In Real Life

by Elisabeth Warner

  “Don, what did you—?”

  “Speaking of Tobi, I have something for you.” As Don reaches into his pocket, my ears perk up. Does he have a new phone for me? No. Even better. Lavender and peppermint essential oils for my headache! “Tobi musta delivered these to me by accident.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I liberally roll the oils on my skin, breathing in the minty, calming mixture as my headache and nausea subside.

  “They had your name on them. Thankfully that’s how I knew you were still alive.”

  “So that’s why you didn’t check up on me.” I roll my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent. I can almost hear the “Peace” playlist in my ears. “So, do you want to share where we’re going?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Don pats the seat of the mo-pod. “You can sit if ya want instead of laying on the ground like that.”

  I take his offer, sitting on the bicycle seat. “Thanks. So, what’s going on?”

  “I’m taking you to a secret location. For your safety, you can’t know the name of it or where it is.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Don clicks his tongue. “Yeah, I knew you were gonna have that reaction.”

  When he sits down next to me, I slide over, refusing to touch him again, even accidentally. “Smart guess. I’m flying in a small white sphere to a place I can’t know about. Is it near Brooklyn?”

  Don taps his fingers together. “I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of that statement.”

  “Then what can ya tell me?” I stand up and nearly hit my head on the ceiling. “Start talking, Don, or I’ll find a way to bring us down.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” he says, standing up and locking eyes with me. When he stands, he rocks the mo-pod, and I’m suddenly too scared to move. “Even if you could find the release button, I programmed the mo-pod to only respond to my command.”

  I hug my legs and sigh. “Of course. The IT guy is at it again.” The knot in my stomach returns when we hit a bump in the air.

  “Okay, well let’s start at the beginning. I assume you’ve been reading the papers since they started handing out ration boxes?”

  “Yeah, there was nothing else to do anyway.”

  “So, you know that the president has issued a warrant for the arrest of every citizen with questionable social media activity.”

  “See, that’s what I don’t understand. Mom was barely on social media. What could she have possibly done to get her arrested?”

  Don shakes his head as he paces, the floor underneath him creaking. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

  “Nothing is believable right now, Don. Just tell me what’s going on!”

  “Easy, Lin. I know this is a lot, but you have to—”

  “Just tell me what they did to Mom!”

  My exclamation echoes throughout the pod, and all I can hear is the sound of the motor underneath us propelling us forward. At least, I hope we’re moving forward.

  “Well, she expressed interest in an event this group was havin’. Some kinda bake sale.”

  “Mom loves to bake. I didn’t know that was a crime.”

  “Actually, it is. The group running the bake sale had a campaign about a year ago about standardized testing in schools. They seem to be against standardized testing, but the Liberty party, as you know, is for it.”

  “Wait a minute…That’s why Mom was arrested?” I smack my head. “How do you know about these rules from the Liberty party?”

  Don shrugs, sitting down again. “No jumpin’ up this time, all right?” After I nod, he continues. “The Liberty party had a list of rules that they put on their website. Obviously, that doesn’t help ya now, but because I work for them, I happen to know them.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re gonna have to explain that to me too.”

  “What?”

  “How you ended up working for the Liberty party.”

  “Oh, that’s easy. They needed an IT guy to make sure they had access to the Internet after they pulled the kill switch—”

  “Hold up. They pulled a kill switch? Tobi didn’t just malfunction?”

  This time, Don puts his hand on my leg, and I don’t fight him. This pod is too small to have personal space, anyway. “Lin, no offense, but that was a stupid question. Of course the Liberty party pulled the kill switch. Did you really think that Tobi just stopped working?”

  I shrug. “No. I actually didn’t know what happened. I was listening to the Nothing but News podcast…”

  “Those guys don’t know what they’re talking about. One’s in jail and the other one’s dead.”

  His words ring in my ears. In jail? Dead? My mouth dries and my head spins. “How do you know that?” I ask weakly.

