February 2022
Midnight Writers
Table of Contents
Cover: “Sandception,” an illustration by viento de levante
This Page: “Forgotten History,” a photo by Vérité Page 3: Ask Aphro & Dite • •
Junior year blues An old friend?
•
Valentines day
•
Stan Stray Kids
Verily Vérité
A Dose of Fandom
Page 4:
“Ticking Away”, an illustration by flaming elmo “Ticking Time”, a poem by Vérité “Running Out of Time’, an opinion by Lirui Fu
Page 5:
“The Search for the Illusive Noctilucent Cloud”, a story by Apollo “Red Skies”, a photo by Vérité
Page 6:
“The Search for the Illusive Noctilucent Cloud”, continued “Illuminater”, an illustration by flaming elmo “Illuminater”, Illustration by flaming elmo
Page 7:
“The Search for the Illusive Noctilucent Cloud”, continued “Forgotten History”, photo by Vérité “Stormy Skies”, a photo by Vérité “Monarch”. a story by Halimede
Page 8:
“Lilies of the Lake”, a photo by Vérité “Monarch”, continued
Page 9:
“KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 4)”, a comic by AgonysEmbrace
Page 10 & 11:
“Rabbit Hole: Part Two: The Junkboy”, a story by Master2 mind
issuu.com/midnightwriters wchs.midnightwriters@gmail.com
Ask Aphro
Ask Dite
Dear Aphro, Ugh. Junior year has just been a mess for me. Going back to school in person after a year of virtual was hard and I’ve kind of been floundering the whole way through. Any advice to get back on track? Yours, Desperate and Done
Dear Dite, Sorry about the… old friend. He slipped behind my back; you know all about his conniving ways. Deception is his forte, I’m afraid, and I’ve never quite learned how to master it. Hope you’re doing well. We miss you on this side of the planet. I understand why you did it, though. With love, [REDACTED]
Dear Desperate and Done, I know how you feel. Junior year is a beast, between AP courses and heavy workloads, SATs and/or ACTs, and, of course, the college search. And diving into it after a year and a half straight of Zoom Hell makes it even worse. But, hey, you made it this far already! You’re halfway through. That’s an accomplishment and you ought to be proud. As for advice, I definitely recommend breaking up each day’s workload into small and manageable tasks. Make a to-do list! They’re addictive and useful-and it’s so immensely satisfying to cross items off. If you feel you’re struggling too much to push through alone, reach out for help, whether to parents, friends, or counselors, and most of all, remember, we’re all rooting for you! You’ve got this. With love, Aphro
Verily Vérité
It’s February, and you know what that means! Lo-ove is in the air. Ha! As if. Had you fooled there for a second, didn’t I? But while we’re on the topic, let’s talk about February’s most famous festival - Valentine’s day. You know the one. Heart-shaped lollipops, red striped streamers, Godiva chocolates wrapped in pink bows; Valentine’s Day instills the joy of manufactured mass consumerism in everyone, no matter who you are. It’s the pinnacle of lo-ove and romance (because, of course, you can only express love for your partner on this one arbitrary day in the most arbitrary month of the year), and that’s why its detractors - the single, heartless, bitter souls they are - are Dear [REDACTED], so fierce to tear it down. I see you’ve been keeping up with Or, at least, that’s what the movies like my business—or maybe nosing to say. about in it is the better way to put In truth, I’ve never thought of Valenit. Truly, has this been your hobby tine’s Day as a day for romance. Valthese past millenia? Reading and entine’s Day, to me, has always been a day to appreciate friends and chocolate, rereading my old columns for nothing more. American capitalism scraps of my daily goings? Cheap works hard, but elementary school and grubby work, my dear, with Valentine’s Day parties work harder, so little reward. Have you considhere I am. ered taking up a different hobby? After six years straight of slapping lollipops on pink papers and handing Knitting, perhaps? I do love a them out to everyone in the class, can good hour of crochet every now you really blame me? There’s no joy and then. Though my misshapen comparable to that of dumping a bag attempts at scarves would most of candy in front of all your friends at certainly disagree. lunchtime and slapping heart shaped stickers on each other’s noses for no I meant what I said, though. I have moved on. I hope you have, reason other than that it looks ridiculous as can be. I declare it so on this as well. fine day: Valentine’s Day is a day to Anyhow, no hard feelings. I know appreciate your friends, to trade your how our mutual ‘friend’ can be. favorite candies, and drown your day in I’m sure you’re doing your best— hues of pink and red. Vérité’s the name, and truth is my game, and thus, I speak keep up the toil but don’t let it only what must be so. boil, as Hestia would say. So appreciate your friends this FebruMiss you too. ary, and collect a stockpile of chocoWith love, lates high as can go. Goodness knows Dite we need it. À la prochaine, Vérité
