Birds cawing, dogs fighting in the distance.

“What's wrong with these things today. Status? Damn again doesn't work, why do I even try.”

Pain thrashed at my ankles.

“Why is it only when I throw away trash?”

I continued to throw away the trash that built up over the week I neglected it. The same dog that would always barked at me from across the alley ran up to the fence to bark at me the same as it had for the past year.

But this time it was different. When I was on my last trip.

*bark* *bark*

The plank of wood on the fence had loosened from the dog over the months. I got scared but knew if the dog attacked me I would sock it in the face. It stopped once I had reached my gate as usual but this time another dog started barking from the same back yard. Over the course of throwing away trash I never knew there were two dogs. 

The dogs continued to fight it seemed with each bark the birds grew louder. Soon dogs all around the neighborhood. Almost like in the pound dogs could be heard from everywhere.

“Status isn't working. Kinda hoped something would actually happen this time with these events. I went back into my house to go out 2 minutes later and it was completely silent like there were no birds, no dogs. There were no people walking around the neighborhood but it was already 8 pm. I wasn't gonna risk anything so I went back inside to make a story about my events hoping one of my several garbage novels would become good.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Guess I should stop there. I won't have school for a little what the hell I should do. Games? Nah. I could try and learn coding again.”

I laughed under my breath at this remark. 

I decided to just go to sleep. I didn't get much sleep the previous night. 

“Come on one more time please!! Status.”

To no surprise my wish wasn't granted.

I woke up to the doorbell speaker that was in my room when there was movement at my front door, but it was 3 am so I thought maybe it was just the garbage sensor. I tried to go back to sleep but I could faintly hear dogs again fighting around the neighborhood. My walls were pretty thick so I didn't hear it at first but once it was completely silent it was pretty obvious.

“Just for a good measure. “Status?”

To no surprise nothing appeared. I questioned why I even did it. They were just stories I needed to grow up. I was already 16 without a license, an unhealthy body, and no job.

It's not like I never tried working out but I would get really motivated then quit the next week.

I closed my eyes, ignoring the dogs in the background barking. But as my muscles started to relax I could hear a sizzling sound that sounded like it was coming from the back of my neck.

I had usually heard the noise when something was going to happen such as when I had ended up breaking my legs falling down the stairs, or when a certain car was (Dangerous).

It never just happened. I decided to get up not like I could sleep thinking about why the sizzling sound happened right now. I thought of several probable reasons but this wasn't a probable thing to happen. I choose the one I hope to be the most true.

“Status.”

At the same moment my computer started to power on. Maybe a hardware problem?

I went to go shut it off but while looking at the screen something wasn't right. The start of the screen definitely wasn't windows, or any OS I’ve seen.