Within | A flash fiction story
79 of 💯
“I hope this sends the gloom away,” Dino said, sliding a tall glass to Miranda. “You’re bumming me out, kid.”
She had her elbows on the counter, head on her fists. She watched the glass with indifference as the contents still spun inside. When the blue liquid slowed down, it turned into a vivid orange. Her indifference turned into a sudden interest, which she promptly disguised again.
“What’s the matter?” Dino asked.
She sighed. “You ever left?” she asked. “Argon I mean.”
Dino frowned at the question. “Why?”
“Well, I came from out there. Out of the wall, from the ‘Wastelands.’ The real waste was all the effort to get here.” She took a sip from the drink and licked her lips. “Wow! This is really good!”
“I knew you’d like it,” Dino winked. “So I guess it wasn’t such a waste of effort after all.”
She searched for words. Took another sip. Licked her lips. “I grew up in this village in the middle of nowhere. We had one Aether rig, which I more or less had a monopoly over. I used to consume all the culture Argon created. Games, music, movies… I knew them all. Heck, I walked perfect simulations of these streets every day. But every day, when I disconnected, I had no one I could talk to about it. So I never really felt like I belong there.”
She took the cup to her lips and only brought it down when it was empty.
Dino raised his eyebrows. “More?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “My whole life, all I wanted was to come to Argon. So that’s what I did. The trip was horrible. Traumatizing. But I told myself it was gonna be worth it, I was going to the place where I belonged. Thanks,” she told Dino when he brought another glass with spinning contents. “So I’m here now and… it kinda sucks. The streets smell bad, I can’t get a job ’cause bots do everything, and I’m constantly afraid of getting thrown out of the city for not having the money for my subscription. I feel like I was told a lie, you know? I was told I was this person who needed to be here to be happy, who belonged here.”
“Alright!” Dino cut in with a somber face. “Your entire premise is wrong, kid. Nobody belongs anywhere. That’s the lie! The only home we have in this universe is within ourselves. If you’re searching for it outside, you’re looking in the wrong place.”
Miranda considered his words and took a sip of her drink.
“Now,” Dino said. “Regarding getting a job, have you ever worked in a bar? Do you think you can learn?”
She licked her lips. “I might.”
< Jax Unchained | Within | Forgotten >