A Dose of Fandom As the March issue release draws nearer, K-pop boy group Stray Kids are making their comeback on March 18 with their mini album titled ‘ODDINARY!’ Known for pioneering the ‘mala taste genre,’ Stray Kids are the only 4th generation boy group to have 5 music videos with over 100M views, and are also the fastest K-pop boy group to reach 1B streams on Spotify. As of March 2nd, the group has released two trailers pertaining to their newest release along with the album tracklist, which revealed a grand total of seven new songs. The title track ‘Maniac’ is accompanied by four group songs and two unit songs. Both trailers can be found here: https://bit.ly/3IDwGJX, https://bit.ly/3Mk2yFu. Please support the group in this March comeback as well as in their future endeavors!
Special thanks to Sra. Steele, Cupid, Vérité, AgonysEmbrace, and viento de levante. 3
“Ticking Away”, Illustration by flaming elmo
Ticking Time
Running Out of Time
five long hallways ahead, and pounding footfalls behind, the chase is afoot.
People say time is money and I agree with them. Time is like our blood: wasting one drop of blood means wasting one minute. Wasting 60 bdrops of lood means wasting one hour. It’s hard to catch up with time. With more time there would be more opportunities. For example, when people say high school is an important time, they mean you can’t waste such an important chance. You must study as hard as you can, so you will not have a bad future. If you spend your whole high school playing around like a video game, you might not have a good time studying. If you play half an hour that means you waste half an hour of couldbe studying. Then, you will not have the time to do school work. That’s why do not waste your time on boring stuff and spend that time on the important stuff.
By Vérité
four a corner in view, a quick change in direction, the pursuit continues. three the treasure is dropped, left behind in tears and toll, a failed rescue. two doors slam down in sync, cutting off all hope and joy, escape forbidden.
4
one and the jig is up, heroics unsuccessful, ticking time is up.
by Lirui Fu
The Search for the Illusive Noctilucent Cloud
“Red Skies”, Photo by Vérité
By Apollo
It was the Fourth of July and three friends were celebrating with burgers and hot dogs in Martin’s backyard, waiting for the fireworks to start at their local park. It had been almost six months since the three friends thought of a new conquest to fulfill. They hadn’t thought much of it until Martin came across the latest Global Geographic magazine where it was advertising something very strange. “Hey, check out this article,” Martin said. “Have you heard of a noculekant cloud?” “Noctilucent,” Daniel corrected. “Say what?” Nathaniel said. “What are you talking about?” “Global Geographic claimed that there should be a noctilucent cloud sighting in the Northern Alaskan planes.” “Wow, that’s still two hours away from here,” Daniel said amused. “What’s the point of the article anway?” Martin read aloud, “Listen to this; it’s a state-wide contest. Whoever wins will get a sum of $50,000. In order to win, there must be an actual individual at the sighting of the noctilucent cloud. The real challenge will be that this must be accomplished before the end of July or noctilucent clouds will no longer be visible in this state. We gotta get going.” “Wait!” Daniel shouted. “We have to have ideal conditions in order to get a chance of winning the prize, so we gotta have our strategy now.” Martin, Daniel, and Nathaniel gathered materials and necessities for the long journey they were going to experience. Daniel packed a camera that would be suited for capturing the images with the chances of success. He was sure to get the best camera with the latest features, so he purchased a camera with a high magnification lens and a stable tripod in order to assure the best possible pictures. Martin had always dreamed of being a photojournalist, so this project was of utmost importance to him. Unfortunately, he had not shared his desire with his compatriots. Martin was in charge of food and water, but because of some mishaps he did in his past, Daniel and Nathaniel were sure he was going to mess up the assignment. Daniel and Nathaniel decide to purchase all of the accessories including food, water, hand warmers, kerosene camping stoves, thermal blankets, and more. “Okay guys,” Daniel said. “I’m so excited to be going on this journey with you.” “Just curious, why is this so important to you?” Nathaniel asked.
