Glitched

Chapter 17

(Laila's POV)

I watched as the small, red headed, pale girl-256-hit her hand across Timberlands face. Gingerly, I bought my cold hand up to my face and gently touched my cheek. I tried to think of what it must've felt like to be hit with that amount of force on my face, and all I could think of was pain. I knew pain, it was a feeling that you could actually feel, not like Emotions, that hurt, and never lasted very long. But, according to logic, that amount of force must've caused a lot of pain in Timberlands cheek, for at least 7 seconds. I couldn't know for sure of course without my chip. But anyway, I knew it had to hurt. But I couldn't understand it, why would anyone intentionally cause someone pain... on purpose? Why would anyone want to hurt someone else? I couldn't figure out a solid logical reason as to why 256 wanted Timberland to feel pain, I just couldn't. No matter how many times I tried to figure an excuse or a reason out, all I could come up with was nothing. Nothing.

In the New World, no one purposely gave another pain, Citizens never tried to hurt anyone. It was... unthinkable. It never crossed our minds, we all liked each other and wished the best for one another. No one wanted to hurt anyone. Because we knew what pain felt like, we knew that it was a bad feeling, and we never wanted anyone to feel pain. We wanted everyone to live their lives a pain-free as possible. Because pain was bad, pain was a factor that caused the Old World to be so unsuccessful. The lack of most pain was a factor that made the New World as perfect as it is. So why, why why why why why, would 256 want to make Timberland feel pain?

And then a theory came to my mind. 256 was a Virus, a chipless human, maybe that was what made her wish to cause Timberland pain. Maybe it was the lack of Chip and lack of common sense and lack of consciousness that came with the Chip that made her want to hit Timberland. Maybe that was why Viruses didn't stay in the New World with all the other citizens, not only because they were chipless and would be behind in daily activities and such, but because they would want to cause people pain. Worry erupted inside me, as I glanced from 256 to 381. Surly, Viruses are not like that... right? I asked myself. 381 didn't seem too bad, not from the short introduction at least, and before 256 hit Timberland, she wasn't too bad either. But I couldn't be sure. I didn't know if they were all like that or not, I hoped they weren't, I hoped and hoped and hoped that they all weren't.

I glanced over to Timberland, wondering what he was going to do. Would he react in a negative way? Would he be just as bad and hit her back? Would he want her to feel pain like he felt pain? All these thoughts in my head felt like they were spinning around, making me dizzy. So many questions, so many worries, so many theories, so many things I did not know.

This was all new to me, never before had I ever had so many questions and doubts and worries, never before had I felt that extreme level of Confusion. I always had access to the answers, and I never had to face such questions as the ones that were going through my head at the moment. I wanted to scream. I wanted to make the thoughts stop. I wanted the answers. I wanted all the Emotions inside of me to disappear and to morph back into the Happiness I felt when I had completed the Recognition ceremony. I wanted all the horrible doubts and questions that I kept thinking and asking to stop stop stop.

I waited for Timberland to react, wanting the Anticipation to be solved. He touched his cheek, and his eyes went wide, and he looked down at 256...

And he just laughed.

He laughed and laughed and laughed as if it was the funniest thing ever, as if instead of 256 hitting him, she just told him a funny joke. His laugh was like Happiness and bells to my ears. He wasn't hitting her back, no, he was smiling brightly, just as cheery as he was before. I was Surprised, I didn't expect him to laugh, especially not after the pain. I expected him to yell, or stomp, or hit back, but he did none of those. He just laughed, as if the pain wasn't there, as if the red mark on his cheek that was fading away didn't exist.

381 and 256 looked Surprised as well, as if they weren't expecting Timberland to laugh either. And then, a new Emotion that I had never felt before filled me.  It was a negative emotion, like Annoyance and Worry and Fear, but it was nothing like those two at all.  I shouldn't have thought those horrible thoughts...  I shouldn't have made those theories...  I shouldn't have thought that he would want to cause 256 pain...  I shouldn't have made the theory how Viruses want others to feel pain when they are feeling negative things...  No, no, what is wrong with me?  Why did I think those terrible thoughts?  Why did I make such horrible theories?  What is wrong with me?

Timberland then slowly stopped laughing, and while wearing a goofy smile, clasped his big hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump and break out of my thoughts. I looked up at him, Confused by his actions and Curious as to what he would do next.

"Well," he said to 256, "aren't you a fiery one! Look, I'm sorry I kidnapped you, but, I was just following orders. Plus, I thought I was doing the right thing ya know? Giving you a chance at a different life, letting you guys taste freedom. But hey, if you don't like it here, at least you get to go back home to your small little dark lab by the end of the week!"

256 stared at him, Annoyed and Surprised, but remained speechless. Finally, she sighed and huffed. "Okay, look, I'm sorry for slapping you across the face... But next time, don't kidnap me!" 256 apologized.

Once again, Timberland laughed, Happiness and positivity beaming off of him. "Okay, note taken. Now, you two look a little lost. How about I show you guys and Laila around on your own personal tour of the Old World, huh?" Timberland offered.

381 glanced at 256, as if he was unsure of what to do. He looked back at Timberland and shrugged, his face nearly expressionless.

"Sure, why not? I mean, yeah you kidnapped us and 256 here just slapped you, but I guess it's better than us just aimlessly wandering around lost and unsure of where we're going."

Timberland removed his hand from my shoulder and wrapped his arms around 256 and 381, who both looked very Annoyed with him for doing that, and smiled even bigger. I wasn't sure that was even possible for him. Just how wide could his smile go?

"Alrighty then, let the Timberland Exclusive Tour begin!" Timberland exclaimed and started leading us down the hall, acting as if nothing bad had just happened, acting as if the pain and the hit didn't happen.

I didn't know how he could do such a thing, still smile and laugh and not be Confused or Annoyed by how someone actually wanted him to feel pain. Timberland was an interesting person, one who seemed to always be Happy no matter what happened. It was strange how I could just figure that out about him in the short amount of time I had known him. I knew it couldn't have been very long, 30 minutes maybe? 35? Either way, I had a feeling if he was a Citizen, his personality would've been Happy. He would've been not only an adjective, but an Emotion too. Happy. I remembered my first word: Happiness. And as I followed Timberland, all I could think about was what Happiness was. And how someone could get to be as Happy as Timberland was all the time in every situation. And glancing at his Happy expression and wide grin, I shook off all my negative thoughts and emotions, and Smiled. Just like Timberland.

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((Holy fudgezoodles! That was long and deep and hard to write! *~* I hope it's as good as all the effort I put in and the neck cramp I'm getting from hunching over and writing for so long!

AAAAAANNNNNNNNYYYYYWWWWAAAAAYYYYYSSSSSSS~

Question #18: What do you think this 'new Emotion' Laila felt after she caught glimpse of 256 and 381's expressions is? And why do you think Timberland is as Happy as he is, and didn't react in a negative way to being slapped?))