  “The whole country is being interrogated, Lin! What do ya think? Everyone who’s posted anything crazy in the last three years is going to jail.”

  “Three years?” That would bring me right back to my divorce. Our divorce. Back to the exact moment I sent that post across the cyber universe for the whole country to witness. Threatening to kill a government official’s wife would surely result in certain death.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Exactly.”

  “What?”

  “Lin, I can read your thoughts. We were married for a good chunka time, ya know.”

  “Oh yeah? What am I thinking?”

  “That you’re as good as dead.”

  “Yeah, well, thanks.”

  He chuckles to himself and my muscles loosen. “No, Lin, you don’t understand. You are as good as dead.”

  “Don, just get on with it. What do you mean?”

  “Haven’t you noticed they stopped sending you ration boxes a couple of months ago?”

  “Yeah…What, were they trying to kill me?”

  “No, Lin. They thought you were already dead.”

  “What?”

  “Lin, you’re dead. Every person alive has a digital archive with all his or her information. When someone dies, the Liberty party deletes their archive. Then it’s irretrievable. Gone.”

  My mouth snaps shut. “Okay, so what does that have to do with me?”

  “Your archive got deleted, Lin.” I forgot how his lip hangs slightly after he says something profound. The way his eyes look excited but calm. The way he cares about me, even though we haven’t spoken in three years. Then I realize I’m staring and look away.

  “But...I’m not dead. How did my archive get deleted?”

  “Remember when you heard that knock on your door several months ago? There was a guy coming to make sure you died. They had a record that someone lived there before, and when the name on the account suddenly disappeared, they went to get answers. Since you didn’t answer the door, he marked you as deceased.”

  “It was that easy?”

  “When an archive gets deleted, they need to check up on it and make sure it isn’t a fluke. Since you didn’t answer, you confirmed it was true. You should be happy about it. You coulda been in serious trouble if they’d found you in your house.”

  “Yeah, except I’m not happy. How am I going to get a job when this is all over? How am I going to find another place to—”

  Don pounds his fist on the seat between us and growls in frustration. “Lin, listen to me. You have no reason to be arrested anymore. All the things you did, no matter how big or small, are deleted now. Gone forever.”

  I lean my head against my hand, processing my thoughts. If I’m dead, then nothing I did matters anymore. The threatening words I said to Don and Sage are gone. All the people I left behind are in the past.

  I’m dead, like my Dad.

  Suddenly the words pop into my head. Dad, wherever you went, I want to be there too.

  “What’s going on in that brain’a yours, Lin?” As Don lifts his finger to poke my head, I swipe him away. “What’s that about—?”

  “You think that capturing me and telling me I’m dead is going to make me fall in love with you again? What’s the m
atter with you?”

  “Lin, you can’t be mad at me forever. One day you’ll understand all I’ve done for you. Even all this.”

  “Don, my record may be clean, but yours isn’t. I don’t know if I could ever forgive you for what you did to me.”

  “How’s that workin’ for ya?”

  I lift my head from my hand. “Huh?”

  “It’s been three years, and you’ve hated me ever since. Never called. Never checked up on me. Never even talked about me. I’m in IT, Lin. I know when you check Tobi.”

  My cheeks burn red, the darkness covering my flushed face. “Well, neither did you.”

  “You don’t know that. Besides, you needed your space. That’s how you process your feelings.”

  I hug my knees close to my chest and press my lips into my legs. “I’m sure you found a new wife and moved on. Someone who could give you children and make you happy.” As the words I’ve been feeling for years bubble out of my mouth, the tears aren’t too far behind. I dig my head into my knees and sob. The high altitude dries out my sinuses, and my headache returns.

  Don’s hand rests on my shoulder. “Is that what this is all about? You think I don’t love you because you can’t have children?”

  I shrug, refusing to lift my head. I feel like a child, a kid with broken memories and bitterness that has kept me from finding healing. “Why else would you cheat on me?”

