A few hours had gone by before Marilyn was hit with an unmistakable and unexplained feeling that something needed to be done, and once that emotion had dug its heels into her mind there was no getting it out.
She had remained in her room all day, drawing on the walls on the space behind her bed where her father wouldn't notice it. She had sketched the mountains she could see just over the billboards outside, and the birds she occasionally saw soaring overhead.
The feeling came while she was drawing the birds. Marilyn could almost feel the strength of their wings flapping against her neck, and she could just see their wide, black eyes as they opened their beaks and strained their throats to call out.
She could hear their calls loud and clear, like they were screaming right against her ear and it made her sit up in her bed abruptly.
Marilyn could feel the urgency of the birds flowing through her, but she didn't know where to direct it until she looked at the poster on her wall.
The poster was of a woman starring in some lavish movie before the war, and whenever Marilyn looked at it she saw her mother. She knew it wasn't her mother, but she could feel her in the woman's dazzling smile and bright mysterious eyes,
Something about those green eyes on her wall suddenly felt wrong. They seemed to widen before her and fill with terror, and Marilyn sat up hurriedly. She huffed in a frightened breath only to find that the stale and dead air of the Lucky 38 was unbearably thin.
The wings of the birds seemed to beat within the woman's eyes. That sense of urgency, the pushing and pulling was coming straight from her and Marilyn knew she needed to do something. She felt like her mother needed her help and she needed it now.
Marilyn left her room hurriedly and glanced into her fathers. All of her mother's things were still there, and she could guess that everything was just as she left it. She could see a pair of high heels on the floor beside a pair of her father's shoes and a tube of lipstick on the bedside table. Small dust particles caught in the low lighting of the floor as they fell to the ground, making the whole floor feel even emptier.
Marilyn turned back to the elevator. She had been planning on heading to the ground floor and looking for her father, his steadfast apathy was calming to her in a way, but her fingers fluttered over the control panel for a little longer. She had never been allowed to explore the tower, and her finger pressed against one of the buttons without thinking.
Nervousness flooded her mind as the button lit up, but she thought of the woman's eyes again and she just couldn't shake the feeling that she had to do something. Anything.
She ran her hands up and down her arms as she heard the elevator rushing up from deep down in the towers stomach.
Marilyn glanced over her shoulder like she expected Benny to appear, but there was nothing behind her expect for the unbearable emptiness. The elevator opened with a sigh and beckoned her in, and she stepped inside cautiously.
Each time the elevator dinged on its way up Marilyn flinched. Anxiety chewed at her lungs, and then the doors opened again and a rush of dusty air crept around her feet.
Marilyn lifted her hand and coughed into it as she stepped forward slowly. Old white couches now turned a light shade of beige sat in a large circle around the elevator. Large windows displayed the mountains that stretched miles ahead outside, and the last of the late evening sun dipped low between their slopes. It was decorated like it was meant to accommodate lots of people, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Marilyn stepped forward and traced a shape into the layer of dust on the bar.
Just as she lifted her finger a loud whoosh hit the air, and she realized that something was hurtling towards her from out of the darkness. Marilyn shrieked before ducking down and covering her head with both hands.
When nothing hit her Marilyn opened one eye cautiously, and hovering over her was a robot, beeping happily and moving around her head in circles.
"Who are you?" She asked as she stood up again.
The robot stilled in response.
"Were you stuck down here?" She questioned as her heart slowed and it bounced up in down in the air.
It hovered around her like it was glad to see her, like it had been waiting for her.
"Geez, you could've taken my head off." Marilyn scolded and the robot gaze a defensive chirp back.
There was a small plate on its side and she ran her hand over it tentatively.
"ED-E?" She asked, confusion drawing her lips into a thin line.
The robot jittered in the air.
"Is that supposed to be your name?" Marilyn stared at the eyebot like she was expecting an answer. She simply got another incomprehensible sound.
Marilyn noticed the moon start to rise out the window. She stole one last glance at the desolate room and began to head back to the elevator.
ED-E followed and Marilyn stopped. "You can't come with me." She told it sternly. She began to walk again and it continued to hover close behind her.
"What?" Marilyn asked and ED-E beeped a few times before turning away and zooming down the stairs of the lounge. It turned back at her and waited, like it wanted her to follow.
"I'm sorry, but I really need to go." She began and when she turned it zoomed toward her again, trying to block her pathway.
