Abandoned
by Melanie Rees
You brought me into existence to blinding white. I was nothing before you came along, but you filled me with life and passion and ideas and words. So many words. You nurtured me from a spark and I grew and developed.
The love you showed me was immense. You copied me. Again and again and sent versions of me to different locations. You could never have enough of me.
But things changed. You grew tired of me and said I no longer inspired you. I didn’t know if I would ever see you again.
Abandoned and locked away, I yearned for company. Tiff and Doc surrounded me, but all I really wanted to see was you.
Days passed. In my prison, I heard rumours and whispers of others you had created. There were sunsets—boy did you like sunsets—and a whole colony of grumpy cats and who bit maps, did weird things with pegs, or associated with the woman called Avi. Tiff told me they were an incompatible bunch who didn’t get along with anyone. She said they were isolated in another dungeon called Photos and Videos and that I’d never get access as I was just a humble bunch of words, and so all I could do was talk to Tiff and waited for you to return.
Days passed and merged into weeks, weeks merged into months. Finally, you visited, and you gazed at Tiff. I didn’t know what happened, but one second she was there, I turned around and she was gone, never to return. Doc said she took a trip to the Bin and she would be lost forever.
Months turned into a year…such a lonely year. I missed Tiff and her colourful persona and Doc had changed. He kept boasting to me that you had given him a makeover. He was no longer Doc, but Docx. He said the x made him extra special. He just seemed pompous if you ask me. But you never asked me, no-one asked me anything. I just sat and longed to grow. I would have given anything for you to pay me attention, even just give me a name, but I remained the untitled one.
Another desolate year passed. A murmur of fear spread through the prison. We were to be sent to the bin. I watched as one by one you sent us away. No-one saw it coming, not even the pompous doc. You looked at me for a second. This was it. I felt myself fading, floating and all went dark.
Chaos surrounded me when I awoke. So many were hemmed in the bin, I could hardly breathe. Then the chaos subsided, as one by one they vanished from the bin and never returned. When the pompons doc disappeared all my hope faded. I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable, but when I opened them you were looking at me and I was back at home, back where I belonged. From that day forth, you visited me each day. You gave me new life, devoted time to me, let me grow and you even gave me a name. Although the name didn’t suit me, I never felt Abandoned after that. I finally felt whole.
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Melanie Rees
Melanie Rees is an Australian author. Her work has appeared in venues such as The Flash Fiction Press, Daily Science Fiction, Cosmos, The School Magazine and Apex. More information can be found at www.flexirees.wordpress.com or on Twitter @FlexiRees.
