The Morality Check
The story thus far: The protagonist Gemma is a 16 year old who was kicked out of her world's Church for failing to make a ceremonial orb glow, despite thinking she would join the priesthood like the majority of her family. Gemma was declared a "no-soul" because the Church says people with non-glowing orbs literally have no souls. Gemma was also kicked out of her home and sent to live in a group home for no-souls. She recently attacked her sister, who was visiting her home on a charitable outing, for being fake and self-serving. She also just got invited to an anti-Church party by an ex-friend of her sister and had a dimension-hopping misadventure.
This section takes place right after the previous three. The four are kind of time-skips ahead of previous sections. They needed to be written, though.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 (flashback - might not be canon), Part 15 (time-skip), Part 16 (time-skip), Part 17 (time-skip)
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Dean Marins came to pick us up in front of Ellie's house. Luckily her roommates weren't there to wonder why three people were standing on the driveway covered in dirt. I recognized the dean's car; it was slightly older but still shiny silver. Like the dean herself, it was neatly kept. She exited the car with an extremely worried look on her face.
“Oh my, what happened to you?” she asked, voice full of concern. She didn't wait for us to answer. “Quick, get in.”
We filed into the car. Ellie ended up in the front seat, while Brandon and I were in the back. I buckled up, but Brandon just stared at his seat belt as if he didn't know how to use it.
He asked, “Uh, how does this thing work?”
I gestured to the buckle. “You stick the end of the belt into that.”
Brandon still looked confused, so I just buckled his seat belt for him. Ellie helpfully added, “What, you've never been in a car before?”
Dean Marins said, “Would someone like to tell me what's going on?”
Nobody answered. How did you even begin to explain what happened to us? I was hoping Dean Marins would somehow come up with a plan without our having to explain what Brandon was or where we found him.
She continued, “If you want me to help you, you're going to have to tell me what happened. I can't know how best to help otherwise, and I can tell something unusual is going on. You don't have to worry; I'm not going to report you. Please trust me on that one, I have no desire to interact with authorities any more than I must.”
Ellie piped up, “It started when we got drunk. And I kinda saw this shimmering portal thingie, and I decided it was pretty. So we got sucked through it. Whoops.”
Did she have to mention the getting drunk part?
Dean Marins slammed the car to a stop, throwing me forward. “You say you went through a shimmering portal? Are you serious?”
I answered, “Yes, Dean Marins. Ellie here is telling the truth. We really, truly, honestly stumbled through a portal to the divine realm.”
She couldn't believe it. “You three traveled into the divine realm and survived? How did-?”
I interjected, “It wasn't the three of us who traveled there. We, um, found Brandon after we arrived. He...lives there. Brandon actually made the return portal, but for some reason he can't make another one, which means he's kind of trapped on Earth.”
That story wasn't even the slightly bit believable, but it was a good thing Dean Marins had already stopped the car, or she would have slammed the brakes hard enough to wreck her vehicle. “Is this true?”
Ellie said, “It's absolutely true and totally not a drunken hallucination because we're not drunk anymore and Brandon is still here. He's a real god.”
Brandon mumbled, “Uh, yeah, it's true.”
“That's incredible!” Dean Marins exclaimed.
I noticed how we were still stopped on the road. “Dean Marins? Shouldn't you be driving the car?”
“Oh right.”
* * * * * * * * *
We arrived at the dean's house, which looked rather like Ellie's, though it was more on the edge of town. Right as we entered, a blonde woman about the dean's age greeted her with a worried look on her face. “Diana, what on Earth is going on?”
The goings-on had little to do with the Earth. The woman noticed me, her eyes widening. “Gemma Landare?”
For once, I wasn't the strangest one in the group, but I wasn't about to reveal anything. “Yes,” I said. “That's me.”
Dean Marins said, “Never mind for now. We need to get these kids cleaned up. We'll discuss things afterward.”
We didn't have time to clean up because there was a loud rap on the door. My heart leapt into my throat. Who could that be?
Simultaneously, the dean and the other woman exclaimed, “The morality check!”
