Withered Roots

Forever

 Every day seemed to get colder in Detroit, and as the temperature began to freeze, time did the same as the city seemed to be stuck on the brink of war with deviant androids. Every news channel, every magazine, every ounce of gossip which leaked from the lips on the street was filled with stories of the miraculous deviant leader after his grand speech at the Stratford Tower broadcasting station. For most, the event caused a stir of skepticism and debate, perhaps even a little sympathy, but for the police and national defense, there was nothing but contempt and fear to be had toward these obscure and intelligent beings. It was troubling for you to witness the sudden rise of police population in your district after the incident, but it was almost unbearable for Ralph, whose steady progress had been compromised by the surge in activity that he could easily see from the apartment window. To keep him safe, you had resorted to keeping the blinds and curtains closed at all times, lest someone raise a suspicious eye to your companion. Losing him was not an option for you at this point, so you were willing to do whatever it took to keep him sheltered from the whole ordeal. The heaviness of the situation ate at the two of you little by little as time went on, and as the most recent week of paranoia was coming to a close, the bleakness of your apartment had begun to take its toll on the atmosphere.

Ralph had begun to get startled by the slightest noise outside the apartment, and by this point you had spent many late nights after work in a sleepless frenzy attempting to calm his nerves. You loved him dearly, of course, but with that love came the added stress of his well being. The maintenance of his sanity often left you exhausted from effort, and some evenings, you found yourself crying silently in the bathroom, keeping your own strife hidden away for the sake of his conscience. The android was quite perceptive, however, and had noticed on more than one occasion the dry, bloodshot streaks in your eyes, the heavy bags which grew darker with every hour you failed to let yourself rest, the way your hair and clothes had become less pristine and more rushed from sleeping too late past your alarm. Every time he brought it up, however, you brushed it off on a strenuous office project or long work days, slinking off to your mattress before he could even try to have a decent conversation. Consequently, there was a sort of uncomfortable distance forming between the two of you, fostered by not only stress, but the inevitable emergence of feelings which neither of you had come to accept.

Time and time again, eyes and hands had been caught lingering just a bit too long on one another. Upon any instance of accidental contact, one of you would often blush or divert your gaze, causing an awkward silence in what used to be a strictly platonic situation. Hugs had gradually grown the slightest bit deeper, and the gap between your sheets seemed to be filled more and more with each passing night. Despite this, the tension remained locked away in each of you, causing your bond to become more apprehensive over time. Ralph was paralyzed with the fear that his confession would send you running away, leaving him alone again after finding everything he could ever ask for. Hiding his feelings was painful, but it was nowhere near as hurtful as the thought of losing everything the two of you had together. For you, the reluctance came from the anxiety of giving your whole heart to him when the future could yank him away at any moment. If you weren't careful, Ralph could be ripped out of your arms in one horrible instant. It was the world and its cruelty which kept your emotions bound inside, for you felt that in admitting them, you would open up the awful void of possibility that could take it all away from you.

Your hand ran through your scalp as you sighed and flipped on the television in an attempt to let your thoughts melt away into the mindless numbing of evening cable programs. Instead, your eyes and ears were met with a breaking news report revolving around an update of city policy that had taken effect earlier in the week. You knew that citizens had a curfew due to safety issues caused by deviant activity, but what you didn't know was that camps were being set up around all of Detroit's main areas to contain and destroy all active androids. Mandatory surrender of androids was taking place tonight in a final attempt to subdue deviant advances, and you were now caught without warning and without a plan during what was easily the most dangerous night of your life, and Ralph's. Ralph was a deviant which could not be disguised, and in hiding him you were at the highest risk of not only his termination, but your imprisonment. Sweat began to bead at your temples as your vision grew blurry with distress. You ran over to your window and pushed open the blinds to see swarms of armed military personnel sweeping the area, sending police into nearby buildings to scout every corner of the district. Guards were posted in alley entrances, storefronts, and subway exits, blocking every possible escape from where the two of you had been peacefully secluded until now. As you twisted the blinds shut once again, your friend strolled casually into the living room, but changed his demeanor quickly when he laid his gaze upon your face.