Life in Bliss

Life in Bliss

I live in Bliss. It’s the most wonderful place. Everyone is happy. Everyone is having fun. And Everyone always looks their best. We live this way virtually all of the time. We live so peacefully, so dreamily now. We live our lives and document them on our page, to share with the world and increase our positive wage. Our page is our stage; that determines our standing. The way to the top is to spread good cheer, the way to plummet from the summit is to post something wrong. Negative naysayers are our workers in town. To repay their debt for bringing the rest of us down. Our role in Bliss is determined by our happiness meter displayed on our page; increase this and become all the rage.

A long time ago, we faced a great war, no flags or causes, just death and gore. No one is quite sure how it all started. The only consensus was negative content on the internet. People wrote trash and kindness was discarded. Anger departed from our virtual presence and began to emerge in our actual essence. Our leaders did research once peace was achieved. They said that fear, hate, and sadness spread like a disease. So, the intelligent rulers came up with a plan. All citizens would be ranked and rewarded by the benevolent content they put on their page. The system a pyramid. The top with the luxury to see and do what they wanted. The lower you slid on your happiness score, the more labor you’d have to endure. To repay your harmful debt to Bliss and keep euphoria growing more and more.

I was nobody, just a middle stone in the pack. My page consisted of my family and a few friends I knew from way back. I had a life that was happy, but not a glorious sight. I still had to work; and did not have the means to follow my dreams. I helped those around me and posted online. But I could not grow above my status because I lacked constant contentment, the prerogative norm. What prevented me from this was a battle with the jealousy, anger, and fear swarm. Ambitious feelings stirred me up deep inside. I needed to be Bliss’s number one prize. I spent my free time online to see everyone else’s beautiful posts. Gaze at my screen and wonder why? My life was lackluster, not a lavish blockbuster. If I could just get my shot, I could travel the world and spread all my joy. I’d show them all that they all were missing my gifted voice.

Then I found my secret, the way to fame and success. A lightweight, heart-shaped locket, with a thin chain to wear around my chest. The divine secret to this locket was it could hide unfavorable feelings and put my mind to rest. I just had to channel it into the locket and shove it all in. Then these troubling feelings would not affect me again.

With the help of this my focus my happiness soared. I posted such jubilant content; I entered the main stage to a thunderous electronic roar. All of my dreams were now in my grasp. My spouse, my family, my friends, no longer hindered by work. We were free to be happy! It all happened so fast.

I needed to create content to keep my fans entertained. Off to Mount Elation for a photo shoot was ordained. My love and dearest friends would take all the pictures. As I was to be the one in the spotlight. When we reached the peak. Their cameras started snappin’ the goal was to make it look like this just sort of happened. However, all of the pictures were just the absolute worst. How could they be so stupid! Could they not see what rode on this post? I wanted to scream, I wanted to shout, “Take better pictures, just the way that I asked! It isn’t that hard! It is the least you could do to thank me for all this!” but I could not risk such an outburst so, I took out my locket and shoved it inside. After hours of photos, we finally got one. The only one where I looked close to perfect. On the descent the chain snapped on my locket, and it crashed down to the ground. When we got back to town, I purchased a stronger chain for my special trinket. That night I got in the shower and noticed a distorted heart shaped bruise across my chest. A small price to pay for its unrelenting support.

I began to look at my comments and likes from my latest post. Countless, I had— saying I am the greatest was hardly a boast. Then I started to browse my friends’ pages, not one’s that I knew but people who influenced the most. They had done so much, and their pictures were gorgeous. Look how many they had! Why weren’t mine as good? How come I didn’t do that? And then the most hideous crime my friends had commented. Those comments were mine! I could not have this, I had to do better. First, I had to reach under my sweater. I grasped the locket, and it took some might but I hoisted out my locket and locked my feelings up tight. I dropped the locket, the force jerked my head down, but my feeling of comfort began to rise.

Then one day tragedy struck! An outbreak of sickness creating havoc and death was running amuck. The fear was too much, it just couldn’t be, not when I had just started my dream. I was terrified. I still had so much good cheer, to spread amongst Bliss. I just could not have this. I took my fear and locked it away. And kept with my life in the new usual way. While others hid away afraid of the virus their happiness levels fell, a blessing to me. My locket was heavy but my ascension through the ranks grew fast as can be.

With this tragedy my status was almost full grown. Until the sickness struck too close to home. It took out both my parents on one fateful day. I couldn’t believe it. How could they do this? They knew that it would hurt my status. I could not be sad. I had no time to mourn. So, out came my locket and that ended my scorn. This way I could spin a positive message at their funeral speech. I took my place at the altar. I spoke oh so eloquently. My head hung low as the links of the locket dug like claws into the back of my neck. It was so painful, but I could not risk a tear or signs of one, not even a speck. When I walked back down, I checked my page, and everyone was writing what an inspiring performance I gave.

My spouse wants a divorce. They say I am too distant. I never speak truth. They say I am emotionless just like the rest of the people that rule Bliss.. And I am not actually happy I just portray it with force. They can’t be around me this way. What do they want? Can they not, see? That me being happy is how this wonderful life was given to me! They say it seems fake, all just an act for my adoring remote fans. My blood begins to boil. This minor hitch in my plan will not prevent me from becoming a Bliss royal. Two hands it takes to pick up my locket though the liberation I felt makes my heart melt.

I am all alone now, no one to bring me down. It is just me and my locket, my heavy gold crown. I go online to see my friends, my competition. I view some of our leaders on dates with their lovers. My mind starts spinning. I don’t understand. My life is so perfect! How is this not me? Why did mine have to leave? Here I sit in my mansion all by myself. I’ll just use my locket one more time. My burdensome locket makes my jealousy subside.

I laid in bed, my locket weighing down on my chest. Wondering if I was so happy, why was my life such a mess. Anger, depression, anxiety should all just be remnants of the past for me. I should be happy my life is so perfect; just how I dreamed it would be. Yet, nothing improved, my life somehow worse? But My ranking said I was the happiest in the nation. I laid here staring at the ceiling shrouded in self-doubt. I clasped my locket and crammed it all in. Instant relief I immediately felt. I dropped the locket to begin my rest. A loud crack shot out from my chest. Pain coursed through me. A heavy weight forced through my left breast. As my fear grew, so did the pressure. The locket’s weight unbearable drove straight through my heart. I opened my mouth to shout, but only warm gurgling blood spurt out. Confusion and misery swirled through my head. As a cold blanket made of darkness and dread laid me to rest in bed. This ended my never-ending search for clout. Love, fame, and happiness I died without.