Glitches

Chapter 5 - Nerf guns

The light from the fridge almost blinded me in the dark. I grabbed the oblong bottle with the medicine in it. And with a simple push with the hip, I closed the door to the fridge shut. After my discovery in the garage, I had packed my stuff quicker than I thought possible, and headed home, heart racing.

Right now, the thing I needed the most, was the familiar taste of my medicine.

I never thought I would actually take that stuff voluntarily.

Flipping the bottle open, I took a swig. The liquid burned in my throat as I quickly swallowed it. I placed the nearly empty bottle on the still messy kitchen table, which I still hadn't cleaned yet. The hole in my arm still looked horrible, like a big gaping mouth. The wires I had cut didn't let out more sparks. They just laid loose between the pipes, like small dead snakes.

I should probably fix this...

I was strangely calm. I felt like I should panic, but I didn't.

That's what people who gets their forearm sliced up do, right? They panic?

With the taste still filling my mouth, I walked out of the kitchen, wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my hoodie.

The flat was dark, by the fact that I hadn't turned on the light. But I had leaved it off on purpose. The darkness always made me feel safe.

I sat down on the sofa, grapping the box with matchsticks on the table in front of it. A flame quickly appeared when I stroke one, lightening up in the darkness. It swayed slowly from side to side in a silent dance, before I carefully lit the candle on the table.

A couple of minutes went with me on the couch, admiring the light. I gazed at the hole in my arm. And with a shaking breath I picked up the candle, holding the flame to the latex. It didn't hurt when the flame touched. It felt odd that I didn't feel any pain. Sure, I felt the heat, but it didn't burn. Slowly, the flame melted the hole shut.

While I sat there, I took a decision. I could clearly not just ignore the fact that I had wires sticking out of my arm, like I was some sort of cyborg from a cheap sci-fi movie. I only knew one place where I maybe, just maybe, could get some answers.

The address from the message...

. . .

I always hated public transport. It wasn't because of all the stressed people and loud noises. I had lived in the middle of London for half a year, so I had become kind of oblivious to the constant turbulence around me.

It was the feeling of not having control of the situation that scared me. I didn't know if the bus driver would crash. Or if the train would suddenly shut down and leave me stuck fifty feet under the ground for hours, with a lot of people I didn't know anything about.

That was why I decided to walk the seven miles on foot. The distance didn't bother me. I have always been a great hiker. I could travel far on foot without getting tired or having feet that hurt.

The giant buildings towered over me as I walked down the crowded streets. Everywhere, people were either using their phones or talking exited with their friends. Everyone seeming oblivious to the people around them. But oddly enough, no one bumped into each other. They all magically managed to quickly step aside, before they would collide with someone, not even looking up from their phones.

I kept walking, doing the same as everyone else, and focused on the map on my phone. The thick blue line on the screen clearly indicated my position and the way to the address.

The address was lying in the outskirt of the town. However, when I clicked on the button that would show the place, nothing came. The only thing you could see was fields, and the road I was following.