My Life as a Sim

Chapter 4

A new lap top has appeared into my room. I sit down and quickly flip it open. It logs straight in - no password needed. I've never owned a lap top before, or any computer for that matter. But for some reason I know how to work one. 

I click on the Internet button. I wonder where this will lead me? 

GOOGLE in large print pops up on the screen. I type cats in the space below. Thousands of pictures of cats appear on the screen. Where did they all come from? Are they all hiding behind the screen? I check just incase. No cats there.

Shrugging to myself I type something new in the space: Amanda Bane.   My eyes grow large as dozens of different pictures of me appear on the screen. I didn't actually think that would work. I stare completely confused at the screen. How did my pictures get there? Am I being stalked?

I click on one of the pictures with a caption underneath. It read: Amanda Bane, Sim, Sunset Valley.

I read the caption five times. Sim. What is a sim? The word sounds unfamiliar in my head. I try it out loud. "Sim." 

I open a new tab and open google again. This time I write in the space block: Sim. 

Millions of pictures appear on the screen. Pictures of... us. My home, my friends, family, my grandparents. They're all there. That makes no sense! How did they get there?

What does 'Sim'  even mean? Why do we pop up on the screen? 

Questions reel in my head. Too many questions.

I quickly shut the lap top and lie down on my bed. I close my eyes, feeling a headache coming in. 

Too much has happened lately. Nothing makes sense any more... I can magically transport from one place to another and things have been appearing and disappearing more than ever. 

Come to think of it, I haven't had the strange urge to do anything for about three hours now. I'm not hungry, not tired, not happy, not sad... 

I walk into the kitchen. "Mom?" I call. She standing very still, holding a mug in her hands. I walk up to her. "Mom, are you okay?" No answer. 

"Mom seriously, just say something!" I shout at her, waving my hands in front of her frozen face. 

"Mom?" I whisper. Silent tears stream down my face. This hasn't happened before. 

I quickly run outside to the neighbors house. I can't hear any birds chirping, no wind... nothing. I knock on his door. "Mr Oldwright!" I bang louder on his door. No answer. I open the door handle and stumble in. 

 Never, have I intruded his house. Well, that's okay because I've never gotten this close to him or his backyard before...

Inside Mr Oldwright's house, there are a few dirty dishes lying on the wooden table and a few mouldy, half eaten sandwiches. Green fume rises from the plate. Normally I would laugh at this. But as I step closer, the fume is frozen. It's still and immobile. Not even a waft in the air. The strange part is, It doesn't even smell!

"Mr Oldwright!" I shout, checking each room for him. I found him seated next to a bookcase, with an open book on his lap. 

I let out a breath of relief. "uuuh, Hi. I'm sorry for intruding your house, I just wanted to... Mr Oldwright?" He hasn't looked up at me yet. 

I snap my fingers in front of his face. No response. 

Oh no! Not again!  

What in the world is happening? It's as if everything has been magically paused or something. But that can't be possible... right?