Dean Marins had to take morality checks? I couldn't imagine her doing anything wrong. Then again, the Church did have a funny idea of what constituted “wrong” behavior.
The dean whispered urgently, “Everybody act normal and try to speak as little as possible. They'll find you if you try to hide.”
Before anybody could open the door, someone kicked it down. It clattered to the ground with a thud to reveal two police officers. Both of them had looks of disgust on their faces.
Officer One flashed his badge and announced, “I'm Officer Riley. Officer Perkins here will search the house, and I'll be conducting your interview. Let's get this over with. I don't have all day.”
The officer ushered us in into the dining room, where we all sat awkwardly around the table. I stared at the pretty landscape painting on the walls to avoid looking at Officer Riley. He stared us down, clearly thinking we're all budding criminals.
Riley sneered, “I don't even want to know why you're all so dirty. It's nothing good, I imagine.”
Dean Marins offered, “Would you like some coffee?”
Riley nodded. “Yes, and make it black, but I don't want either of you getting up and having a chance to hide anything.” He looked at Brandon. “You can make the coffee, then.”
Brandon turned bright red and didn't move. The officer glared at him. “Well, go on. Rudeness doesn't reflect well on the Marinses, you know.”
He stammered, “I-I don't know how to make coffee, sir.”
Riley's voice dripped with contempt. “Where are you from that you don't even know how to make coffee?”
I spoke up. “Ellie or I can make you coffee, officer.”
Ellie said, “I'll do it” and got up to go before the officer could object. I got the sense she didn't want to be in the same room with him. Riley was rather frightening.
He interrogated Dean Marins and the other woman. “What are your names?”
Dean Marins said, “I'm Diana Marins.”
The other woman said, “I'm Samantha Marins.”
He didn't say anything else, which is when I realized he wanted my name and Brandon's name.
Staring resolutely at a painting of a beach, I said, “Gemma.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “And your last name?”
“Landare.”
Then he recognized me. He tsk-tsked at the Marinses. “You have one of the most infamous no-souls in recent memory in your house. That doesn't look good.” He focused in on Brandon. “And your name?”
“Brandon.”
Riley raised his eyebrow again. “And you must have a last name, even if your parents apparently didn't teach you how to make coffee.”
Brandon looked like a trapped animal. Did he have a last name? Judging by the lengthening silence, he didn't.
“White,” I said. “His last name is White.”
The officer disdainfully inquired, “Is that so? And does Ms. Landare answer all your questions for you?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No, sir.”
Riley proceed to ask the Marinses, “And what is your relationship to each other?”
Samantha said, “Cousins. We're cousins.”
He drawled, “I suppose that picnic where we found you was just another example of family bonding, then? From what I hear, you were terribly affectionate.”
The dean looked angry, if I were judging correctly. “Yes, Officer Riley, we were bonding. As family.”
Riley asked, “And what is your relationship to your child's father, Ms. Marins?”
Flatly, she replied, “We're no longer together.”
“And why is that?”
The dean answered, “Irreconcilable differences.”
Child? That must be the girl who was in her office picture. What did the dean's relationship have to do with her morality, anyway? Was Officer Riley suggesting Dean Marins and Samantha were lesbians? Was that what this was about? It must have been.
Just then, Ellie came back with the coffee. She placed it before Riley and scooted into a seat as far from him as possible.
“Finally,” the officer said. “I need the caffeine to deal with you people.”
I needed caffeine to deal with him. While same-sex relationships were supposed to be wrong, this “morality check” was absolute bullshit.
Riley's voice overflowed with condescension. “I'm sure the differences were indeed irreconcilable if you partner had the wrong equipment.”
Dean Marins looked like she might punch him, and I would support this action one hundred percent. If it wouldn't get the dean arrested.
He glanced at Ellie. “And who might you be?”
Ellie smiled nervously. “I'm Elaine Harper.”
Officer Perkins returned from his search and told Riley, “I couldn't find anything. They must have gotten rid of all their illicit materials. No subversive anything anywhere.” Perkins glanced at the clock on the wall. “We need to get going, Riley. Got a bunch more houses to hit today.”