“That’s because very few people in this world have ever had the chance to photograph and witness such a beautiful phenomenon. Some people go their entire lives without experiencing such a wonder of nature.” “This sounds really cool,” Martin said. “Maybe we can take a bunch of pictures and get them published in a magazine such as Global Geographic. Maybe we can tell our stories. Maybe this can be the start of many great adventures!” “Or maybe we could all die,” Nathaniel said. “Stop being pessimistic!” Daniel said to Nathaniel. “Anyways, let’s get going. We’re leaving around 6, because it will take us two hours to get to our desired location. We have time to set our equipment. We will meet four miles from home where a local snow mobile store is. Does everyone understand their responsibilities?” “Alright, agreed. We’re all set!” Both of them said,” “I’ll meet you at 6 pm,” Daniel said. At that time, Daniel spotted Martin and Nathaniel riding in their rented snow mobiles, ready to find the Illusive Noctilucent Cloud. “Before we begin, did anybody bring bear repellant?” Nathaniel asked. “What are you talking about? We aren’t going to run into any bears!” Martin told Nathaniel. “Don’t be so anxious!” Daniel said.
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“I’m just trying to follow precautions.” Nathaniel told them both. “I’ll bring it just in case.” Nathaniel brought the bear repellant and stuffed it in his backpack. He also found his camera waiting for him. And off they went to see the noctilucent cloud. Daniel had a very sophisticated GPS for the three friends to follow in order to find the cloud. “I’ve got our map root. Just follow me, boys.” Daniel said. “Ready? We’re off!” It was a perfect night to go to see a noctilucent cloud. Daniel couldn’t stop smiling about the thought of seeing his first real noctilucent cloud. But he knew it was going to be some time before they got to reach a noctilucent cloud. Still, words could not describe the joy he was going to experience once he saw a noctilucent cloud. Off the three friends go, as they breezed through the 6 inches of snow in the wilderness with their snowmobiles. They were not going to slow down anytime soon, as they (mostly Daniel) absolutely wanted to see a noctilucent cloud. It didn’t matter that the sun was setting, and halfway through, it was dark. For Daniel, this was going to be the perfect opportunity to see the illusive noctilucent cloud. Finally, after 2 hours and 45 minutes of nonstop driving snowmobiles, Daniel’s GPS announced that the three friends had reached their destination. All Martin and Nathaniel could see in Daniel’s face was a big, wide smile enlarging on his face. And it was the perfect time: the noctilucent cloud was going to appear any minute in the place of their destination. Martin was preparing the food on a spot where Daniel and Nathaniel could eat. He thought it was a good idea to witness a noctilucent cloud while eating food. So, he called Daniel and Nathaniel, telling them to eat. As Martin said that, a noctilucent cloud was about to appear. The three friends were about to witness such a beautiful thing a cloud unlike any other. Sadly, their joy could last so long, however. The smell of the food attracted the attention of a grizzly bear, who approached the three friends as if he also wanted some food. Nathaniel started to get concerned. “Do you guys have the bear repellant we bought?” Nathaniel asked his two friends worryingly. “I got it!” Martin declared as he grabbed the bear repellant. Nathaniel grabbed it right out of his hand, and used it on the bear. It did nothing. Nathaniel shook the repellant. There WAS nothing. ‘Why is this bear repellant empty?“ Nathaniel cried. “Because it’s not bear repellent!” Daniel barked. “That’s just an empty soda you can unknowingly purchase from the store clerk.” “I bet his DNA is on there,” Martin joked. “Martin, this is no time for jokes!” Daniel shouted. “This is a very scary situation. We need to get going, fast.”
