The walk home is the first time in years in which I haven't been attacked. It's a cold July evening, and the wind bites at my skin as the mosquitoes do in summer. The birds cast furtive glances towards me before resuming their desperate melodies. There is snow underfoot at this time of year, a time where each day is harsher than the last. The sky is a swirl of dark clouds in a dark sky, but it is only 15hours. It is a longer walk than usual, being 16hours by the time I arrive at Amanda's front door.
Amanda is the only person who knows how I really feel about this place. A few years ago I grew tired of being alone, and Amanda and I started dating because it was easier than not dating. It was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me, because now I have someone who I can share all my feelings and pent-up emotions with. She is the one person I can be brutally honest to.
At 17hours we have the standard dinner, curry. Curry is our main meal because the environment that the Creators made for us is ideal for the cultivation of rice. After, Amanda ambles off to bed, leaving me to wash up the dishes in silence. When I'm done, I walk to the couch and see a note sitting there. 'Lie in bed with me', it reads. What man could refuse?
YOU ARE READING
A Glitch in the System
Short StoryA dystopian story following a young man who doesn't quite fit in.
