The Cold Unknown

Chapter 9 - On The Run

I woke up, to see the fire still going. Kara probably revived it... Wait, where is Kara? I sat up, and found she wasn't beside me anymore. I heard something upstairs, and I decided to go see if it was her. As I approached the top of the stairs, I could faintly hear the sound of a TV on. I entered a room with the noise to find a newly dressed Kara watching a news report.

"Thanks, Michael. I'm joined with court-town resident, Todd Williams-" Todd?! What is he doing on the news? "Who was violently attacked by his AX400, around 11pm last night. Todd, can you tell us what happened?" The news reporter turned the microphone to Todd. "Yeah, I was having dinner, I was minding my own business... Damn thing jumped on me... I managed to defend myself, but it went crazy, I thought it was gonna kill me. So, I fought it off, but it ran away..."

He didn't mention me... He didn't even say anything about his missing child! Does he really not care?... Anyway, what does it matter? He's a liar! Kara didn't go crazy, he did.

"Thank you, Todd." The news guy said. "Disturbing news for Android owners everywhere. Police have launched a search for the android. Let's hope they find it fast." Wide eyed, Kara switched off the old TV. They're looking for us... Just like I predicted...

"It's not true." I told Kara. "He's lying. He's the one that tried to hurt us!.. What're we gonna do? We have nowhere to go... and the police are looking for us now..."

Kara seemed to think. "That android yesterday, he gave me an address. He said we could get help there. Could be worth a try..." She walked over and hugged me. "We can't change the past, Alice... But we can decide the future." She let go to look at me. "We're gonna pull through, and soon all of this will just be a bad memory..." She began to walk to the bathroom, and I followed. I now took in her new outfit. She wore jeans and a button-up shirt, with a jacket over it. She had black shoes instead of her white ones, too. 

Kara looked into the bathroom mirror, and began cutting her hair with a pair of scissors on the sink. Once she was finished, she had a cute pixie cut. Then, she started changing her hair color. After deciding on black, she used the scissors to pull out her LED, which fell into the sink with a  clinking noise.

I liked the new look. "You're pretty like that. You really look like a human now." Kara smiled at the compliment. "Here," She said. "I found something for you." She handed me a scarf and a small puffy vest. "Thanks." I said, and put them on. Perfect fit. 

I then went back downstairs to sit by the fire again. Just then, Ralph bounced out of the other room with his knife in one hand, and a dead rodent in the other. It looked horrid. Ralph was creepily beaming, though. He came closer, and I backed up until my back hit the side of a counter top. Kara walked downstairs, a slight look of urgent panic in her eyes. What did she see up there? I thought to myself.

Staring at the horrendous thing Ralph held, he began to talk to Kara. "Ralph found this to feed the little girl..." Wait.. I thought he knew that I wasn't... So why is he?...  "It's good for her... A present... To make up for past misunderstandings... Ralph'll cook... We'll do just like the humans do. Humans like burnt meat." Maybe, but not when it's road kill. "Come and sit down!" He beckoned Kara."

"That's very kind of you, Ralph." Kara told him. "But we have to go." Ralph's smile faltered a little. "Go? Ha, ha, no, you will go once the little girl has eaten. We will eat together, just like a family... You know, the Father, the Mother, and the little girl..."

I glanced at Kara, who glanced at me. "Okay." She eventually said. "I'll sit." Ralph giggled, which made me feel worse about this whole situation. "That's better." He said. He picked up a chair from the floor, and set it by the table. "Ralph went to a lot of trouble to find something for the little girl to eat." He walked over, and grabbed my arm, somewhat pulling me to the table. "It wouldn't be polite for her to refuse." He sat me on the chair. "Would it?" Ralph turned to the fire, and started cooking the rodent.