As the sky darkened and clouds rolled in, like a mourner’s veil, the weight of the world bore down. My gaze gravitated towards the small trash bin; the air was heavy with the smell of rain, and the wind seemed to whisper secrets in my ear as I approached the trash can. Her small, curled up, battered form came into view. My heart sank deeper than ever before, and sorrowfulness took refuge in my chest, after lifting her out and cradling her in my arms, laying her in the wagon. My jacket, a poor substitute for a blanket, couldn’t compare to the love she deserved. To see her discarded like someone’s old toy. Followed by the memory of her sacrifice, surfaced — running into the water to save that child, knowing it would end her life. That’s when the storm of my emotions grew too heavy and my legs collapsed.
Tears streamed down my face, and deep frustration yelled out, How could someone discard her like trash? For a moment, my mind transported me back to the day mom and dad divorced each other, and divided the family—all because of mere words and the inability to get along. Was it so hard to accept each other’s differences and not force your children to choose between parents separating siblings forever because of a stupid disagreement? Why must peace be so difficult? And so hard to accept everyone as equals, not wanting to change or change them, but loving them for who they are? Why can’t love be the answer?
After several hours, my hands and knees remained planted against the ground. The storm of my emotions subsided, along with my tears, summoning the strength to stand again. I found my gaze drawn back to her still lifeless form; my fingers had curled around her hand, refusing to let go Vowing to give her the love she deserved, to protect her, to repair the damage done, and ensure she’d never treated as a plaything again, no matter what it took. The scent of rain hung heavier in the air.
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After a Holding her hand for a moment I let go, and grasped the handle of the wagon, beginning the journey back home. The winding hills and gentle winds acted like a warm blanket calming me. But a thick fog and intense odor hung in the air as the darkness of the clouds shadowed us to the city streets, where they seemed to take on a darker shade.
Passersby and onlookers gazed with utter disgust and judgment, wondering why someone would mess with a piece of junk like her. Anger built in my chest. When the wagon hit a bump and my gaze involuntarily flicked back to her limp form; The people’s disgust etched on the faces all around me ignited a fury within me, threatening to unleash a wrath on these ignorant fools. Her curled up and beaten from. extinguished my fire instead—Choosing to protect her from the cruelty that had damaged her.
When the clouds finally burst open, releasing their burden, my heart felt heavy, and my tears mixed with the rain; A defeated response came from my lips: Is this what the world really has? A nurse holding out an umbrella interrupted my loathing saying, Take it. Concerned about the robot girl’s well-being, her eyes remained fixed on her, worried that she might get wet and suffer additional harm. My eyes lit up, unable to contain my happiness at her simple act; with a smile, she walked away, her big, bright turquoise eyes lingering, her name tag reading Kaia.
Maybe there was some kindness left in the world. With that solemn thought; a smile across my face. We made it home, and I set her up on the couch, connecting several wires to her operating system via access panels across her body. After carefully attaching her head unit to my monitor using a DVI cord, the screen flickered to life, but instead of a clear image, static and white noise Took its place As the hours passed by, my small apartment’s familiar fixtures–the kitchen and the blue light that hung over the small table–seemed to fade away, as the natural light dissipated and the walls felt like a distant memory. Eventually, my body succumbed to sleep, and I collapsed against her chest, my ear over where her heart could be. Even though she wasn’t awake yet, it was comforting, like a mother holding her infant. With a final yawn, my body fell into a deep, restful sleep.