𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 - A Transformers Story

The Lights Are Off ( Someone forgot to pay the power bill )

Lola remembered an empty room. There were three sets of plates yet they were all untouched. There were two open seats that were vacant for a time.

Sometimes two adults moved around her. This time they didn't. There were no lights on in the house except the one above her head. The dim lighting would fill the shadows in the corners.

Her hand would move to touch the fork yet fail to pick it up. Some days she would wonder if it were real. Some days she didn't bother too.

There were no voices around her when she walked home from the bus station. There were no footsteps, and there were no shadows.

There were no lights on. No lamps. No television. No late night calls and no radio. Even the mirror no longer talked back to her.

Lola couldn't see the kids in the street kicking a ball back and forth. She couldn't see the grill going in the neighbors backyard. There were no shadows.

She could remember a rainy day, just a regular rainy day. She wore red boots. Lola always had liked those red boots. They were shiny spare for the mud splatters and worn rubber.

There had been a shadow beside her that day. A silent shadow to which she offered her umbrella. She didn't mind getting wet. At least she could feel the water.

When she was alone and the shadow vanished she felt the familiar sickening emptiness. It was now a routine. Lola could have gone home to the empty dining room table. But instead, she had followed the shadow.

~*~

"I got all A's!" Lola didn't have to grow up. She didn't have to worry about the shadows fading away and the mirrors silencing themselves. There was no emptiness.

Soundwave was sat on an oversized chair. Oversized to Lola's perspective which always made her giggle. It was like she was a small toy of some sort or was starring in Toy Story. His helm tilted to face her and he gave a small nod.

"I know." There was never a moment without shadows. In the back of her mind was a robotic voice she had come to know. "You did good." He said after a moment and used his servos to lift her on the table.

Lola smiled at the praise and turned to face the many monitors. She could no longer wrap her arms around her waist as if it were nothing. There was no more emptiness. Sometimes, she would look at the sun for fun, and see how long she could go before it burned. Sometimes, she would eat the toxic chemicals for the taste of something real.

"Are you watching TV?" She asked and leaned against her bag.

"No. I am watching surveillance footage. Your own reality show." Soundwave added after a moment and pointed to a screen. In which was a man dressed in a suit carrying a briefcase.

"You should put on something more entertaining." Lola tilted her head up to stare into the red visor then gesture to one of the many monitors.

After a moment the screen flickered to a show she liked. She didn't need to say which one. It was always the same show, in the same room, with the same walls.

Lola could feel the words turn to noises as she found herself in the dining room. There were voices, but nobody was there. Someone was serving food, but nobody was around. The plate across from her was empty. But the house was empty.

"Lola," The robotic voice returned in her mind and instead of a plate there was a screen. "You need food."

"I ate."

"Then eat again." Soundwave turned in the chair to a cabinet on the back wall. The cabinet housed all the food stored in the little room.

It wasn't a plate in front of her, but a bowl. And inside the bowl were noodles. But Lola wasn't hungry. She felt full.

"I drank the energon." Lola admitted as she stabbed the bowl with the spoon, twirling it between her fingers.

"I know," The mech sat back down and turned back to the monitor before he glanced back over to Lola again. He didn't say anything. Lola didn't say anything. She just took a bite of the soup.

"Soundwave?" She asked, and glanced up from the soup. He didn't say anything but had stopped watching the monitors to look down at her. "Is this real?"

"Yes. There are no more shadows."