  “Lin, think about it. Everything that’s happened between us is over. You’re dead, but you can start your life over again in this new place. You can be free—”

  “Don!”

  “Okay, sorry. I’m sorry about everything. You’re right, I messed up and I should’ve treated you better. Hopefully me doing this is going to make it up to you.”

  “And what exactly are you doing for me?”

  “Giving you a second chance.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Adrenaline rushes through my veins and I’m ready to punch him. “Get to the point. Where am I going and what am I doing?”

  “You’re starting over in your new home. It has nothing but trees, lakes, cabins, and fun. These guys learned to survive without the Internet. Think of this as an early retirement.”

  I avert my eyes away from him and think about his statement. Early retirement. While I hate to admit it, I like the sound of that. After losing everything I know and love, including my own life, it would be nice to have a fresh start.

  Don checks his wrist and slowly stands. “Well, time to land this thing. Put the seatbelt on and sit on the seat. The wind can be a little choppy as we fly into the clouds.”

  “Clouds?” My eyes widen. “You mean, those fluffy things that are miles away from the ground?” Breathe, Lin. You made it this far.

  “Yeah, I told ya we were high up. Good thing I didn’t install windows in this model. You would’ve been passed out the whole trip.”

  I buckle my seatbelt and use the time of silence to gather my thoughts. I’m starting new, starting fresh. This should be exciting, but I feel empty. Don and I are starting a new life together. Am I ready for that?

  Sure, my slate is clean, but does that mean that I’m ready to forgive him for the way he hurt me? Besides the affair, there’s a laundry list of problems I’ve had with him over the years. I guess we have all the time in the world to work on it. Besides, now’s not the time to make enemies. I need all the friends I can get to help me survive. Then again, I did survive in my townhouse with no one beside me but my rescue dog, Lola.

  “You’re gonna love this place, Lin. Trust me. The other people have been there a little longer than you, but they’ll catch you up to speed.”

  I snap back to reality as Don slides behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Wait, other people? What do you mean? There are more dead people?”

  “Lin, did you seriously think you’re so special that you are the only person in America who doesn’t exist? Other people had their archives deleted too.”

  The motor hums loudly as we bump through the clouds. I take a deep breath and scream. Don leans into me and hushes in my ear, his soft lips comforting me.

  We’re going to be okay. We’ll get through this.

  After the pod gets steady again, I find my voice. “What do you mean they had their archives deleted? It didn’t happen by accident?”

  “No. A professional hacker had to do it for them. We know a code to delete the archive so it doesn’t trip up any security programs in place.”

  As the metal plates slide back under the mo-pod and tires touch the ground, I still feel like we’re in the air. My ears are ringing. Did Don just say we?

  “Don, are you saying that you’re a professional hacker?”

  “Careful, Lin. We’re not alone anymore. But now you know what I’ve done for you.” Don takes the handles, swiping my hands in the process, and starts riding down a dirt road.

  I scan my surroundings. Grass, trees, lakes, and a few cows. I look for a sign, anything that could tell me where I am. I’m almost expecting one to say “Middle of Nowhere.”

  Suddenly, the mo-pod comes to a halt. “We’re here.”

  I unfasten the seatbelt, but I stay seated. My legs feel like gelatin after sitting in such a cramped space for hours. “This isn’t over, Don. When we get there, you’re gonna explain yourself—”

  He grabs my waist and lifts me from the seat. I toss my head and let the wind carry my hair. The clouds overhead are too far away for me to imagine that I was in a small metal contraption that carried us that high.

  But now I’m in Don’s arms, even though I can’t forgive him, I feel like we can start over. Besides, he’s all I have now.

  “I’m not going with you, Lin.” He puts me down, my hope deflating as my feet hit the ground.

  “What do you mean? I thought you rescued me so we could start our lives over together.”

