Glitch | #ONC2020 ✔

Chapter Six

*Memories*

"We thank everyone who has donated to the foster care system.  Luckily, with all the donations, we can hopefully help even more children."

"And thank you for speaking with us today.  This is truly an amazing feat."

My eyes are glued onto the television as they speak, a smile is etched onto my face.  This is great, amazing even. Maybe the world is getting better? If it is, that's amazing.

The breeze makes me shiver as I become all too aware of how I am standing outside, staring at an electronics store window.

"According to previous studies, human waste has decreased by forty percent.  Scientists and activists agree that there is a high probability that the environment will flourish."

That grin becomes a full-on smile at those words.  Two great things happening at the same time? It's like the world is getting better and better every day!

With happiness now engulfing me, I fail to notice how light headed I am starting to feel.  I grip my head, a headache making itself known, taking over all my other senses.

I fall onto the ground, the last thing I see is pure darkness.

The last thing I hear is incoherent screams.

•

It's like I'm in a movie theater.  A black-rimmed screen is in front of me, however, I am standing instead of sitting.  

I lift my hands, only to realize that they look transparent.  "What the hell?" I mutter, my voice echoing.  

 A sound makes me jump as the screen in front of me starts to play a video, of me.

My mother stands there, a belt in her hand, and her mascara running down her face like two rivers.  I am on the ground, holding my head as if protecting it.

"It's your fault!"

She brings the belt down, making the version of me yelp in pain.  I try to move, just so I can stop the playback, but it's as if I'm super-glued to the floor beneath me.

"You got a B? Do you think any school would want you with that terrible grade? You're such a fucking failure, you idiot!"

"Stop!"

Another person makes themselves known, their silhouette in the doorway.  They have brown hair, like mine. Their build, however, is not as lanky and scrawny as my own. 

The version of my mother stops, dropping the belt.  She runs to the man, trying to hug him, to which he puts a hand out to stop her.

"You cannot be like that to your wife you prick!"  My mother's voice cracks as if she is a prepubescent boy. Her voice echoes louder and louder, making me cover my ears in pain.

The echo dies down, making me remove my hands from my ears.  The scene fades, there another version of myself stands there, across from me stands Aira, whose expression holds one I've never seen on her.

"Get out of my way!" I actually want to collapse, she'd never say that to me.  We are best friends.

The new version of Aira gets closer to the version of me and glares up at me. "Did I stutter?" I move out of the way and she smiles at me, but her usual joy is not there.  "Thanks, see you later uh-"

"Cyrus."

She snaps her fingers, the noise echoes making me cringe.  "Right!" She sways away, other people get out of her way immediately.

I really want to hide.  I want to lay down in my bed to contemplate what I'm seeing.  I want to hide from the world, just to figure out what is going on.

But Aira would never say these things, she's my best friend.

We are best friends.

The scene changes once more, the screen fading to black again.  The scene reveals a crying and screaming me in a car. My mother is outside of the car, her hand on the glass.  She is crying as well.

From the side mirror, I can see a police car behind us.  A man in a blue uniform goes over to my mom and pulls her away.  She reaches out for me, and the version of myself bangs on the glass window, screaming incoherently.  

My mother gets handcuffed and put in the car.

A woman slips into the car I am in and smiles at me.  "Don't worry, you're safe now."

"I didn't want to leave my mom."

She looks at me sadly, the screen fading around her.  "None of the kids I see do.  But your mom can't take care of you.  You'll understand when you're older."

The screen fades once more.  When light returns, it is a news station recording.  A border around the recording tells me it is as if it's in my point of view.

"The sleeping capsules are almost in full working condition.  Remember to report to your local government office to reserve a spot before the week is over.  This is to protect all civilians while the higher up officials figure out how to stop this global climate issue."

"But who will be taking care of us?"

"Even if the plan is to only be in these chambers for a week, how will we get nutrition?"

The male talking nods at all of the questions being thrown at him.  "All of your questions are relevant and I commend you for being brave enough to ask so many.  Special technology will be looking over each and every one of you. So nutrition and water will not be an issue."

"But what if the technology fails?"

He smiles as the screen starts to fade.  "It won't.  By the time you all awake, the world will be saved and the global catastrophe will no longer exist."

The screen fades to black, but it is still.  No more videos to watch. I stare at the screen, trying to process the information.

What was that?

Why does all of that feel like I've been through all of this?

I stare at my hands but gasp in shock as they are starting to fade.  "What the fuck!" My voice echoes, but the echo begins to fade as I just fade away.

Once again, for the second time today, I see only darkness.

•

"He's awake!"

"Oh my gosh, don't scare us like that!"

My eyes open and I hiss at the bright light.  I immediately see my mother and Aira looking directly at me.  "What happened?" I groan as I sit up. I notice that I am in a hospital gown.

My mother sits on my bed and puts a hand on my leg.  "You fainted."

A young-looking male stares at me, his blue scrubs are evident in the white room.  "Do you have any idea why you would faint?"

I shake my head, as it's still full of thoughts from what I just saw.  "No idea at all."

Word count: 1,142
Official Book Word count: 6,545