What was I supposed to say? Sure, I’d love to video chat Madi. No, I had no idea how I felt about her, or anyone, for that matter. Sure, when I was with her, and those rare times when our eyes met and no other pressing matters were at hand, something shifted within me.
I just didn’t feel like I was qualified to say what any of that was. It just made me feel ten years old again, weak in the legs yet floating.
Jesus! What are friends for but to totally throw off a rest day? I flicked her message aside. I’d answer it in the morning, and I had no idea what I’d say. She, like Shin, could wait.
I was close to shutting down my computer completely and snuggling up in my pod to stream the oldest and derfiest anime I could find. But I checked my inbox again, wondering if anything in the real world was relevant. A few spam articles about a dictator dying somewhere, a few more about another who had taken his place. Several offers for loans, lip injections, cornea pigmentation, and more!
Those I easily ignored. I almost skipped over one from an unfamiliar sender. Its subject made me pause, though: Pawn Shop Friend!!! I clicked it immediately.
Hello Dahlia,
I think I got your name right, if not, sorry. Anywho, still feel terrible by the way. Those things just never happen. I swear, the times that someone comes BACK for an item is super rare.
Well that buyer came in again! He said he still has your mother’s ring and doesn’t want to sell it back. BUT… that he would talk to you about it. Still interested? If so, let me know and I will ask him if I can give you his contact information. Need to ask… laws and stuff.
Let me know. If you don’t have the money anymore, fine. I just thought I’d reach out.
Jessie Lathrop - the crazy lady at the pawn shop!
Sweet gingerbread houses! The hope of getting my mother’s ring back had all but died within me. Having that hope rekindled, if only somewhat, was as painful as it was exciting. And yeah, I had the money still. This could work out. That is, if I could convince some old man that my claim to the ring was more important than his.
Shaking my head, I sent a quick reply. Yes, I wanted her to ask for his info. Yes, I wanted to meet him. It was a no-brainer. When I finished, I slogged through the rest of my inbox, thinking distantly that general inboxes had a lot in common with a quagmire, when I happened upon another message that seemed to float off of the screen.
The subject alone had my blood running cold. It was from my dearest friends at AllHands Inc.
Dear Dahlia Otou,
Congratulations! Our revenue monitoring service has alerted us that you have experienced several SFIs recently (Substantial Financial Influxes). Considering your recent acquisitions, we have decided to increase the rate of debt repayment that was initially scheduled.
Rather than a 1% payment of 2,638.48 YD per month, our algorithms indicate you should be able to repay your debt at a rate of 4% per month. Your next payment installment has been increased to 10,553.92 YD.
Congratulations! Your debt will not only be repaid faster, but the APR interest has been reduced from 48.93% to 42.15%!
Remember, should you fail to pay your next installment, on November 23rd, 2107, we would love to have you join our Indent Worker Team.
Please click the link below to hear from Miguel, Indent Worker Team 117C’s promising new leader!
Stephanie Smidt
AllHands Inc. Staffing and Management
Employee # 968111734189L
The room had gone gray and silent around me. I took a breath of borrowed air, realizing that I’d been holding everything in.
What could I do now? It seemed that AllHands Inc. was dead set on acquiring their second Otou family indent. And despite all of my efforts and many successes in the game so far, I had the feeling they were going to get their way. So as I closed down the screen and walked over to my pod, I lay down and did the one thing I had control over: I let the numbness within me fight against the sea of icy fear that threatened to take over my body.
I found a small but quiet place within me and sheltered away from this unexpected storm. I would be strong tomorrow, I’d have to be, but for right now, this girl needed one night of honest and well-earned rest.
8: “But because they are shackled, they are unable to turn their heads.”
— The Old Man in the Cave
IRON PAWS
My arms were shaking, as usual, and my body was numb from fatigue. Though my body had grown strong, it was still plain to me that I wasn’t born for such tasks. I had been the only nezumi scribe and scholar within a hundred leagues, but those skills were frowned upon now.
The Foreman’s voice cracked out, as sharp as the whip he bore, “Move it along! No time to waste!” He jabbed me with a pair of metal tongs, and I yelped, the implement still hot from the forge. I held up my paws and shuffled along. No need to cause any upset, especially not from Foreman Maug.
I removed my leather apron and set down my hammer. Another day done, and I’d survived. In the old days, before the rise of the Great One, our smiths were treasured and rare. But in the last few years, any who were too weak to hold a sword were given hammer and tongs. Those like me were taught the basics of the craft. Some of us had been elevated to artisans, and still held a high status. The steel weapons and armor they made could rival almost any other race in Mariandor.
But
