FALSE LIFE 

Shit. The incessant ringing of the alarm in my head tore through the silence in the room. I toss and turn in my bed while using my pillow to cover my ears. 

"Roland, just a few more hours of sleep" I begged. I slept late yesterday and I needed a lot of rest if not today was going to be a very grumpy day.

"Get your ass up Elizabeth, you have an appointment with Dr. Bilikis in an hour." A metallic voice with a touch of human likeness. You could always tell when it was an A.I speaking but now it's getting harder and harder to differentiate between human and computer. The curtains were drawn back automatically,  letting in harsh sunlight. A coordinated assault from sunlight and an annoying alarm, Roland had the upper hand, I grudgingly sat up in my bed. The ringing came to a halt.

"You know you're a bitch right."

"Much obliged, Lizzy."

Fucking self righteous prick. Some days I feel like finding his batteries in my head  and ripping them out. But that'll be suicide and I'm not there just yet. "What's my schedule like and give me a rundown of the news"

"Therapy session with Dr.Bilkis at 10, then Almajiri clean up by 12."

"That's it? Today might not be so bad after all." A blatant lie.

He gave me a rundown of the news, a suicide bomber had killed some people in Lagos, the dissolution of Nigeria was finalized, the Grid was getting an update, neighboring countries at war, incoming price hike.

Nothing new, same old same old. I got up from the bed, the soft rug massaging my feet. I walked towards the transparent sliding doors where Roland had pulled back the curtains. My eyes were still trying to adjust to the bright light. I opened one of the doors and began to step outside.

"Lizzy, wai...." he sounded concerned, but I didn't hear what he was so alarmed about because it got to me before he could.

"Fuuckk!!" A sharp pain shot through my feet, also sharp things were falling from the sky and battering me. I dragged myself inside immediately and closed the door. Glass, it was raining glass. I looked at my feet, pieces of green glass were stuck there all bloody. I checked the rest of my body, no injuries but there were pieces of glass all over. So much for a not so bad day.

Roland hadn't spoken. "Hey, why didn't you tell me it was raining?!" I was really angry.

"I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen and besides you're already healing."

Still annoyed, I hissed and shook of the pieces of glass from my body. The pieces stuck to my feet fell out and the wounds began to close. I took a shower, had a breakfast of bread and eggs and got ready for my day. 

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"Is it still raining?"

"Yes, Lizzie."

I picked up an umbrella on the way out. The rain wasn't really heavy but it was still raining shards of glass. Hot sun and shards of glass, what a phenomenon. Today was of to a really bad start. I walked past different people setting up shop even in this weather, the streets were fairly packed with people, all in a hurry, most of us heading towards the train station. Everyone had a little blue ball floating somewhere close to them signifying the brain A.I everyone had installed.

When I got to the pedestrian bridge I took a deep breath. I hated this place. I began walk up the bridge and what made me hate this place was on full display. People sprawled at the sides of the bridge, children, mothers shielding their babies from the glass rain, some deformed with missing arms or feet. People here don't have a blue ball around them, the outcasts of the society, the Almajiri.

"Fisabilillahi, Fisabilillahi" they all chanted the same thing as I made my way past them, for the sake of God, help us. I walked hurriedly past them, the bridge seemed never ending, the chant for help revervbated around. I needed to leave this place quickly, I couldn't bear this guilt.

"Roland, shut my ears down."

"Okay Lizzie."

Silence followed, I calmed my nerves down, I couldn't hear anything anymore. I increased my pace, I was almost of the bridge when a small hand grabbed me. I turned to look at who it was. 

"Fisabilillahi." It was a small girl not more than seven years of age, barely clothed, barely fed, cuts on her body from the rain. She looked at me with hope, her eyes searching and begging for help.  Why could I hear the girl? I wasn't hearing the rain or the other cries for help, only the girl. 

"Roland, I said shut my ears down." No response.

"Roland?" No response. What the fuck is happening? The girl's grip was tight, I couldn't free myself. Suddenly images began to flash through my mind, two lifetime worth of images, two different lives, mine and the girl's. Memories of a time I try to repress everyday came back. The days spent ravaging the bins, days spent hungry, days spent as an Almajiri. She let go of my hand and looked at me with distaste.

It seems like Roland was back, I couldn't hear again.I looked around the bridge, looked at the sight before me, then I looked down the bridge measuring its height. It would work, painless and efficient. I couldn't keep on living like this. But, I wasn't suicidal just yet.