Happy Pills - The Story of Kevin Free

Silence

  It was nights like this that Kevin wondered why he'd chosen to stay in Desert Bluffs. He sighs to himself, laying on his bed in the dim light of the lamp that he currently doesn't have the courage to turn off, and he lets the memories run through his mind.
  His family. He'd had one. Try as he might, he couldn't remember their faces, but he knew they existed. A mother and a little sister. They'd left town one night. He remembered their voices as they'd begged him to come with them. Tears streamed down a child's face that he couldn't quite recognize anymore. This was a normal thing to happen to memories of someone who's left town for good, but it still makes him sad. He remembers his own voice, telling them it would be okay.
  My whole life is here. I'm old enough to stay on my own. When I'm ready to leave, I'll come find you. I promise.
  But he never did. Every year, the memories grew fainter. Where had they gone? He knew they'd told him.
  Why can't I remember my sister's name?
  Tears stung his eyes. As much as he loved this town, and the people in it, Kevin didn't have many friends. At least, not ones he saw often. Not ones he felt he could share his fears with. He was well-known, of course, and most people in town could recognize him. Usually they were happy to talk to him. But that wasn't friendship, and more often than not Kevin found he couldn't remember anyone's name after speaking to him. Some memories simply came and went like the tide, always there but not always strong. It was odd, and often he found he regretted these simple things, such as the act of not learning someone's name.
  The night dragged on, leaving Kevin alone with his thoughts. Thoughts and memories he didn't really remember. The line between memory and dream was often blurred for Kevin, and he found that certain things he was sure hadn't happened had been real, while certain things that he was sure were real had been imagined. Kevin was many things, and forgetful was definitely one of them.
  However, try as he might, Kevin could not forget the previous night's dream. His home, his beloved city, bloody and burning. Razed and ruined. He recalled, all too clearly, the sinking feeling that whatever was going to happen to ruin his town would be his fault. Of course, he also knew that the destruction might not be that literal. However, that didn't make him feel any better about it being his fault.
  He tried to shift his thoughts against the terrible dream, and found them returning to that business he'd seen earlier. The one with the bright orange logo.
  Strexcorp.
  Just thinking the name sent a shiver down his spine. He knew he had no reason to believe that this apparent corporation was bad, however he also couldn't deny the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever the name came to mind. Besides, radio hosts were supposed to know things. Kevin had been taught to trust his gut, and his gut was saying that Strexcorp wasn't as innocent as it seemed.
  Kevin didn't sleep much that night. His mind was swirling with thoughts that he couldn't seem to quiet. Around and around, he was dragged in circles of memory. One thing leading back to everything else. He did not shut off the lamp. He simply couldn't. Doing so would require a certain kind of fearlessness that he didn't possess at the moment. The light stayed on all night.

  Daylight filters through the open window, and Kevin groans slightly as he drags himself out of the foggy haze of almost-sleep. Now that there's more light in the room, he finally shuts off his lamp, and slowly forces himself to his feet. Time to go through the motions again. Get dressed. Hair. Makeup. It's messy today, but he doesn't care. Find something to eat. As Kevin is on his way out the door, he sees something on the ground. A piece of paper that had been slipped under his door the previous night. As he read the note, his hands began to shake again.

  We know who you are, Kevin.
  We suggest you do not speak out against us again, because you will come to regret saying such things. This is your only warning.

  The letter was not signed. Instead, the bottom of the page displayed the Strexcorp logo. By the time Kevin finished reading, his hands were trembling so much that he was afraid he might tear the people in half.
  "I knew it," he whispers to himself, terrified of what this means. "I knew they were dangerous."
  The real question, he thought, is how do I stop them. I can't let them become a threat to this town. I don't care what they say to me, I have to warn people.
  With that, Kevin set the paper aside and made his way towards the radio station. It was a bit of an early start, but he didn't care. A cold apprehension was coursing through his veins. He couldn't just let this go.
  Whoever they are, whatever they are, Strexcorp is dangerous.
  However, as Kevin sat down at his desk, he found he couldn't start his broadcast. He was breathing heavily and shivering. His fear of this corporation was borderline irrational.
  It's not irrational, he told himself. It's not! They literally sent me a threat!
  Kevin took a slow breath, struggling to calm himself. "They can threaten me as much as they want," he muttered, "I don't care. I can't let them get any more powerful here. I can't. maybe they're threatening other people too. That's not okay. Not here. It needs to stop."
  Following his somewhat weak attempt at bolstering himself, Kevin's shaky hand turned on the microphone, and he took a slow breath to steady his voice before beginning to speak.
  "Silence is made to be broken. Welcome to Desert Bluffs."