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“Illuminater”, Illustration by flaming elmo
As Daniel shouted that, the bear started to get aggressive. Nathaniel packed all the food and other necessities and stored it into his snowmobile. Daniel revved his up, and the two left the sight as fast as they could. Martin and the bear were just behind him. “Where’s Martin?” Nathaniel worried. “He’ll be with us shortly.” Daniel predicted. And predict he did, as Martin came out of the noctilucent cloud spot with the bear just a few feet away from him. He brought the camera. As Martin caught up with Daniel and Nathaniel, all three snowmobiles were on the run from the bear. Daniel was furious, while Nathaniel was very scared, seeing that his life (and that of his friends) could be in a vegetative state. “WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!” Daniel barked at Martin. “YOU COULD’VE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED!” “I had to try to fight off the bear!” Martin replied. “WHY?” “Because… the bear was trying to eat my camera.” “YOU’RE MAKING THAT UP!” “No, I’m not!” As the two friends continued to argue, as Nathaniel was witnessing the argument, and as the bear was approaching them, the three friends hadn’t realized their snowmobiles were on fast-speed mode because they were not paying attention, and thus, their snowmobiles sped up immediately like cheetahs. The bear could not catch up to them at that point, so it gave up. Meanwhile, the snowmobiles continued to speed. It took a person in the three friends’ area two hours to get from their location to the noctilucent cloud site and back. With the snowmobile’s extreme speed rate, it took them about 15 minutes to get back to their starting place, where the store clerk was. The store clerk was shocked, amazed, and confused about the rate of speed at which the rented snowmobiles were going. He had no idea they could do that! He even thought they were going to hit some cars.
Luckily for him and the three friends, the speed of the snowmobiles were dropping dramatically, until they ran out of energy and broke down. At that moment, the friends’ lives flashed before their eyes. Thankfully, they were safe. “But what about the picture of the noctilucent cloud?” Daniel asked his two friends. Nathaniel gulped, but then Martin showed something to both Nathaniel and Daniel, something that shook both of them. It was a picture of Martin standing in front of the noctilucent cloud, with the bear in the background. “WOAH!” Nathaniel gasped. “But I thought you said you were trying to fight the bear.” Daniel told Martin. “Oh no! I saw we were in a hurry, so I took a selfie in front of the noctilucent cloud.” “Huh!” Daniel smiled, and so did Nathaniel. Back home, Martin submitted the photo to Global Geographic. The next day, they got a response. “It was accepted!” Martin read the email he received from Global Geographic allowed to his friends. Their hearts were full of joy after this moment, knowing that they were going to receive $50,000. It felt so surreal that the three friends were going to receive such a huge amount of cash because they traveled to and took a selfie with the noctilucent cloud. And they were proud of having done said thing, for the outcome was worth it. THE END
Monarch
by Halimede It’s a mission gone wrong that brings her to the dismal village in the middle of nowhere. Head pounding, blood dripping sluggishly down her forehead, Jana tosses away the last remnants of her armor and tries to fashion a bandage out of spare bits of fabric; it works only marginally. She tosses the sword away, too. It’s too recognizable, and not every village is friendly to the Captain of the Royal Guard anymore. Not after she assassinated their King. She limps into the village more vulnerable than she’s let herself be in years, and curses Queen Sanna with every step. She might have been the one to put the new regime into place, to beg to be sent out on mission after mission to avoid having to think about anything she’s done - for what she did to the Princess, to her dear Aileen - but blaming the Queen is easier. Stupid, useless mission, she thinks. Cursed, worthless pack of bandits. But, truth be told - the whispers of rebellion are growing stronger. Those bandits weren’t just after food and coin. It was her face that had spurred them to attack, her place as the figurehead of the new reign. She’ll have to be the one to crush rebellions, again. She’s not looking forward to it. Jana makes it into a tavern and slinks towards the back. She has a few coins left, enough for a few nights’ of room and board; once she’s back on her feet, she’ll head out. The bandits won’t escape her for long. No one notices her entrance. The tavern is bustling with an easy evening’s fervor. Drunken singing wafts over from one of the corners. “What’ll it be, then?” an impatient voice snaps from above, a voice that sounds strangely familiar She looks up.
