"Annette?". A familiar rang in front of her. A finger tapped her shoulder. "Wake up.". Annette opened her eyes. She was sleeping in a cardboard box right behind an old bakery. The person in front of her was a kind, old lady.
She held out some bread and Annette snatched it immediately--not because she wanted to be rude, but because she was starving. "Slow down! You don't want to get a stomach ache!", the old lady pleaded but to no avail. Annette was a 10-year-old orphan girl. Her father went into the military when she was fairly young and he never returned, and her mother contracted an incurable illness and died only a few months ago about an hour after her surgery which was done by androids. Her mother's last words to her was a whisper: "Don't trust them..". Annette took these words to heart and developed a hatred towards androids, even though she wasn't sure if that was what her mother told her not to trust.
Shortly after her mother passed, Annette was forced into an orphanage, which was mainly run by Household Androids. Annette was afraid of them all and frequently hid around the building to avoid contact with them. One night, Annette managed to flee from the orphanage and survive for a few days hiding behind buildings and eating restaurant leftovers. "There's someone here to see you, darling!", the old woman happily exclaimed as Annette swallowed the last of the bread. Annette quickly followed the old lady and hid behind her dress. "Ann!!", a familiar voice rang out from the front door. Annette sprinted across the bakery and hugged her best friend, Courtney. They had met at the local park where Annette was hiding behind a tree, playing with a few bugs. Courtney visited her every day and they eventually became very close friends. After hugging Courtney, Annette looked up and saw Courtney's mother standing behind her.
Annette silently backed away without saying a word. She glanced at the old woman. She was smiling. "Ann..would you like to stay with us for a while?", Courtney's mom kindly asked as she placed a hand on Courtney's shoulder. Annette's eyes widened. "Courtney has been telling me all about you..and is it true that you don't have a home?", Courtney's mother asked. Ann's eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head.
YOU ARE READING
Automata
FantasyAfter a rogue meteor nearly destroys Earth, humanity is forced to survive Underground because the Surface is now inhabitable, or is it? When her best friend goes missing on the Surface, Annette is determined to find her. But what will happen when sh...
