Creating RK800

Chapter 5*

*TRIGGER WARNING! Themes of sexual assault, depression, infertility

I sat at the dining table in the dark waiting for Hyram to show up. I wanted to know who that girl was. I normally wasn't the jealous type, but I think I deserved a pass for today at least. I popped open a bottle of wine and took a deep gulp.

Time was passing very slowly, so I stood and walked around some. In the shadows of the apartment I could barley make out the framed pictures and paintings that hung on the walls. One of them in particular was lit by the moonlight, and it was a painting by Carl Manfred. I never really understood what was behind the madness, but now I did. His paintings were often chaotic, but each stroke he created something of beauty. It was woman who was shrouded in dark blue shadows. You couldn't see her face, but in body language she was screaming. Was she confused about who she was? Was she in pain? Did she lose someone she loved or maybe someone she used to be? All of the above? I often wondered why Carl painted this for me. I always thought it was because that's just how he painted. He saw the dark side of humanity, and painting it was his way of letting it out.

Did he see the dark side in me? Right now, I felt like that poor little girl that ran from home to escape her reality. I wanted to pity her, but that would mean having to take pity on myself. I didn't deserve that. I worked too hard to get here. That poor abused little girl deserved the world. If only she knew that she knew that she would be making millions working for a company that changed the world. If only she knew that one day the world would look to her, would she have been so damaged and broken? I could see her now. Her big eyes full of tears instead of wonder. She pushed herself to be the smartest in the room, so she could leave the life that kept her caged. Even now she was still trapped, just in a glass cage.

"Silva?"

I turned around and saw Hyram standing in the doorway. He wasn't with the woman from the game, and that was a relief. I started crying and ran to him dropping the bottle of wine on the floor. He held me tightly letting me cry on his shoulder. He gently patted my head making shushing sounds.

"Why didn't you propose to me?" I ask through sobs.

"Because I know how important your job is to you, and I wanted you to be focused. I know it was a douche move not to say goodbye to you, but I was hurting too. I realize that you needed me then, and I let you down. I'm sorry."

I couldn't respond. What was I going to say to that, so I nodded instead. Hyram carried me to our bed and laid down with me on his chest. He never let me go.

I began to calm down listening to his steady heartbeat. He loved me. I hated that I needed that constant reassurance, but that was a part of the little girl. She needed that. Everyone that she thought was supposed to love her abandoned in the end, but she finally found the love she desperately wanted, and I wasn't going to let it slip through our fingers.

When I woke up the sun was shining through the window and birds chirping on our balcony. What would have been a beautiful morning was interrupted by an excruciating migraine. I definitely drank too much last night. I covered my head with the sheets and groaned. I can't do that again especially with Amanda breathing down my neck.

I sat up and looked at the digital clock. It was 2:30pm I guess there was no reason to go back to Cyberlife today, at least it meant I go to spend more time with Hyram. I needed to tell him the truth though. The reason why 47 accused me of sympathizing with the AX400 and the reason I went on that bender last night. It was eating at my conscience heavily now.

Hyram was already out of bed, so I went downstairs taking each step slowly. I could hear a muffled tv and the smell of hamburgers. As I came around the corner of the staircase I saw him cooking just that. I smiled.