Everything was a blur after the crash. All I can remember is the pain. I had a dream where I was carried by a skeleton into his van, and then he injected me with something and I blacked out.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuugt2ObeN
I awoke to the feeling of something soft rubbing against my skin. When I opened my eyes, total darkness surrounded me. I blinked, and my vision immediately adjusted to my surroundings. My eyes darted around the room, as I searched for what was touching me. A charcoal-colored cat sat on top of my bare chest. It wasn't a normal cat, it was... a cyborg cat? I've never seen an animal cyborg before. It let out a friendly mew, demanding to be pet. "Hey, creepy little cyborg cat." The cat purred in response. Fine. I'll pet you. I attempted to raise my arm to stroke the feline's ears. A sharp pain tore through the entire left side of my body. I wanted to scream. I'd never felt pain like that before. I collapsed back down on the table where I had been laying. The cat seemed to sense my distress and curled up on my right side to comfort me. "Thanks, ugly robo cat."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgU8TI94ma
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty has finally awoken from his slumber." A cyborg with messy brown hair and an eye patch waltzed into the room. "I was getting worried about you, kid."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM36IrQLGkX
I sit up, causing another wave of pain to course through my left side. "Who are you?" I ask, trying to sound tough while simultaneously wincing from the pain.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOv2NudR8Z
"Well, the folks over at Bionic Corp called me Cyborg 16541815, but everyone around here calls me Patch."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZLcp19F4I
"Do they call you that because of your eye patch?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaEyYFkYYv
"No, they call me that because I'm great at quilting," he rolled his eye. "Yes, they call me that because of the eye patch!"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQEiQRKvYV
I run my right hand through my hair. "What happened?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9hHc08fiv
Patch leaned against the door frame. "According to the news, your car exploded."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJ7jCLjr7o
"My car exploded?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVtziXDVpM
"That's what I just said. Anyway, somebody was kind enough to drop your nearly dead body on my doorstep." He sighed. "If I had a nickel for every time I found a half deceased boy outside my workshop, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKrZMOo4tR
"Did you see who brought me here?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerEX7Nc08b
He shook his head. "They ran off before I could get a good look at him."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPuvaQxU4L
"Was it a skeleton?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN0qiISf8z
His eyebrows shot up. "What?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhfiOCnEpH
"I had a dream I was being carried away from the crash site by a skeleton."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7AnLCaP3C
Patch shot me a look of concern. "I can confirm it was definitely not a skeleton that dropped you off here."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3h1jXNcuC
"Where is here, exactly?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQ5lOMB1ZO
"You're in my workshop on Ikigai II."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNVeJq17UY
"As is in the metal island Ikigai II?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu6k5WZpus
He nodded.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ouzT7YV3h
"What? No! I can't be on Ikigai II! I'm supposed to be in New Sacramento today!" Not to mention, I'm terrified of floating islands.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Um2whaylb
Patch shrugged. "Well, we'll be docking in Australia in a couple of days, so you can try to get a flight home when we dock."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTmnxniaAf
"Wait, how is that possible? We were in California yesterday!"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡim3A9QJUSG
"You've been unconscious for five weeks."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcihaVGC4v
"This day keeps getting worse and worse!" I wailed.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehu0126gGK
Patch chuckled. "You haven't even heard the worst news yet."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueXOqG0OvP
"What's the worst news?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1EJ3r89MU
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't like to sugarcoat things," he ripped a tarp off a mirror at the edge of the room. "You should see the damage for yourself."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaPuBupHFp
I stood up and inched my way to the mirror, waves of pain flooded my body with every step.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSg4t8aXnuB
Patch flipped on the lights, so I could have a better view of my reflection. My entire body trembled as I gazed at my reflection. My left arm and leg had been amputated and replaced with cybernetic parts, massive burn scars marred my left cheek. Upon closer inspection, I noticed my left eye was also cybernetic.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkQM6EQhUP
"I'm sorry, kid, the explosion did some serious damage."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ft4wvTBKA
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to give myself some semblance of comfort. I'm a model, it's my job to fit the mold of what everyone wished they looked like. I'm going to get fired. No one will hire me if I look like this. I gently traced my finger over my reflection.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceYMoc8Nwd
Patch stood uncomfortably in the doorway. "I'm going to give you some time to yourself. I'll send my nephew, Atlas to check on you in a few minutes." He departed without another word, leaving me alone in the dark workshop.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgV6oAD9ma
An ancient-looking Holopad rested on the workbench in the corner of the room. Patch wouldn't mind if I borrowed it, right? I desperately needed someone to talk to. I switched on the Holopad, and it immediately took me to Patch's home screen. This guy doesn't use a password? He was practically begging me to hijack it. His home screen wallpaper was a picture of Patch with a boy and a girl who looked roughly the same age as me. Does Patch have kids? I examined the photo closer. The girl had wavy magenta hair that fell past her shoulders and a warm smile. The boy had a nicely sculpted jawline and hair the color of snow that pleasantly complimented his light-brown skin. He had a look in his eyes that made him seem perpetually sad. I don't know what he has to be sad about, he's almost as handsome as I was in my prime. Almost. He could've been a model in another life.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8Zcs6nvat
I was so transfixed by the picture, I almost forgot why I borrowed the Holopad in the first place. I opened up the call app and entered Mason's number. The call rang twice before he answered.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8qa99biCz
"Who is this?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4zFRZi1e1
"It's me, Chase!"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgPWxFV51k
"Chase! You're alive!" He let out a relieved laugh. "Turn on your camera, so I can see you."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9Gn06ew3r
"No!" I blurted out.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrsX2dMx9A
"Why not?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBCo296O2x
I glanced at my cybernetic arm. "I have a huge zit." I lied. "It's super embarrassing."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO68SFlv9e
"You're such a drama queen, Chase."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkxoUpW9PE
"Yeah, I know," I said half-heartedly.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKrtL4c0QG
"So, where are you now?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1glU4s3JH1
"I'm on Ikigai II."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB4SHylVTf
"Why are you there? I thought you were afraid of floating islands."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaS0uKcXV2
"I am! I hate it here so much! You can feel the ground moving beneath you!"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFPdCiUpoU
"Why don't you come home?"
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJQEidH0cl
I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I don't think I can go home looking like this. The tabloids are going to go crazy.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrk1UEVaHM
"Are you still there?" Mason asked.
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2jjiV0SM5
"Yeah," My voice cracked. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for making fun of your cyborg girlfriend."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOutlJIUOZv
"Umm, thanks." A loud crash sounded in the background of the call. "Son of a– sorry, Chase the dog just knocked something over. I'll call you back later."
288Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OMyjPBjSz
"No! Please don't hang up, I don't want to be alone."He was already gone. I didn't know what else to do, so I collapsed onto the floor and cried.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