“Stormy Skies,” Photo by Vérité
Aileen. 7
“Lilies of the Lake”, Photo by Vérité
Aileen stares. Jana stares back. Finally, Aileen speaks. “So that’s how you did it,” Aileen says coldly. “I’d always wondered. Betraying the Kingdom wasn’t enough for you, so you betrayed the people too.” Jana brings a hand up to her own face and pats at it disbelievingly. It feels… normal to her. Why is Aileen still looking at her like that? The hatred, she can understand, but the horror? Aileen’s never been scared of her, not ever. What is going on? “Aileen,” she breathes, a chill running up her spine, “Aileen, what are you talking about?” Aileen drags a jagged nail down Jana’s cheek. It stings. In another time, another life, Jana would have sent her flying backwards for it. Here, she just lets her. “You have the mark of the Fae,” Aileen says with a bitter laugh. “You know, you were beautiful enough before, without their glamour. It doesn’t suit you.”
No. No, it can’t be. That’s impossible. She’d done it for her, all for her, so they could have the life Aileen’s father would never have allowed her - and Aileen had left her. Run for the next Kingdom over. Ended up going through with that arranged marriage after all, if only to escape Jana’s traitorous plot. And now she’s…here.
She’d never have gone that far.
In a run-down tavern in the middle of nowhere, serving rotted drinks to rotted passersby.
Would she?
No.
Could Queen Sanna have been… have been one of them?
It can’t be.
No. It’s impossible. It can’t be.
“Aileen?”
She would have known. She wouldn’t have gone through with it.
“Jana,” Aileen breathes, then her face contorts in rage. Before she knows it, Jana finds herself dragged outside, Aileen’s jagged nails digging into her arm. It happens so quickly she barely has time to react; one moment she’s at her table, the next, outside in the street, bright sunshine reflecting off the cobblestone as she wrenches her arm away instinctively. “What,” Aileen hisses, syllables harsh as the glare of the sun, “are you doing here?”
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Hesitantly, Jana brings her hand back up to her face. This doesn’t make any sense. She’d allied with an ambitious advisor, not a Fae - allying with a Fae was a perversion like none other, a betrayal of the human race. They were tricksters and fiends, with no care for the lives of any but their own.
Then she recoils before Jana has a chance to answer. Her eyes fix on Jana’s face, brows twisted in horror. She brings a trembling hand up to her cheek before wrenching it away.
Or maybe she would have. Maybe there would have been no depths to which she was unwilling to sink, for Aileen’s freedom and her own. For the freedom Aileen spat out and rejected. “Get out of my sight,” Aileen hisses, same as the day five years ago when she’d discovered what Jana had done. But it isn’t Jana that leaves. Aileen twists away, disappearing back into the tavern din as if there’s fire on her heels. Jana stays there for a long while, clasping at her cheek as blood drips steadily down. She leaves the village before sundown.
KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 4) by AgonysEmbrace
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Rabbit Hole: Part Two: The Junkboy by Mastermind VI It doesn’t matter if you become a Junkboy by failing school, being terrible at work, or committing crimes, like supporting enemy campains. You will always face the feeling of shame through the eyes of family members and former friends watching you be sent away. Alhough only my family is there to watch me from the back of a truck as I leave their lives. Don’t get me wrong- I love them, but Simon was my only friend in life. I try to keep in all the pain I feel now and from the past, but I can’t stop crying, when I get to the junkyard. I stop in order not to show any weakness. I am greeted by the new command officers and wait as they review my crime records while giving me a nasty look. Then I hear one say, “This one will be with Junkboy 6621. Unit RO-5987, take him there.” At the words “Junkboy 6621” I try to climb the fence but I am detained. I wonder if I will see Olivia Lakerman. She hates the Rabbot Empire more than anyone. She was sent here because of what she did on college graduation day with me and Simon as bystanders. Using scraps from my class in engineering, Olivia crafted a makeshift weapon to tear apart the Rabbot professors as an act of defiance. I haven’t seen her since she was captured and it seems like a death wish to bunk with her. I reach a private sector of the junkyard where people like Olivia are sent to work. The Rabbot escorting me throws me in a cell with two layers of reinforced metal. “Well, well well,” chirps Olivia still looking as fiesty despite the living conditions “Looks like someone finally took after my example.” She said it like I was her brother. VII “Thanks to the chaos you caused, I managed to steal some Rabbot guard parts so I’m going to make a drum set,” Olivia says. Without much heart I say, “So, you haven’t died of cholera like my co-workers told me?” Olivia laughs. “Oh don’t listen to them. People like you and me don’t do casual Junkboy work.” I’m confused now because there have only been three types of Junkboys- those that break down scrap, those that keep workplaces organized, and those farm for our country. Human Junkboys aren’t in heavy supply, so PITT Rabbots are there instead as they’re small but sturdy. “Since you’re the newbie, I’ll be with you during the day, and don’t pay any attention to Derek Silvet if he asks if you’ve slept with me,” Olivia tells me before she goes to sleep. As I get into bed I think, I guess I have to get along with her if I want to survive. 10
VIII A month has passed now. While our schedule doesn’t include back-breaking work, since the Rabbots are constantly trying to win us over to their cause, I still can’t mange the sound of the Imperial anthem booming outside yet again. “Come on bolt-brain!” Olivia yells to me before she heads into the bathroom. “You don’t wanna be late for this.” In high school and college she used to call me “boltbrain” because I was always working to please my Rabbot teachers. But now I’m only working to gain her help to find out what’s going on. So far it’s going well thanks to being cellmates. I walk up to the Junkboy that hates everything and everyone: Derek. He puts up his fists and I get ready to block, but instead he kicks me in the balls. As I roll on the ground in pain Derek smirks, “Guess those bucket-head professors don’t teach you everything to succeed. In a fight that is.” Just then Olivia strides up, grabs him by the arm, and throws him to the ground, yelling “Get back in line, Derek!” He walks away muttering that he wouldn’t waste his time on her. “What line?” I ask as I rebound from the kick, and Olivia replies, “This is the work I told you about. Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.” Me, Olivia, Derek, and the small band of major crime committing Junkboys are put in the back of a truck like we’re cattle about to be taken to a slaughterhouse. Instead we arrive at a gray-blue building with metal covering the windows. Inside we are greeted by a brightly lit room and model M-5 Rabbot scientists viewing computers, Oh no, I think. This is going to be just like my interrogation. I am taken to a chair like all the other Junkboys. “What the hell is going on? What is going to happen to us?” I ask, my heart pounding uncontrollably. The Rabbot scientist putting on my restraints says “Oh, it’s your first time here?” “Yeah, but it’s not my first time in one of these chairs. So what is going to happen to m-owwww!” I turn my head to see that a shot was injected into me by the Rabbot scientist preparing me for whatever is about to happen. My vision starts to go dark. The last thing I see is everything around me melting into nothingness.