Riley sighed. He looked most disappointed. “I suppose that will be it for now. Be careful, ladies. You don't want to get in real trouble, do you?”
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written for 500themes prompt #268 - "Black and White"
This section takes place right after the previous three. The four are kind of time-skips ahead of previous sections. They needed to be written, though.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14 (flashback - might not be canon), Part 15 (time-skip), Part 16 (time-skip), Part 17 (time-skip)
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Dean Marins came to pick us up in front of Ellie's house. Luckily her roommates weren't there to wonder why three people were standing on the driveway covered in dirt. I recognized the dean's car; it was slightly older but still shiny silver. Like the dean herself, it was neatly kept. She exited the car with an extremely worried look on her face.
“Oh my, what happened to you?” she asked, voice full of concern. She didn't wait for us to answer. “Quick, get in.”
We filed into the car. Ellie ended up in the front seat, while Brandon and I were in the back. I buckled up, but Brandon just stared at his seat belt as if he didn't know how to use it.
He asked, “Uh, how does this thing work?”
I gestured to the buckle. “You stick the end of the belt into that.”
Brandon still looked confused, so I just buckled his seat belt for him. Ellie helpfully added, “What, you've never been in a car before?”
Dean Marins said, “Would someone like to tell me what's going on?”
Nobody answered. How did you even begin to explain what happened to us? I was hoping Dean Marins would somehow come up with a plan without our having to explain what Brandon was or where we found him.
She continued, “If you want me to help you, you're going to have to tell me what happened. I can't know how best to help otherwise, and I can tell something unusual is going on. You don't have to worry; I'm not going to report you. Please trust me on that one, I have no desire to interact with authorities any more than I must.”
Ellie piped up, “It started when we got drunk. And I kinda saw this shimmering portal thingie, and I decided it was pretty. So we got sucked through it. Whoops.”
Did she have to mention the getting drunk part?
Dean Marins slammed the car to a stop, throwing me forward. “You say you went through a shimmering portal? Are you serious?”
I answered, “Yes, Dean Marins. Ellie here is telling the truth. We really, truly, honestly stumbled through a portal to the divine realm.”
She couldn't believe it. “You three traveled into the divine realm and survived? How did-?”
I interjected, “It wasn't the three of us who traveled there. We, um, found Brandon after we arrived. He...lives there. Brandon actually made the return portal, but for some reason he can't make another one, which means he's kind of trapped on Earth.”
That story wasn't even the slightly bit believable, but it was a good thing Dean Marins had already stopped the car, or she would have slammed the brakes hard enough to wreck her vehicle. “Is this true?”
Ellie said, “It's absolutely true and totally not a drunken hallucination because we're not drunk anymore and Brandon is still here. He's a real god.”
Brandon mumbled, “Uh, yeah, it's true.”
“That's incredible!” Dean Marins exclaimed.
I noticed how we were still stopped on the road. “Dean Marins? Shouldn't you be driving the car?”
“Oh right.”
* * * * * * * * *
We arrived at the dean's house, which looked rather like Ellie's, though it was more on the edge of town. Right as we entered, a blonde woman about the dean's age greeted her with a worried look on her face. “Diana, what on Earth is going on?”
The goings-on had little to do with the Earth. The woman noticed me, her eyes widening. “Gemma Landare?”
For once, I wasn't the strangest one in the group, but I wasn't about to reveal anything. “Yes,” I said. “That's me.”
Dean Marins said, “Never mind for now. We need to get these kids cleaned up. We'll discuss things afterward.”
We didn't have time to clean up because there was a loud rap on the door. My heart leapt into my throat. Who could that be?
Simultaneously, the dean and the other woman exclaimed, “The morality check!”
Dean Marins had to take morality checks? I couldn't imagine her doing anything wrong. Then again, the Church did have a funny idea of what constituted “wrong” behavior.
The dean whispered urgently, “Everybody act normal and try to speak as little as possible. They'll find you if you try to hide.”
