[WP] In the future, medical science has developed Prodigy, a performance enhancing drug that allows you to accumulate experience at a vastly faster rate. But there's a catch.
A breakthrough in medical science has resulted in a miracle drug they call Prodigy (Prod, Dig, Iggy, Proddy etc. for short). As the name implies, when you are under the influence, you will obtain experience in anything you do much faster. Even training your body becomes easier. With a large enough dose, you can learn a language in a day, or become muscular over the weekend.
However, once the effect of the drug fades, so too does everything you've gained. You revert to as you were before you took the drug. But it is not lost, as all you have to do it take another dose.
The drug is legal and used regularly by a large portion of the population, some since childhood. But like any other drug, you will inevitably build a resistance to it, not to mention addiction...
Posted Aug 19, 2019, 6:28 AM UTC · edited
‘Where are you going, James?’ Nick called after me, his face more worried than angry.
‘I’ll just skip sociology today,’ I said, my hand on the knob. I couldn’t wait to leave the campus but if Nick thought I was acting strange the entire crew would be on my case. Again.
Nick kicked his blanket off and jumped out of bed. I knew ginger people had a bit of a temper, but Nick was an absolute tornado when he was angry.
‘You have to stop cutting classes, James,’ he said, ‘they won’t let you graduate if you keep going on like this.’
I sighed.
I loved Nick, he was the closest thing to family I had, but sometimes he was a tad too dramatic for my taste.
‘It’s fine, Nick,’ I tried to smile. My grip on the door was now white-knuckled. Elise was waiting. My fairy was waiting. ‘I’ll be here by noon. Don’t eat the entire package, I know your mom sent some apple pie.’
‘Where are you going every day?’ Nick frowned.
I had enough of it.
‘Listen Nick you are not my mother so don’t act like one.’ I closed the door and rushed down the stairs.
The moment I left the campus ground I felt the strangest pull of freedom. Somewhere in my chest, there was an entire symphony unfolding, pulling me closer to my forest nymph. That is why I called her Elise – for she was as beautiful as a symphony.
I tossed aside my backpack and now I was running with all my might towards the woods, clutching the old book of Norse runes to my chest. This old book I stole from the library was my most precious possession.
When I finally reached the forest, I sat on the hillock by the river and started flipping page after page, magical letters imprinting into my brain like a magical code.
I knew I had to stop using Prodigy.
Nick was already biting my head off every time I took another dose.
After the experimental phase in 2050, it took over the world practically by storm. You could learn almost anything in a day – drive a plane, speak a new language, paint like a Van Gogh, anything you could imagine.
Every aspect of your mind and body was enhanced to a ridiculous level of perfection.
Last year Nick and I were sailing for an entire weekend, even prior to it neither one of us had the slightest idea what do with an anchor or God forbid a sail.
I remember when Nick learned to play the piano when he was trying to impress Rose. He was actually really good. The only problem is – it never lasted.
After a few years, there were more and more people making public appeals to stop the production and usage of it altogether because of the side effects. I was a bit tired afterward and my brain felt fuzzy it would go away…eventually.
I glanced at the watch. I had to finish the book - she’d be here at any moment.
My finger was tracing the strange letters and with each page, I felt the trembling in my heart. The moment I closed the leather covers I felt a whiff of air and she was here.
My Elise.
She appeared before me in her white dress, rolls of silvery mist covering the grass around her. I was gazing in her blue eyes and when she smiled at me there was no other place in the world I would rather be but here, with her, in this perfect moment of my life.
She sat on the hillock near me, her white hand moving a stray lock of her golden hair.
‘Will you tell me your name today?’ I asked.
She kept looking at me with her sky-blue eyes and my hands shook a little when I picked up a book.
‘Here,’ I showed her, ‘I found another one. These are Norse runes, maybe this time you would understand me.’
My heart was beating so fast I thought I would faint.
There was nothing I wanted more but to hear one word from her lips.
Elise just shook her head, folding hands on her lap. When she looked away to gaze at the river, a beam of sunlight touched her golden hair and the entire forest seemed alight.
‘I’ll try again,’ I gasped.
I’ll keep trying. There had to be a language in this world she understood. There had to be a book with letters she thought familiar. There had to be a song she loved. There had to be a word for her beauty.
‘Come tomorrow again, will you?’ I asked.
Elise stood up from the ground, her white dress unspoiled by the grass and dirt. I was holding my breath when she paused to look over her shoulder one more time.
‘Please, come tomorrow.’ I said. ‘I’ll find another book, I’ll try harder, I promise. Just come.’
Elise said nothing. She never did. Every day was another agony of excitement and dread.
I had to return to the campus.
I jumped to my feet and swayed. I hated this feeling - like there was nothing but smoke inside my brain. I leaned against a tree until the dizziness went away.
Each time it was harder to come around. I sat on the ground again and closed my eyes for a second.
‘James! James, wake up!’ Nick’s voice ringed in my ear but I couldn’t open my eyes. ‘He’s fine!’ He said to someone. Nick was angry again.
‘You have to let go,’ I heard a voice say. ‘He has suffered severe brain damage. I doubt he can hear you now.’
‘I’m not leaving him!’ Nick shouted. ‘He’s fine! I talked to him this morning. He was late for sociology, but he promised to come back by noon. He is fine!’ Nick kept saying. ‘I know him!’
‘Mr. Jones,’ that voice said again, ‘I am very sorry, but we have to take your friend.’
Were they talking about me? I thought. I couldn’t move my limbs and I couldn’t open my eyes.
‘Take him where?’ Nick asked, his voice shaking.
‘Do not worry, we will take good care of him.’
‘But he’s fine!’ Nick was crying now. I never heard him cry.
‘Mr. Jones,’ the voice said, ‘we found your friend lying in the river, deep in the woods with severe hypothermia. His body is healed now but we can’t do anything for his mind. I am sorry.’
I shivered. Elise. I won't see my Elise again.
r/CrystalElmTales
Thank you for being the first to respond to my first submission. I'm not a writer myself (although I've been told I could be) so pardon my lack of constructive criticism - I'll have to work on that - but it was an enjoyable read and gave me something to think about. It's very fascinating to see what direction people will take it.
This is a great prompt and a pleasure to write. I encourage you to write and respond to prompts if that is something that you enjoy. We are all here to encourage and help each other :) so welcome and the best of luck!
Thanks. I've been complimented by my writing ability in the past but I never had anything I wanted to write about. But I suppose that's exactly the point of this sub, so perhaps I should give it a try.
In this case, it was a random thought on my 10 minute morning drive that I found interesting enough to share. Fleshing it out is the hard part. :)
Yes, give it a try. There are so many prompts posted every day - you will find something that inspires you. Just keep writing. Good luck!