IX
X
I wake up, and I’m in my old room in my parents house. What is going on here? I think to myself. I head downstairs to see my parents and to my surprise, they look exactly like they did when I was ten years old. “Hello sweetie,” my mom says to me. She was one of the few women mechanics. The Rabbots had ruled it was illogical to make women endure the work that men go through thinking they couldn’t hack it, so most of them work as technicians now. “The weather is so nice outside. Why don’t you go for a walk?” “Yeah, enjoy being outside, son. When you become a mechanic, you’ll life will be over,” my dad chimes in. People like him who refused to do anything for the Rabbot Empire was one of the reasons people like my mom had to became a mechanic in the first place. I usually choose not to remember the days my parents would argue, but this was the day I got the override stick from that Rabbot. The day that started my downfall.
Olivia and the other Junkboys are sent back to the junkyard, but two Rabbots guard my exit. “What is it now?” I ask them with annoyance. One of them shows me a digital message that reads, “Congratulations. You have been bestowed the honor of meeting me. Opon your arrival, we will discuss the matter of putting you in a more… acceptable position in life than the one you are currently in.” I stop and think. Who could be so interested in me? I’m nothing now aren’t I? But then I think that maybe I could bargain with whomever I’m meeting with, and for my services, Olivia would receive better treatment. I finally tell the two Rabbots “I’m going to see this guy.” “Excellent,” the second Rabbot says, “You should expect to be picked up at approximately midnight.”
“Ok, I’ll go,” I tell them and they stop arguing. I couldn’t bear to be in that room anymore, but I’m more worried about what will happen next. As I walk along the sidewalk across the street from the one that Rabbot was on, I look at my hands and see if they’ve changed since I entered this memory. “Well, they’re still brusied but why did my parents see me as a kid?” I mutter to myself. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see a kid I never met run in the direction of the Rabbot that hit me. Without thinking I dash across the street and knock the Rabbot to the ground. I get hit in the cheek by him when he gets up, but I don’t really feel the same amount of pain as before. As he leaves I shout, “Hey!” He turns around to look at me and says, “You forgot this stick here.” Then everything around me melts again. When I’m back to reality, I see every eye in the room on me.
I head on back to the junkyard and try to get some sleep, but with Olivia staring wide awake at the metal wall of our cell it’s hard. So I ask her “Did you see what I did today?” She turns around to face me with so many tears welling up in her eyes they could fill a river. “Yes,” she replies in a low voice. “Are you trying to make my life better here?” “How did you know that?” I say cautiously not wanting to provoke her, “Because my brother tried to do that,” she tells me sobbing. “He signed up to be a simulation tester as a part-time job five years after I arrived here. He thought volunteering would take some work off my shoulders. But, on visiting day he told me how Dr. Hare himself gave him a new job. ‘He says I’m the embodiment of a model citizen and perfect scientist in and out of simulations, and if I do this he’ll let you out! Isn’t that great?!’ is what he said. But I’m still here.” I remember Olivia’s brother Michael. He was 10 years older than her. But I haven’t seen him for a while. Out of curiosity I ask “Did something happen to him? Because you still do work like the rest of us.” Olivia hesitates, then says, “I was told that his brain was damaged in a severe accident, but I think Dr. Hare stripped him of his personality. He was placed in an asylum, and it’s all my fault.” I don’t know what to say. Even if she protected you in your first month here that doesn’t mean she has a complete grip on reality, the voice in my head tells me. Well the Rabbot empire’s technology is unbelievably powerful, so she might just be right, I counteract him. “Well, what do I have to lose now?” I remind her. “I’m a Junkboy for god’s sake!” She leans toward my ear and whispers, “Your past life.” Just then, a Rabbot opens the metal door and plays a recording of a voice I’ve heard speak thousands of times, “Dave Orzon. I’ve been expecting you.” 11