Before anybody could open the door, someone kicked it down. It clattered to the ground with a thud to reveal two police officers. Both of them had looks of disgust on their faces.
Officer One flashed his badge and announced, “I'm Officer Riley. Officer Perkins here will search the house, and I'll be conducting your interview. Let's get this over with. I don't have all day.”
The officer ushered us in into the dining room, where we all sat awkwardly around the table. I stared at the pretty landscape painting on the walls to avoid looking at Officer Riley. He stared us down, clearly thinking we're all budding criminals.
Riley sneered, “I don't even want to know why you're all so dirty. It's nothing good, I imagine.”
Dean Marins offered, “Would you like some coffee?”
Riley nodded. “Yes, and make it black, but I don't want either of you getting up and having a chance to hide anything.” He looked at Brandon. “You can make the coffee, then.”
Brandon turned bright red and didn't move. The officer glared at him. “Well, go on. Rudeness doesn't reflect well on the Marinses, you know.”
He stammered, “I-I don't know how to make coffee, sir.”
Riley's voice dripped with contempt. “Where are you from that you don't even know how to make coffee?”
I spoke up. “Ellie or I can make you coffee, officer.”
Ellie said, “I'll do it” and got up to go before the officer could object. I got the sense she didn't want to be in the same room with him. Riley was rather frightening.
He interrogated Dean Marins and the other woman. “What are your names?”
Dean Marins said, “I'm Diana Marins.”
The other woman said, “I'm Samantha Marins.”
He didn't say anything else, which is when I realized he wanted my name and Brandon's name.
Staring resolutely at a painting of a beach, I said, “Gemma.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “And your last name?”
“Landare.”
Then he recognized me. He tsk-tsked at the Marinses. “You have one of the most infamous no-souls in recent memory in your house. That doesn't look good.” He focused in on Brandon. “And your name?”
“Brandon.”
Riley raised his eyebrow again. “And you must have a last name, even if your parents apparently didn't teach you how to make coffee.”
Brandon looked like a trapped animal. Did he have a last name? Judging by the lengthening silence, he didn't.
“White,” I said. “His last name is White.”
The officer disdainfully inquired, “Is that so? And does Ms. Landare answer all your questions for you?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No, sir.”
Riley proceed to ask the Marinses, “And what is your relationship to each other?”
Samantha said, “Cousins. We're cousins.”
He drawled, “I suppose that picnic where we found you was just another example of family bonding, then? From what I hear, you were terribly affectionate.”
The dean looked angry, if I were judging correctly. “Yes, Officer Riley, we were bonding. As family.”
Riley asked, “And what is your relationship to your child's father, Ms. Marins?”
Flatly, she replied, “We're no longer together.”
“And why is that?”
The dean answered, “Irreconcilable differences.”
Child? That must be the girl who was in her office picture. What did the dean's relationship have to do with her morality, anyway? Was Officer Riley suggesting Dean Marins and Samantha were lesbians? Was that what this was about? It must have been.
Just then, Ellie came back with the coffee. She placed it before Riley and scooted into a seat as far from him as possible.
“Finally,” the officer said. “I need the caffeine to deal with you people.”
I needed caffeine to deal with him. While same-sex relationships were supposed to be wrong, this “morality check” was absolute bullshit.
Riley's voice overflowed with condescension. “I'm sure the differences were indeed irreconcilable if you partner had the wrong equipment.”
Dean Marins looked like she might punch him, and I would support this action one hundred percent. If it wouldn't get the dean arrested.
He glanced at Ellie. “And who might you be?”
Ellie smiled nervously. “I'm Elaine Harper.”
Officer Perkins returned from his search and told Riley, “I couldn't find anything. They must have gotten rid of all their illicit materials. No subversive anything anywhere.” Perkins glanced at the clock on the wall. “We need to get going, Riley. Got a bunch more houses to hit today.”
Riley sighed. He looked most disappointed. “I suppose that will be it for now. Be careful, ladies. You don't want to get in real trouble, do you?”
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written for 500themes prompt #268 - "Black and White"