the garden [sophia lillis]

[four]

""

- 

I placed out my hands in front of me before the floor had a chance to come up and smack me in the face, saving myself from another injury. I sat upwards slowly after getting my breath back, and stared at the floor almost ashamed of myself. I don't see why I'm still shy about my dancing, but when it takes over, there's no stopping you. You have to dance out the sudden energy burst as soon as you get the rush so you don't implode.

The room was now...quiet. It was silent, but not really silent; just that nice kind of quiet. I laughed at this, not really having a reason why, but it was humorous. Azul slowly walked towards me, he not being sure if I was being genuine or not; I don't think he's gotten to grips with socialising. He offered his hand, I took it, pulling him down with me. He looked concerned, then confused but comfortable the most, finally able to be normal with a normal person rather then an A.I..

"So, what happened?" He questioned about my foot, the broken bit bulged more pronounced as I flexed it up. My knitted socks held on specs of dirt and the flimsy frayed strap trailed away from the ballet shoes. The material got darker as it carried on down my foot and to my toes, it looked burnt. It was burnt.

"Oh, I broke it, and there was no way to put it back together" We both knew in a way that  I wasn't really talking about my shoe.

"Does it hurt?"

"Only when I dance - like this" I reached forward and hit Azul's foot hard. He barley reacted, his foot knocked back and forward again like he was swatting away a fly. It's weird, seeing something that should be alive when it's not. Even the skin of integrates were perfect, untouched by dirt and infection. It was as if he wasn't a real person, but made from societies' image of what a human should be like. He looked back at me with either no emotion or too many to comprehend; I laughed it off again.

I looked around the room, it still giving me chills. To think I would've been upgraded and out of here by now is a scary thought, but I'm glad I'm not. I heard a distant noise, multiple before recognising what it was. The announcement speaker informed everyone that there are 'naturals arriving'. It still pained me a little to think of the little girl who essentially killed herself by escaping, what if another child tried to escape this time? Who would it be? Who will be hurt the most? Who will understand?

"Is it cool to know you'll never die?" I asked absentmindedly. I don't know where the thought had came from - I guess its always been in the back of my mind.

"Is it cool to know you will?"

"Will..." With so many thoughts rushing around my mind, I couldn't help but struggle to keep the conversation going. It was strange to speak to an A.I. construct so casually, you can't talk with anyone in the garden, but it was nice just to have someone to speak to. I suppose you'll have more people to talk to and more things to talk about when you're in the integrated community, there's already so many. "- will it hurt to integrate?"

"No. I will fix you, you will be happy..." He trailed off as he tried to explain, rather then convince me.

"And?"

"You can do whatever you want"

Having enough of the deadly thoughts, I muttered that I was tired and leaned down to lay my head. Azul moved over so I was leaning against his leg, I turned and gave myself a second to process everything. I watched the room on its side, finding new things as subtle as a crack in the wall that I hadn't seen before. Azul started to smooth my hair down from its crazy state, his fingers delicate and soft. It was soothing, enough to put me out of reality.

-

With them hot on my heels and twigs snapping frantically behind me, I dived under a tree and fell to my knees in a panic. I clawed at the ground and dirt,