u/y2justdog

The wire attaches to the back of my neck, a little pinch of pleasure as it snaps in.

“Data harvest commencing,” the Voice says.

They use my brain to harvest statistic information; I’m one of a dozen or so in this metro who still retain a deep expertise in the mathematical sciences.  I refuse to let the slop feast away at my true self.

When the extraction is complete, I walk to my self-driving car and command it to head to a government-sponsored burger chain.  The restaurant is lit by overbright lights and screens line the wall from floor to ceiling.

“Upgrade your monthly membership to a premium plan and get condiments at no additional charge!” the Voice says.

I swipe my card at the counter and get my usual order.  “Can I get some napkins, please?”

A drawer pops open and a robotic arm reaches into it to retrieve the napkins.  I gently place the napkins in my pocket, grab my food and head home.

Mia returns home shortly after me; she still has seven required months left on her brothel contract.  Seeing the pain in her eyes fills me with rage.  WeWorkForYou Corp. has the slimiest wealthy men imaginable and in return for Mia’s services, they give us a discounted monthly rate on our studio apartment.  Once her contract expires, the Board will determine whether they want to keep her employed.

“I brought something home,” I say, as Mia’s eye widen, a slight smile growing across her face.

I pull out the napkins.  She sits next to me on the floor.  I give her a few of the napkins and keep the rest in my hand. 

We crumple them.  Tear them into bit and pieces.  Squeeze them.  Throw them into the air and watch them float down to the floor.  Seconds of fun feels like an hour.  A real life experience with two people in love enjoying the little things.

Mia’s face sours.

“What’s wrong babe?” I say.

“I’m starting to forget,” she says, tears slowly dripping down her cheek.  “I’m starting to forget what it’s like to live.”

The buzzing starts, vibrating our walls.  The Voice speaks, “Kyle, your shift at the scrap metal yard starts in thirty minutes.  If you are late, you will lose your premium employment plan.”

“We’re lost Josh!  How are we going to get back home?  I can’t believe someone stole our phones from the pool.  I thought those resorts had good security.”

“Melanie, I’ve been living out here in these hills for my entire life.  Just because the sun is starting to go down doesn’t mean I won’t know my way around.”

“We’ve been driving for like half an hour.  It sure doesn’t look—”

“Hey, would you look at that sign!  Homemade pizza logs!  You’ve got to try them.  I’m thinking of including them as an app on our menu.”

“Doesn’t sound very appetizing.”

I pulled up to the food vendor’s table, and we both stepped out of the car.  An older man approached and opened his mouth wide, revealing a gap of I’d say at least three missing teeth.  His ears were cartoonishly large; he’d probably hear a pin drop into a haystack from a block away.

“The name’s Jasper.  You interested in trying Deborah’s famous logs?  Made from scratch.  Filled with cheese and sauce that will make any man or woman tap dance in the dirt until the morning sun.”

I glanced at Melanie; she looked queasy.  “We will take two,” I said, handing Jasper a ten.

“Ladies first,” Jasper surveyed Melanie’s body up and down, licking his lips before handing her a log.

Melanie took a bite and put on a fake smile.  “It’s interesting,” she said.

“Deborah!  Get your fat behind out of the kitchen!”  Jasper shouted.  “She’s not a fan!”

“No, no.  They are good.”

“I can smell bullshit a mile away honey buns.”

“Don’t lie to the man’s face,” I said. 

Debora made her way down the porch and over to us.  “Nice to see you,” I said, embracing her for a hug.

“Wait, you’re one of the cooks at the restaurant.  I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to be rude,” Melanie looked off to the side, embarrassed and nervous.

“So disrespectful Melanie.  I’ve been wining and dining with you for months since we started dating, and this is how you treat hard-working folks out here.”

Melanie looked confused at my sudden change in demeanor. 

“Now get on your knees and apologize properly to Deborah and Jasper,” I demanded, as Melanie bent down to the dirt.

I grabbed a tree log from the side of Jasper’s table.  “Now here’s a real log for you, you miserable slug.”

WHACK.

Blood spilled from the back of her head and drizzled down her neck.  She fell face first into the ground.  I went to the trunk of the car and grabbed our phones and then handed Melanie’s phone to Deborah.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night at the restaurant,” I said, as Deborah planted a kiss on my cheek.