Take Me Back

Chapter One

Audrey's POV

Word Count: 1682

Two years ago...

"Augustine," Audrey said, staring down at her coffee like she was peering into the corners of another universe.

The robot looked up from the newspaper. "Yes?" he replied, above the noise of the coffee shop. He didn't have to raise his voice much since most people around their table were either gawking that this woman had a robot accompanying him or too focused on their work.

"What IS the meaning of coffee?"

Augustine silently groaned in his head. Here we go again... he thought.

"I mean, it's just a reminder that we need to have a drink to add on to our to-do list, even though coffee is supposed to make us have more energy. Have you ever wondered why we have to have sleep? It's like a daily cycle that we need to refill the store of our energy. What if we had unlimited energy? That would mean we didn't need any more mornings in the coffee shop, beds, or energy drinks! Just think of all the time we would have! What is the meaning of life if we have endless-"

"Audrey, as much as I do hate stopping your ramblings about the meaning of life, could you find something else to talk about? Something that's more...interesting?" interrupted Augustine.

Audrey smirked. "Do you want me to tell some of your baby stories?"

The robot shook his head. "You know I'm a robot. I already know the whole story- your father's friend gave me to your family as a prototype of a robot who had feelings, your parents disappeared when you were little, and we've been living on our own ever since. The end." Audrey giggled and bopped Augustine in the head.

"You forgot something. You're the best robot anyone could ask for." Her cheerful eyes suddenly turned anxious. "And even though I was really little, I still can't recall anything that happened before my parents disappeared," she spoke quietly. She thought for a bit, looking very distressed. Audrey choked back a sob and started tugging on her long red-brown hair, a habit of hers. "What if- what if they abandoned me? I mean, it's been over fifteen years and they still haven't come back. What if they'll never come back and I'll never see them again? I've been looking for them for so long!" she wailed out loudly. Several heads turned and glared at her.

Augustine climbed down from his chair and clunked over to Audrey and hugged her, despite that he was a cold, hard piece of machinery. "It's okay, Audrey. We'll find them one day." Augustine sat down on the chair next to her and thought for a bit while staring off into space.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Audrey, who calmed down and was sipping her coffee.

"It's just...well, don't you think it'll be better if you had a human friend who you can tell all of this too? I'm just a hunk of metal." Audrey looked offended.

"Don't say that! You're amazing!" she cooed.

"I DO know how amazing I am, but you need someone who can share the same feelings." But Audrey wasn't listening anymore. She was staring wide-eyed at a little boy sitting in the corner who was reading the newspaper.

"Audrey, it's not polite to stare....oh." Augustine's words trailed off when he saw what she was looking at. Audrey nervously laughed, not taking her eyes off the boy.

"I was wondering if I was seeing things, but apparently not." She said, a little shaky. Augustine continued staring.

In the corner, the little boy was flickering in and out of sight and a wild wind, where was blowing only where he was sitting, was sweeping his messy hair side to side. He seemed to not notice and continued reading the newspaper with a distraught look on his face.