Can't Create AI Generate

Ch 1: Lost and Found

The empty classroom was filled with anxiety that day. The ticking of the clock was overshadowed by my rushing heartbeat. I tapped my pen rapidly against the table trying to search for whatever idea my brain can produce. My eyes darted towards the clock and then back to my empty paper. The windowless walls towered around the table where my two other friends sat motionless.

"Just tell me what to scribble down Kev!" I pleaded towards the guy sitting across the table from me.

"Not this time Eek," He sat further into his chair, "It's your problem, not mine."

"Come on Kev, give me a solid" I pointed my pen towards him. "Atleast help me look up the answers." I drummed my fingers against the table.

He poked his head out of his book, "Nope. Also be quiet, Naomi's sleeping-."

Without even raising her head, Naomi grabbed my pen and chucked it behind her.

"Just do your homework already." Kev returned to his book.

"Well now I can't even if I wanted to," I countered.

"You really have a talent in creating excuses, you know that right?"

"It's one of my few natural gifts, what can I say"

"Can't believe I dealt with 7 years of this" he muttered. He rested his book on the table and rubbed his eyes, "I don't need to remind you that the pack-it is worth like 15 percent of your grade, right?" He tauntingly said.

"Alright-alright, I'll write something down." I jolted up from my seat. Remembering Naomi: I carefully pushed in my chair before bolting across the classroom.

"Hey," Kev began, "uh I'm pretty sure it's behind the bookshelf."

"Yeah, 'preciate it,"

One side of the classroom had long rows of bookshelves full of textbooks. In the middle was a small brown bookshelf just short enough for me to stretch over the columns of dictionaries and encyclopedias. I stared down into the shadowy cavern between the wall and shelf. Without a second thought, I plunged my arm into the unknown. My fingertips reached the cold dusty sliver of floor on the other side.

"17 minutes til the bell!" Kev alerted.

I pressed my face against the plastic side of the bookshelf to my right. With brute force I stretched my right arm to it's limits while my pinky and ring finger searched desperately for my pen. My pinky made contact with a warm plastic texture that was just barely out of reach. I clawed towards my pen until my pinky accidently kicked it away.

Stepping back I readjusted my posture and after a quick gasp of air I once again plunged into the ravine with my face squished further against the bookshelf.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp piercing stab on my ring finger. A burning numbness made my hand squeeze into a tight fist. With a sharp wince, I yanked my arm out from the cavern and inspected the damage. Only to find not a single drop of blood or any indentation on my finger.

Great. Well, I guess I have to ask Kev to let me borrow another one for the hundredth time.

I was about ready to return to my empty homework until, from the corner of my eye, resting on top of the bookshelf, was a shiny white marker.

"Cool marker," I thought to myself. I scooped up the free marker and made my way towards my seat.

Kev's eyes glanced towards me then returned to their natural positions - fixated on a book.

Sitting back down, I popped the cap off of the marker and skimmed through the first question with my marker following along. My hand moved without care or purpose as I scribbled down some lines in the answer box only for no ink to appear.

"You got 15 minutes by the way," Kev said with his nose in his book.

"Seriously?" I furiously shook the pen and jolted down gibberish in the corner of the page. Nothing. My grip tightened, I raised the marker to closer to my face to inspect it. Staring down the barrel- I saw a severe lack of color. A shiny metallic surface covered the marker's point. Despite looking like a stupidly expensive fancy marker - it had a pen clicky bit at the end. I rested my thumb on the end and gently ushed down.

Click-Clack

Instantly, I felt a piercing pain surging from my thumb. My hand scampered away from the pen and all at once the marker began to shake and glimmer with blue light.

"Whats up with your pen?" Kev asked before a ray of light bursted from the pen upwards hitting the ceiling. The bright blue light cooled down into a cyan gaseous liquid which began to hover over the small pile of paper. Swaying peacefully above the table like ocean waves, the mass of ink funneled into a vortex gulfing the homework packet.

Kev dropped his book on the floor. His eyes were wide opened, Naomi stared at the vortex with zero expression. The ink began to fade away into mist, leaving a pattern of weaving ink strands that settled into letters and symbols.

The empty lines where I was supposed to write an answer were suddenly being filled by my own handwriting. My eyes widened as I stared at the flowing streaks of ink making it's way from left to right. Once settled, my arms were frozen yet I don't know what made my hands grasp the packet. My eyes stared in disbelief as I read through the front page. All of the answers were answered in a familiar handwriting. No, it was my handwriting.

My left hand brushed my messy black hair away from my face as I laid the paper away from me.

I didn't write down my name, no- yeah no I didn't. Did I?

The abrupt sound of Kev's book hitting the floor pulled into reality.

"Am I still dreaming?" Naomi asked in disbelief.

Sitting in the middle of the table laid a small stack of sticky notes.

[Read Me.]