Faulty Programming

Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Things

 It was so dark. So... cold. But I was used to the feeling. To be completely honest, I'm too afraid to get rid of it. I wouldn't feel... normal... without the fear. Without the constant anxiety. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to feel different. I didn't want to face who I am. The pain was just normal. Those haunting memories were, too. Waking up, having the same day cycle, going back to bed. It was normal. I didn't leave my room. I wouldn't leave my bed if it weren't for a snack. I just felt like dead-weight, but I didn't want it to change. I didn't... and I wouldn't.

I guess that's what I thought. I believed everyday would be the same, and the only amount of work I would do would be through the laptop that sat at the side of my bed. Schoolwork, a single-player video game or two, maybe a snack, then I'd go back to bed. I'd miss messages from anyone who still felt like talking to me, and eventually, the messages stopped. I suppose those old friends got tired of most of my responses saying "Sorry, I was asleep." Or, "Sorry, I'll catch the next event." In truth, I just didn't want to leave. I didn't want to ruin things again... I didn't want the pain of loss. It was better to self-sabotage, then to let them hurt or leave me on their own terms. I wasn't ready for that kind of pain again... I wasn't ready to be lied to again. So eventually, I ended up alone.

I'd leave once a month or two.. Maybe three. Only for my mother, though. If she offered, and I didn't have to leave the car, I'd come with. She'd get me a snack, or a drink.. So I guess that made it worth it. Well, it definitely was. Because one of those trips ended up being what caused the beginning of being okay.

When it happened, I thought I was dying. Waking up at 6 AM, that blinding pain running from my brain and through every muscle of my body. Instinctively I was afraid, but I couldn't even focus on that aspect... It was worse than the migraines I'd experienced in the past. Much worse. It had me on the floor; I tumbled out of my bed and could only find myself on my knees by the time it ended. It couldn't have been longer than a minute, but it was the longest minute of my life(and considering my life thus far, that's saying a lot).

I had to be hallucinating. There was a blue hue shining over me, and my body felt swollen but devoid of the previous pain. But I didn't take long to recover, and when I looked up my eyes met another's cold, perfect gaze.

Hello Evelyn.

What the hell.

I felt pretty wobbly, but if I wasn't up from the previous pain, I was certainly awake now.

I must have finally gone crazy or something. Or developed schizophrenia somehow? That can't be right... aren't there, like, warning signs?

No, it's not anything like that.

"Right, then what-... wait, how did you..?" It is way too early for this. Whatever the thing in front of me was seemed to have fallen into deep thought for a split second.

I see... this was a mistake of sorts.

"You didn't answer my question- and what are you talking about?" I questioned, turning to face it when it, I assume, attempted to walk a circle around me.

This is troublesome. I'll give you a simple answer for now.

I felt myself involuntarily hit my bed. That wasn't my doing, was it..?

I am your Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor, which stands for SQUIP. It would seem you somehow unintentionally got ahold of and consumed the pill I resided inside of.

Concerning that health professionals are accidentally putting random pills in my prescription bottles, but okay. "So you're..?"

My goal is to help improve your life. Which, in your case, is going to be difficult.