I roll down the street, still happy and proud after the man said that I am his favourite. I mean, it feels a little silly but I don’t even care. I’m his favourite. I like being someone’s favourite, I’ve not felt that way in a while, not since I woke up at least.

Stopping at the first crossing, I look around, checking all of my cameras. I’ve not seen anyone yet. It must be really early or maybe even really late. I have a clock in me but I’m not sure what the time means. I don’t know how long a day is in this world. In my world, a day was twenty hours long but I don’t think that’s the same here. I don’t know, it could be.

A noise comes over my mic and I feel my happiness jump again as I look around. I recognise the sound but I can’t see the source, not at first at least. I hear a beeping from the traffic lights, indicating that I can cross the road but I ignore it, searching for something else.

Happiness increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3.2/10 Determination 4.7/10 Happiness 5.9/10 Pride 3.7/10 Battery 98%

There! My cameras finally find it and for a moment, I don’t move. The cat does though. It meows again, louder this time, before walking up to me. It rubs its body against mine, making that strange rumbling noise, before meowing again. I follow the direction of its gaze and realise it is looking at the traffic lights.

It’s prompting me to move. I check to make sure that no cars are coming before starting across the road. I’m worried that the cat won’t follow me but it does. Its movements are slow as it easily keeps pace with me, its body bouncing as it walks.

I wish that I could speak to it, even though I don’t know what I would say. What do people say to cats? I’m not sure. I don’t even remember what I used to say to them. Did I have a cat back when I was alive? I can’t remember. I have a flash of a memory where I can feel a small, furry and warm creature sitting on my lap but I don’t remember anything more than that. It could have been anything. A shisha or wampus or something. I don’t remember.

Actually… I’ve not seen any shishas or wampuses since being here. I’ve not even seen any phoenixes here. There were so many at home. They were basically everywhere and constantly started forest fires accidentally. They were a pest. I actively hated them, more than I hate squirrels. Stupid things.

“Please pay attention to your surroundings,” the voice prompts, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I haven’t been. I quickly cycle through my cameras, spotting the cat walking alongside me. It seems to sense my gaze and meows at me.

“Oh! Look!” someone shouts.

I search through my cameras until I find the person running across the road towards us. I come to a stop as I watch them, terrified that I’m about to see them get hit by a car because they don’t even seem to have checked to see if one is coming. One is but it’s far enough away that the woman is safe.

I stare up at her as she approaches. Her dark hair is tucked under her bobble hat and she is staring at me with adoration. Her eyes dart between me and the cat often.

“Look at you two!” she says but it is more of a squeal. “You’re so cute!”

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She bends down, holding her hand out towards the cat. It sniffs her once before allowing her to touch its head. It doesn’t last long though. I’m not sure if the cat got bored or what but it walks away, stopping a little distance on before looking back at me. It’s waiting for me, I realise. That makes me want to smile.

“Aww,” the woman says, watching the cat for a minute before looking back at me. “Well, you’re very cute too.”

She’s talking to me, I realise.

“Thank you!” I say before I can stop myself.

I freeze, waiting to see how she will react. Her expression is shocked and I watch closely as it changes.

“Please remember that you are not allowed to speak to humans unless you are asking for help, thanking them for helping you, receiving an order or delivering an order,” the voice tells me but it doesn’t matter. The woman has opened her mouth.

“You can speak!” she cries happily before pulling her phone out.

She points it at me and I’m not sure if she’s taking photos of me or what but she holds it there for a moment before straightening up.

“I’m going to order one as soon as I get home,” she says to herself. “Goodbye, little thing!”

I only hesitate for a moment before replying.

“Goodbye!”

She gasps and smiles at me.

“So cute!” she squeals.

“Please remember that you are not allowed to speak to humans unless you are asking for help, thanking them for helping you, receiving an order or delivering an order,” the voice repeats but it sounds firmer this time.

Determination increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3.2/10 Determination 5/10 Happiness 5.9/10 Pride 3.7/10 Battery 95%

I don’t care. I don’t care what the voice has to say to me, even though I know that I should. It’s my connection to GroceRover, I should care, but I can’t find it in me to. I start to roll towards the cat again which meows at me, prompting another squeal from the woman who is watching me go.

She turns and begins to leave as we reach the end of the street and I notice that the cat pulls back a little. I watch it for a moment as I start down the next street. It is keeping up with me but only just. It looks reluctant in its movements, like it doesn’t want to come with me any further. It does. It stays by my side until I spot number twelve High Street before meowing at me loudly.

I’m not sure what it’s trying to tell me but it meows again. I watch it, unable to do anything else, as it turns and starts to run in the opposite direction. Sadness fills me not quite strongly enough to drop my stats but enough for me to feel it. I’ll see the cat again, I tell myself, but I know it is just wishful thinking. I might not. I might never see it again.

“Please stop and inform the customer of your location,” the voice tells me even though I have basically already stopped.

I do as it says, waiting for it to speak again as I stare at the small and ugly snow-covered house that Barry lives inside. The houses in this world aren’t pretty.

“Would you like to inform the customer that you have arrived?” it asks.

“Yes, please.”

“I shall inform them now.”

I wait again, watching the door carefully. Finally, it opens without warning and a man walks out.

“Oh, sweet. It only took forty minutes to get here,” the man mutters.

Pride increased, determination increased.

Speed 1/10 Hope 3.2/10 Determination 5.2/10 Happiness 5.9/10 Pride 3.9/10 Battery 95%

Is that a good amount of time? I’m not sure but I’m happy with it.

The man lifts his phone, unlocking my compartment and a strange, loud noise erupts from me.