  He smirks. “I wish. It was good to see you. Look for a woman named Susan. She’ll take good care of you. I promise.” The mo-pod kicks on again, and Don tosses me my duffel bag. “You’re gonna need this.”

  I reach out my hands to take the bag, the weight nearly knocking me into the dirt. “Will I ever see you again?” As the mo-pod starts to move, I run alongside him. “Don, please tell me you’re coming back for me.”

  “Goodbye, Lin.”

  The mo-pod coughs up dirt in my face. I let my arms fall. “But I love you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Lin?”

  I gasp, holding my hands over my mouth.

  “It’s okay, Lin, you can trust me.”

  I’m too scared to turn. Internally, I count. One, two, three. My muscles relax at the sight of a woman with big round glasses covering her gray eyes. Her crisp white hair is meticulously gathered into a tight bun.

  “Susan?”

  The woman puts her finger to her lips. “Don’t talk. Just follow me.”

  I follow her, but my mind is on that mo-pod with Don. Finally we’d started the process of mending our relationship, and he left me here with this strange old woman. I wonder if I’ll ever see him again. Is it even worth it to hold him in my heart?

  “There are four rules about the Community that you need to know right away,” Susan starts. “All of these rules are for both your protection and ours. First, you can never tell anyone the name of your hacker. Second, don’t skip meals. Third, don’t go past the orange gate. Leaving the Community is punishable by death.”

  “And what’s the fourth one?” I ask faintly.

  “Don’t touch my hair.” She pats her head and smiles.

  I furrow my eyebrows. What could be the danger in doing that?

  Climbing a grassy hill reveals a small wooden cabin, with a small lake under the large moon glistening off the water. Has the moon always been that big? Or is the cabin really that small?

  “Welcome to your new home,” Susan says.

  Suddenly, I can’t breathe. Maybe it’s from the drugs that Don gave me on the mo-pod. Maybe it
’s the fact that I’m now stuck in the middle of nowhere with a random stranger and a cabin that looks like it can barely hold my duffel bag…

  I fight to take in air. “My head…” It doesn’t hurt. It’s spinning. I struggle to stay standing as my body grows as heavy as lead.

  “Lin…” Susan’s voice remains monotone. “Are you all right?”

  Her words ring in my ears as my body hits the cold grass.

  ***

  Trust. My brain is stuck on that word. Don wants me to trust him. Susan wants me to trust her. But who can I really trust?

  “Her eyes are fluttering. I think she’s waking up.”

  Is he talking about me? I wince as a shooting pain jabs my skull. As I open my eyes, I remember I fell.

  My surroundings are blurry. Light, but cloudy. Once my vision returns, I realize I’m staring up a man’s nostrils.

  “Hey there. Are you okay?”

  I open my mouth, but words won’t come out. When I try moving, my arms stick to the cold metal table I’m lying on. My legs are numb too.

  “The fall must have knocked the wind out of her. Give her a few minutes. She’ll be speaking in no time.” A female voice pipes up by my feet.

  Where am I? I can’t move my pounding head. It feels like a vice grip is around it.

  “Give her time to rest. She needs it. It’s her first day here, eh?”

  “Yeah. Barely made it a minute before passing out.” Susan’s voice sounds endearing but a bit condescending. Why is she talking about me as if I can’t hear her?

  “Hello?” The word comes out louder than I anticipated.

  “Oh, hello there. Welcome to your new home.” The man adjusts his glasses.

  “What’s going on?” My throat is dry as I speak. I lick my lips, craving water.

  “You’re at the Community Medical Clinic. You had a nasty fall, so we took you in. Susan said you were complaining of a headache before you fainted?”

  “Yeah. I suffer from chronic migraines. I’ve had them my whole life.”

  “Did you ever see a doctor for the pain?”

  “Doctor? Ha! Are you even from this planet?” Besides virtually, no one visits doctors anymore. We usually follow whatever treatment is available for free online. “Essential oils and soothing music usually helped. Speaking of which, where are my oils?”