, but with virtual money that must be earned." Mr. Rod winked.
"How is that supposed to cure me of my, uh, issues?" Isaac was interested in the idea, though it seemed unrealistic to him that being in a fantasy world full of dancing animals and sunshine and probably lollipops would make him a reformed human being or what have you.
"I already said." Mr. Rod proudly leaned back in his chair.
"For one, there are only healthy outlets of unleashing your anger," the judge offered. "The primary one being just plain talking to people. Well, animals."
Isaac looked down in thought. It was true, he never really talked to anyone about his feelings. He'd had friends, sure, but he just couldn't trust them with things so personal. And he was close to his parents, but he never wanted to worry them.
The judge continued. "Doing jobs for people acts as a distraction, and also encourages being part of a community, and providing for oneself."
"Makes sense," Isaac realized after having it explained to him. His murky green eyes turned to Mr. Rod. "Why animals?"
"Well, if we were to use humans, a face might remind you of someone. So using non-humans seemed like a natural answer. Plus, who can resist a puppy?" Mr. Rod poked the screen, which now displayed a golden dog.
"What about this sleep you mentioned?" Isaac's father questioned, more concerned about the real half of things.
Mr. Rod wasted no time. "It's completely harmless. He'll be asleep for six days at a time, and then be awake on the seventh. On the seventh day, he will be examined for any improvement, and otherwise free to exercise, see his family and friends, catch up on his favorite TV show, whatever."
A thought suddenly hit the boy. "What about school?"
Mr. Rod and the judge exchanged glances. The Southern man responded, "I'm afraid that's the least of your worries now, son."
Isaac's shoulders dropped, and he turned to his parents apologetically.
"We aren't exactly sure how long the reversal process will take, as this is still a developing project, with few subjects, none completed," the blonde woman opened a folder and slipped out a few pieces of paper. She offered one to Isaac, and one to each parent. "Here are excerpts from some cases underway."
Isaac's read:
Week one:
In the spoken summary, John Doe has been recorded swearing 41% less. As we spoke, he showed interest in my career. When his friend came to meet him, he did not bully him as previously witnessed, although this may be circumstantial.
Week two:
John Doe accidentally knocked over a cup of pens and immediately helped clean them up. He seems a bit more expressive physically as well. His brain responds positively to pictures of animals.
Week three:
John Doe asked to buy a gift for his friend. When put under pressure, he yelled, but did not show any other aggression. John's brain again responded well to pictures of animals.
Week four:
Immediately after waking, John Doe began screaming in hostility about the program. In the spoken summary, he didn't do into detail about a particular bad event, though it can be said that there certainly was one.
Week five:
John Doe delivered the gift to his friend, and seemed very happy about giving. In the stress test, he threw a punch, a step back from previous examinations.
"That's the earliest case," the blonde pointed to Isaac's sheet.
"The program is only five weeks old?" A confirmation was not needed.
Mr. Rod spoke somewhat tenderly. "I'm sorry to rush you, but your decision needs to be made as soon as possible. Would you like to be part of the Animal Town?"
Mr. Pilgrim took action at these words. "Excuse us," he tugged at the arms of his wife and child, and the three exited into the hall without a peep.
"So, Isaac?" the boy's father sighed. "What do you think?"
Isaac hesitated on his words. "It... sounds interesting." He remarked neutrally.
"It sounds like a positive experience," Mrs. Pilgrim said, taking the men of the house by surprise.
"Mom? I figured you'd, like, be..."
"It sounds like a video game, dear." Mr. Pilgrim said.
"I know! Don't you remember when Isaac was in sixth grade and he wrote that essay about how Pokemon taught him the values of friendship and teamwork?"
Isaac blushed a little. He almost regretted showing that essay to his parents. But golly, he sure did love Pokemon.
Mr. Pilgrim shook his head. "Margaret, this is different than just playing a game or watching a TV show. He'll be living in this world. I don't think it's healthy to feed his brain nonsense like talking animals. Not because they're talking animals, but because he'll have to talk back."
"But dad, I'd still know that they aren't real. I'm not a little kid that falls for stuff like that."
"It does seem corrective," Mrs. Pilgrim nudged.
Mr. Pilgrim snapped back. "There's nothing wrong with our son!"
Isaac gulped, staring wide-eyed at his father.
"John." The boy's mother stopped, then replied calmly. "Obviously there is."
Isaac, surprisingly, did not feel hurt at the words. He instead continued watching his father, who moved his head in no particular pattern, soaking in the reality of the situation.
"Isaac," the man finally said, voice free of anger. "If you do this, we'll hardly get to see you. Your friends will hardly get to see you."
"Honey..." Isaac's mom stepped towards her sixteen-year old, her only child, and held his hand.
Isaac's green eyes traced the tiles on the floor. A virtual world. He thought. It sounded like fun, though a bit kiddish. It's true, he would only be able to see his parents one day a week. His friends... Well, after what he had done, he didn't expect to see them anymore anyway.
He weighed in silence pros and cons. In the Animal Town, the animals wouldn't know about Isaac's past unless he told them. He could have a fresh start and live leisurely. He could spend his whole day fishing or running an errand for a friend. It did sound nice. His main concern was his parents. They would miss him. He would miss them, too. But he would still get to see them, and over time they would all adjust. Isaac truly wanted a fresh start. He felt his lips pull back and his eyes water.
"Honey...?" his mother asked tenderly.
The teenager pulled away from his mother's hand, clenched his fists, and opened the door. His parents followed hurriedly, like baby ducks.
The judge and the lawyer met Isaac's green eyes. In them was not sadness, as his father and mother had witnessed. Instead, a determination burned.
"I'll do it."