"Hey!" Marilyn cried but ED-E chirped at her just as angrily, and then began down the stairs again.
She huffed and glared at ED-E for a moment, but then began down the stairs after it. It zoomed away from her and Marilyn stuck a hand out in front of her as she followed.
"Wait, I can't see." She called to it as she followed its beeps. Her hand hit something smooth and cold and she realized it was a monitor, resembling one those armed robots stationed outside had.
Marilyn pulled her hand back as her eyes adjusted. The small floating bot hovered closely over her as it watched.
Upon closer inspection she realized it was a securitron. It was cold to the touch and dust covered its body.
ED-E beeped above her and Marilyn stared up at it.
"What do you want me to do?" She asked and it moved to hover over a mess of wires sticking out of the robots side.
Marilyn frowned. "I don't know how to fix it." She argued but ED-E didn't move.
She sighed and stepped closer. As she studied the cords Marilyn realized that they were simply unplugged. Whoever had turned him off may not have meant for it to be permanent. Marilyn could recognize the wires from a few magazines that her mother had left behind, and within a few minutes she had them back in place.
The face that had been blank before lit up and illuminated the space around Marilyn. A depiction of a large smiling face filled the screen with a sudden flash.
"Hi there!" It said happily and Marilyn jumped right out of her skin. She took a few apprehensive steps away from him as she stared.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, how can I help?" He said happily and he rolled back and forth on his single wheel.
Marilyn continued to stare at him in disbelief. "Who are you? What were you doing up here?" She asked.
"I'm Yes Man, and I've been waiting for you for years!" Yes Man answered.
The eyebot chattered from above him and Yes Man's screen blinked.
"Wow, you're still here too." He exclaimed to ED-E halfheartedly.
Marilyn shook her head. "You were waiting for me? How do you know me?"
"Your mother told me to keep an eye out for you. She said that you'd come find be someday and that it was my order to help you." Yes Man told her in a loud, cheerful voice.
Marilyn felt excitement flurry through her. "You know my mother?"
"I did! ED-E and I both knew her for a long time."
She stepped forward, "Do you know where she went? Do you know what happened to her?"
A whirring noise came from Yes Man, and he seemed to be trying to access something in his memory. But then the whirring stopped. "So, what can I help you with today?"
Marilyn tilted her head. "You didn't answer my question."
Yes Man was silent for a moment as if he was thinking. "What question?"
"What do you know about my mom?" Marilyn demanded and she glanced back to the elevator.
The screen blinked again before Yes Man continued in his cheerful voice again. "So, what can I help you with today?"
The elevator dinged sharply from behind Marilyn and she almost yelped aloud.
"No, no, no!" Marilyn cried as she rushed to the elevator, but there was already someone in it and she knew it had to be her father.
She needed to get back to her room and fast. It wouldn't be long before he noticed she was gone. Marilyn hit the call button repeatedly until she heard the elevator rushing toward her again.
She turned back to the two robots that were watching her expectantly. The absurdity of it all had yet to sink in and she wiped her sweaty palms against her shirt.
"Stay here, okay?" She pleaded to them both as she rushed into the elevator, but ED-E flew in just before the doors shut.
"You can't come with me!" Marilyn scolded it angrily.
The eyebot beeped defiantly and she bit her thumbnail hard. When the elevator doors opened Marilyn grabbed it and rushed to her room, hoping with every part of her being that her father wouldn't see her.
Benny's bedroom light was off, and when she peeked back out she could see his silhouette sitting in one of the living room chairs.
"Marilyn?" He called and Marilyn glared at the eyebot buzzing around her.
"Stay. Here. Please." She begged before she slipped nervously out of her room and toward her father.
Benny gazed at Marilyn as she sat down into the armchair across from him.
"What's is it?" He asked and Marilyn wrung her hands in her lap.
"Nothing, I'm fine."
He stared at her for another moment and Marilyn knew he could tell she was lying. It was never possible to hide things from his sharp eyes and constant harsh judgment.
Benny fiddled with his lighter and turned his gaze to the wall. His knuckles were red and he looked wrung out, like a tired king who had everything he wanted and wished it would all go away.
Marilyn glanced back to her room, ED-E hadn't followed her this time and she breathed out carefully.
"What happened to your hands?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could manage.
Benny didn't answer her as he lit a cigarette and flicked the ash to the floor. Somewhere in her mind she thought she could remember her mother dancing with him across that very same red carpet. She recalled it being an uncoordinated dance that looked anything but graceful, but it had left an uncharacteristic grin on his face as her mother held his shoulders. Marilyn wasn't sure if her mind had made the memory up, but by the way he glared at the carpet she had a feeling it was true.
