Artificial H.O.P.E

Four - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alexandra Facticius gasped loudly, sitting up. Her vision went fuzzy, but she realised she was in an apartment.

The room had a grey, carpeted flooring, similar to the stormy grey clouds that rumbled through the city just the night before. Alexandra was laying on a couch, with a baby blue blanket tossed over her. She could smell delicious chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven and could hear the faint crinkle of book pages being turned. Her mouth was dry, her thin and pale lips cracked.

"Thank goodness you're awake, darling!"

Alexandra jumped at the sudden noise. The voice had a strong, British ring to it.

She saw a Caucasian girl smiling back at her. She had long and wavy champagne blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes behind light blue glasses. Silver star earrings left a sparkle as she tilted her head, and her mouth was curved into a wide, welcoming grin. The girl was in the chair next to her, an open book in her hands.

"I'm Doctor - I mean, Elliot. Elliot Physgood. I saw you yesterday. I'm sorry, I just couldn't help watching a poor little one like you sob on the street. I hope you're okay. What's your name?"

Alexandra didn't want to answer. Her stuttering would make a bad impression - what if Elliot tossed her out like the Gomez family? What if Alexandra was laughed at like the students at school? She couldn't bear to speak.

"A-Alexa-andra. M-my n-name is A-a-lexandra."

Yet she did.

"Darling, there's no need to be nervous."

"N-no, i-it's a c-condition. M-my stut-t-tering..."

Elliot was silent, lost for words. Alexandra was panicking, shivering in the heated apartment. Minutes passed until Alexandra blurted out,

"I-it's f-funny. I r-remem-mber h-hearing o-of a D-doctor E-Elliot at the h-hosp-pital."

Elliot's eyes widened, "You're Alexandra... Facticius? Of the Gomez family?"

Alexandra reluctantly nodded. "Y-yes... w-why?"

Elliot announced that she was one of the four creators of Alexandra. Elliot built her as a robot, along with three others; a Philip, an Owen and a Hazel, whom Elliot frowned upon.

"You're Dr. Elliot!" Alexandra cried out. "The nurses said you were male."

Elliot frowned, "That's what everyone thinks." Her face had a dash of dark red from anger and embarrassment.

Elliot's scowl turned into a grin. "Why don't you read a book, darling. I'll bring out the cookies."

Alexandra tried to focus on each word, but the letters moved around before she had the chance to decode it. Every word was hard to read; she got a headache from trying to connect the letters to a sound and blending the sound into a simple word. She groaned in frustration, banging her head on the book.

She was surprised to see Elliot staring back at her, her eyes narrowed as if solving a complex puzzle, lips twitching, longing for an explanation or an idea to answer - something to say.

The brown-eyed girl asked curiously, "Are you dyslexic, my dear?"

Alexandra nodded and quickly dismissed the question, devouring the plate of chocolate-chip cookies. They were deliciously warm, the chocolate chips melted in her mouth.

Alexandra was satisfied - until she heard footsteps approaching from behind her. She blacked out, falling into the familiar, dark abyss of nothing.

---

Alexandra Facticius gasped loudly, sitting up. Her vision was crystal clear, and she found herself in a messy luxury apartment.

It was the same one as before, belonging to a certain Dr. Elliot Physgood, twenty years old - Alexandra's 'creator'.

A book lay next to her, a yellow sticky note hastily stuck onto the leather-bound cover. The rushed cursive noted,

Read it. Do you notice something? -E.Phys

Alexandra skimmed over the words until she came to a realisation. The words were glued onto one spot, each and every one grouped together to create magic. It was something she'd never seen before - a miracle. Her dyslexia was gone - she could finally read! Join the adventures of heroes known around the world, explore vast worlds she could only hear of, and watch movie-length scenes unravel before her.

"I see you have found the paradise of reading. One is quite fond of it." Alexandra found Elliot leaning on the door frame, smiling proudly.

Elliot explained that, as Alexandra's creator, she had the authority and knowledge needed to fix anything in the stuttering girl's mind - including dyslexia. All it took were a few 'tweaks' here and there.

Alexandra was notified of her true meaning, the meaning behind her existence. This meant that the other creators ("I obviously couldn't do this alone," Elliot reasoned) were alerted too. One of them, a girl, was bad news.

"She's... hurt," Elliot whispered. Her eyes were glossy and faded as if she were remembering memories she had hidden away. "Broken. She's not who she used to be."

"W-what's h-her n-name?" Alexandra questioned. She wrapped an arm around her new friend, trying to comfort her as silent tears poured down the blonde girl's cheek.

"Hazel..." Elliot sighed. Her voice was distant. Elliot closed her eyes, letting a final tear slip before she smiled. "You will change her, Alexandra. I know you will."

What could a covered-up lab rat change?

Alexandra had no clue; she just had to hope - or was it all artificial?

-----

Thank you so much to:

-Chazz-
kara-raine
juneevecero9

For the votes and adding my book to your reading list - I can't put into words how much that means to me!