Noë was tall. She had long legs and she was thin. She had sharp features and had long black hair that flowed down her back like a waterfall. And mud brown eyes that went deep into her mind so that you could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her. She had inherited those eyes from her father. Her father was also tall, but very solemn. He repaired broken laptops. It was a hard job because laptops died easily and frequently.

    Noë’s mother was a daycare worker. She helped with smaller children while their parents were at work.

    Her sister Abby was learning how to use a laptop, which was a useful skill seeing as everyone in town depended on one.

    She heard a loud “ding” coming from her own laptop. It was her father. She poured out all of her day to him. Her father, however, remained silent. Unlike his daughter, he was not much of a talker.

    Noë told him all about the new boy in school.

After a week  Noë  noticed that something was changing in the society. Father was whittling a birch stool for Abby and mother was knitting a sweater. They laughed and talked and used their laptops, still as busy and happy as ever. Suddenly Noë’s laptop made a small ding. Across the screen, a message was written. It was from the town council. It read:

    Several hours later, with wood shavings everywhere and mother’s knitting needles clacking away, Noë went to the window and looked out. She would have preferred to be outside today, as would everyone else, she was sure. But today, everyone must stay inside. Why, she wasn’t sure. She knew some one had done a bad thing.

    She heard a rustle in the bushes. Suddenly, Todd, the new boy in the society appeared out of the bush. He was holding a bright orange ball in his hands.

    He must be trying to get home, she thought. But what was that thing he was holding?

    She went to her room. SMACK!  Something flew through the open window, hitting her in the side of her head, drenching her in water.  She stood, shocked. She noticed something bright orange on the floor. Bending down, she picked up the shriveled remains of the orange ball Todd had been holding. She felt all hot, as though something was bubbling up inside of her. She felt slightly nauseous.  Her fist clenched. What was this feeling? Whatever it was, she didn’t like it, not at all. And it was Todd’s fault. Todd had soaked her. Todd was making her feel this way. Oh, the nerve of him! How dare he! Todd had to be reported.

    “Mother,” she said quite confidently “I need to speak to the town council at once. It’s urgent.”

    “What happened to you?” asked her mother, staring at Noë’s soaked clothes.

Noë told her mother all about Todd and the orange, water-filled ball, and the bad, yucky feelings. Mother sank into a chair.

    “What is it?” asked Noë in concern, for her mother looked poorly.

    “Noë,” said her mother very seriously, “we have tried to raise you well, but it has happened. Negative thoughts are entering your mind. But how will I get them out? I can’t scold you or punish you, for that would be mean! I can’t believe I was even thinking it! Your negativity is contagious! Oh, was I a failure as a mother?”

    “The sooner Todd is stopped, the sooner we are rid of all negativity! And no, mother, you are not a failure.”

    So she ran outside and didn’t stop until she was at the town hall. When she breathlessly reached the building, Lilany, The town council secretary was waiting for her.

    “Your mother informed me you were coming on my laptop. She also said why. I must say, I am ashamed of your negativity. And listen to me, scolding young children! What is this society coming to?”

    Lilany led Noë to where the council was waiting. Cheerily they greeted her and welcomed inside. After they had seated her in the most comfortable chair and brought her a steaming cup of chamomile tea, she began to explain why she had come. The council listened politely, but the air in the room was tense and frightened and very uncomfortable. They were shifting in there seats, and, although they were still smiling, Noë knew they were distressed by Todd’s actions.

    “So something has to be done.” She finished. The room was silent. Suddenly a blue ball flew through the open window and hit the oldest member of the council with alarming accuracy. Soaking, and utterly shocked, the elderly woman managed a small cry of alarm.

“You’re right Noë.” she spluttered, “Something has to be done.   I feel…I feel… That thing that I only have heard about in myths. The feeling when you become possessed by emotion and you do wicked things. I feel evil. Like a monster. I think that I feel…Anger!”

`    A great gasp went up from the council. To feel anger was a horrible crime. Against religion.

    Several weeks’ later things weren’t improving. No progress had been made. Todd had been visited by the town council and several other members of PFFEF (Peaceful Fighters For Everlasting Freedom). He confessed. But he refused to apologize. He was the happiest member of the society and smirked whenever he thought of the chaos he had made. He enjoyed watching them struggle to do good. Yes, he confessed to his crime, but what were they going to do about it? And he was right. With their obsession with kindness, they could never stop him. Until he left. But the least they could do was try.    

    The society received several messages a day on their laptops. None of which brought the good news that they were hoping for.

    On the first night of October, Noë received the most startling message of all. It said:

    Noë sat down. She felt tired, as though a heavy stone were holding her down.  She wanted to slouch. She simply wanted to sleep. To drift away from all her fears and troubles. To not think anymore. So she did. She slept and she forgot everything else. It was a heavy sleep. And she slept until it felt that she was weightless. Until nothing mattered. A kind of trance. While she slept, she dreamt. Good dreams and bad ones. She dreamt of Todd. He was as tall as the sky and he crushed the society under his feet. The town gathered around his foot and tried to push it away, but it wouldn’t budge. She also dreamt that something -a shadow- flew through the open window and just sat there, watching her sleep. And then-

    “Noë! Wake up!” It was her Mother. “You’ve slept for 24 hours! Everyone is worried about you!”

    “What?” said Noë startled. She had wasted 24 full hours?!  She had things to do! People to see! Places to go!  But most of all see needed to talk to Todd.

    She opened her laptop. The long sleep had given her time to clear her mind.

    She got up and  walked to the door. Then she heard the sound that she had been hoping to hear. A ding. She opened her laptop. A message was written across the screen. Todd’s response. It was shorter than she had expected. It said:

    Noë read and re-read the message.  Leaving? He was leaving? The society would seem so odd without him. So…to use his word, boring. Not so adventuresome. Or risky or exciting. And they had been friends. Or almost had been.

    

    Todd had been gone for several weeks. Everything was back to normal. Everyone was again positive and optimistic. Noë often thought of Todd. Before he had come she hadn’t really known what risk was. Now she knew. And she also knew that she preferred it to the life she had. Maybe someday when she was all grown up, she would move to Todd’s society. And then maybe they could be friends.