Mechanophobia: Fear of Machines
by Jamaal May
There is no work left for a husk.
Automated welders like us,
your line replacements, can't expect
sympathy after our once bright
arms of cable rust over. So come
collect us for scrap, grind us up
in the mouth of one of us.
Let your hand pry at the access
panel with the edge of a knife
silencing the motor and thrum.
...
Prologue: One Year Before Loki's Attack
Mariko ran.
For how long, no one ever knew for sure. Even she had no idea how she had managed to get from South Carolina all the way to Pocantico Hills, New York. Later, she did recall taking a bus most of the way there, but she didn't remember where she got off (i.e. ran out of money).
All she knew was that it was raining. It soaked straight through her red fleece pajamas in minutes, effectively making her tiny body colder and her movements restricted.
The lights went off in a nearby house, and a young woman who looked to be somewhere in her twenties went out onto the house's roof-covered porch with a book and a chocolate bar.
Mariko knocked gently on the door. The woman continued reading. Now that Mariko was closer, she could see that the woman had earbuds in, and was bobbing her head slightly to the music. She knocked louder, and still no answer.
Mariko knocked as loudly as her shyness could take, and finally the woman looked up. The second she saw Mariko's soaked form, she dashed to the door and pulled it open.
About an hour later, Mariko was sitting in the dining room, freshly showered, in some spare clothes, holding the largest bar of chocolate she had ever seen in her life, and watching the woman who called herself Tia make green tea.
Tia never asked why Mariko ran away, and Mariko was grateful for that; she wasn't anywhere near ready to talk about it. The only thing that Tia asked her about was her name and her favorite color. Mariko's immediate response was red.
"Do you need a ride home, Mariko?" Tia asked. At that, Mariko looked down, crushed. If this woman decided to take her back home—
"Or do you just need a home?" Tia proceeded to ask, causing Mariko to raise her head.
Slowly, Mariko nodded. Who was this woman?
"It's all right," Tia said. "I know about kids who run away, trust me."
"Don't take me back," Mariko said softly.
"Wasn't planning on it," Tia said calmly. "But there's something you'll need to know first..."
I'm back... for now... ;)
Love you all,
carrie