A beep sounded out from her room and Marilyn's eyes widened.
Benny turned his dark gaze to Marilyn. "What was that?" He asked.
"I didn't hear anything." She answered cautiously and he leaned back in his chair, patiently. He was waiting for her to crack and tell whatever truth he knew she was withholding.
Marilyn stared at his battered knuckles and squirmed. "Mom liked this room, right?' She asked in a desperate plea to change the subject. Immediately she wished she hadn't said it.
Benny sighed. "Why are you always asking things like that? It's enough to make someone flip."
Marilyn's stomach clenched at the way his voice dropped whenever she came up, like she was some painful curse that he wanted no part of.
There was a crash from her bedroom and Marilyn winced. He was going to find it if she didn't quiet ED-E down and soon.
"I'll be right back." She murmured.
Marilyn stood and hurried to her room with her head low as Benny's eyes burned through her.
She fled into her room where ED-E was moving about in a panic. It turned at the sound of her footsteps, and the thin metal wires that jutted out behind it sent glasses and books plummeting to the ground.
"What is wrong with you?" She hissed. ED-E perked up and rushed past her toward the elevator.
Marilyn tried to grab the eyebot before it could leave the confines of her room but it dodged her with ease. She turned to grasp for it again but she knocked right into Benny.
He caught her before she fell and then stared up at the eyebot, recognition glinting across his eyes.
"Oh for fucks sake, Marilyn. Where the hell did you find that old thing?" Benny sneered and ED-E stopped to hover beside the elevator.
"I- I just found it." She stammered nervously and Benny glared at her.
"Oh yeah? Just found it where? On one of the floors I told you to stay out of?" He demanded and she looked to ED-E and then down at her feet.
"I'm sorry." Marilyn began. He let her go and turned his scowl to ED-E.
"I was just curious and… I think maybe he knew my mom."
Benny shook his head. "Now you listen, and listen good. This thing's got no business being around you. I'm shutting it off."
"Wait! Don't!" Marilyn cried and she ran and stood between them. "He might have known my mom!" She cried and Benny shook his head.
"Kid, it ain't got nothing to tell to you, it's a hunk of metal."
"But he knew my mom!" Marilyn argued.
"Who gives a cap if it knew your mom? I knew your mom too, doesn't make me any more special." Benny argued.
Marilyn began to cry and she grabbed Benny's arm hard. "Don't touch him!" She yelled. Her throat burned and her heart slammed against her ribs as tears that she tried to contain flooded her eyes.
Benny stilled at the sight of her tears, and after a long pause he moved her hand from his arm.
"Alright kid, don't cry okay? Just… be as riled up as you want… but stop doing that." He ran a tired hand over his face.
ED-E darted past them and into Marilyn's room, and she wrapped her arms around her sides as she whimpered.
Benny rubbed his neck and they stood in uncomfortable silence. She could see some tiny amount of remorse in his eyes, maybe care, but then she watched him steel himself. He re-adjusted his suit and lit another cigarette.
"It's out of here tomorrow." He ordered evenly and he blew out a long, exhausted stream of smoke. "And it don't matter what your reasons are. I say stay out of those rooms, you stay out."
Marilyn sniffled and looked away.
"…Okay." She answered and when the next tear fell she wiped it away.
Benny sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He gazed at Marilyn as he tried to explain. "Look, your mother… she had a hard time-"
His voice cut out for a moment and he took in a sharp breath. "Sometimes things just end bad."
Marilyn refused to look at him, even on good days she couldn't.
"Sometimes there are things that you stay out of, things that you leave alone. This is one of those things. Get it?" Benny asked.
Marilyn felt the cigarette smoke choke her as he waited for her to respond. She knew he wouldn't leave until she did, so she forced herself to nod slowly.
Benny opened his mouth to speak again, but then seemed to think better of it. He went to his room and shut the door behind him and left Marilyn alone in the hallway.
She hissed in a raspy breath as the tears started the slow. Carefully she went back to her room where the eyebot and the ominous poster were waiting for her.
Marilyn sat down on her bed and hid her face in between her knees. She could hear ED-E beeping above her, the wind outside, the crows beating their wings.
She could feel those eyes on her, and with a small intake of breath she raised her head and looked back.
