Robots.
Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was a girl with dark hair that
echoed night and green eyes that sang of sickness and envy. She always
wore a smile that told of lies and deception, of running and falling.
Yet, the smile told of her happiness and her love.
She was a good
girl. She didn't often hurt people, and when she did, she felt
horrible. Guilt would rack her mind until she'd crawl back to them and
beg forgiveness with her big, green eyes and whispering of nice things.
She'd be sweet, but she was always.
But once upon a time, this girl met a robot boy.
The
robot boy told of how he couldn't feel. How he was a robot--an empty
shell. He tried to understand the girl's love for everything that
shined and grew and was brilliant, but he couldn't. He explained that
he liked being a robot, because that meant he couldn't hurt.
But it feels nice to hurt sometimes, she told him one day.
Well, then, hurt me, he whispered back.
But I cannot. If I do, I'd feel sad, she told the robot.
The robot only smiled at her in the way that he did. He only told her that she needed to try harder.
And
the girl went on, pretending as if she didn't shake when she spoke with
him. She went on pretending as if she wasn't afraid of him. Afraid of
the secrets he kept, the secrets that she begged for.
Why do you let it eat at your brain, at your heart? the robot asked one day.
Because
it's easier this way, the girl said with a smile. The smile that told
of lies and deception, of running and falling. The smile that gave hope
to all the happiness in the world.
He touched her forehead and she shook.
Little human girl, you're so silly. I wish I knew. And he laughed and kissed her forehead with his cold, metallic lips.
But everyone wishes they knew, she whispered as he left her alone.
That day, she begged the Sky to tell her a secret.
Sky. You see everything. Tell me, is there hope?
There is only hope if you have it, the Sky told her. There is only hope if you can believe in it.
Sky. You know all. Am I weak or strong?
You are neither, the Sky told her. You are only what you want to be.
And the girl left to see the robot boy.
Robot boy, she whispered to him. Robot boy, why are you an empty shell of nothing?
The robot boy smiled and hugged her, never answering.
But, robot boy, you said you'd answer my questions. You said-
I say a lot of things, human girl. People say a lot of things they don't mean.
Oh, robot boy! Please tell me! Why are you an empty shell of nothing?
The robot boy smiled at her question. Oh, human girl, why are you a full jar of everything?
And she was quiet to him from then.
The next day, the girl went to ask the Wind some things.
Oh, Wind. You travel everywhere. Share your wisdom with me. Why is he an empty shell of nothing?
Human girl, the Wind whispered to her. Do you think he is an empty shell of nothing?
No, Wind, I do not. I think he is an empty shell of full.
Then that is what he is, human girl, the Wind whispered to her.
Oh, Wind. You have been everywhere. Share your wisdom with me. Why am I a full jar of everything?
Human girl, the Wind whispered to her. Do you believe you are a jar full of everything?
No, Wind, because I'm too young to know these things. But I know too much for being too young.
Then, human girl, the Wind whispered to her, you are not. You are only what you want to be.
The girl went back to the robot boy later.
Oh, robot boy, tell me, do you love me?
Human girl, I am a robot. I cannot feel.
Robot boy, I don't believe that, she begged. I don't believe that you can't feel.
I have-
Well,
I don't want you to have, the human girl said, staring at him with her
big, green eyes. I don't want you to have been hurt and I do not want
you to have been someone else. I do not love the someone else. I love
the someone you are now.
And the robot smiled at her and laughed, but she only walked away.
That night, the girl went to ask the Moon some things.
Oh, gentle Moon, tell me something. Why can he not believe me? she begged, staring at the mirage.
Silly human girl, he believes you. The robot boy is afraid, the Moon laughed with its cheery face.
But why is he afraid, sweet Moon?
Because he does not know how to handle things. He is a program, silly human girl, the Moon laughed with its cheery face.
But I love him, oh darling Moon.
Then love him away, laughed the Moon with it's cheery face as he disappeared and the Sun smiled at her.
Oh, Sun, warming Sun. Can you love a shell?
Human girl, you must first learn to love yourself, the Sun smiled, warming her.
The girl went to the robot boy the next day.
I love you.
The robot boy only smiled.
You are not a shell.
The robot boy only smiled, still.
You are a human, robot boy.
The robot boy's smile faded..
Robot
boy, my sweet robot boy. I love you. You are not a shell; you are a
human. If I cut you, you will bleed and feel pain. If I walked away,
you would feel empty and empty is a feeling. If I held you, you would
feel something because my feelings would be so strong. You are not a
shell, robot boy. You are a human and I love you and always have and
always will because you are my robot boy.
The robot boy stared at her and then laughed. You do not know me, human girl.
So
she hugged his metallic skin and smiled. She could feel the warmth of
his skin, which was not metallic but flesh. She could hear the beating
of his heart, quick, like a rabbit's. She could hear his breathing,
shaky in his chest.
Oh, robot boy, I love you. But you do not have to love me. I am content with just loving you.
And the robot boy smiled and just held her.
echoed night and green eyes that sang of sickness and envy. She always
wore a smile that told of lies and deception, of running and falling.
Yet, the smile told of her happiness and her love.
She was a good
girl. She didn't often hurt people, and when she did, she felt
horrible. Guilt would rack her mind until she'd crawl back to them and
beg forgiveness with her big, green eyes and whispering of nice things.
She'd be sweet, but she was always.
But once upon a time, this girl met a robot boy.
The
robot boy told of how he couldn't feel. How he was a robot--an empty
shell. He tried to understand the girl's love for everything that
shined and grew and was brilliant, but he couldn't. He explained that
he liked being a robot, because that meant he couldn't hurt.
But it feels nice to hurt sometimes, she told him one day.
Well, then, hurt me, he whispered back.
But I cannot. If I do, I'd feel sad, she told the robot.
The robot only smiled at her in the way that he did. He only told her that she needed to try harder.
And
the girl went on, pretending as if she didn't shake when she spoke with
him. She went on pretending as if she wasn't afraid of him. Afraid of
the secrets he kept, the secrets that she begged for.
Why do you let it eat at your brain, at your heart? the robot asked one day.
Because
it's easier this way, the girl said with a smile. The smile that told
of lies and deception, of running and falling. The smile that gave hope
to all the happiness in the world.
He touched her forehead and she shook.
Little human girl, you're so silly. I wish I knew. And he laughed and kissed her forehead with his cold, metallic lips.
But everyone wishes they knew, she whispered as he left her alone.
That day, she begged the Sky to tell her a secret.
Sky. You see everything. Tell me, is there hope?
There is only hope if you have it, the Sky told her. There is only hope if you can believe in it.
Sky. You know all. Am I weak or strong?
You are neither, the Sky told her. You are only what you want to be.
And the girl left to see the robot boy.
Robot boy, she whispered to him. Robot boy, why are you an empty shell of nothing?
The robot boy smiled and hugged her, never answering.
But, robot boy, you said you'd answer my questions. You said-
I say a lot of things, human girl. People say a lot of things they don't mean.
Oh, robot boy! Please tell me! Why are you an empty shell of nothing?
The robot boy smiled at her question. Oh, human girl, why are you a full jar of everything?
And she was quiet to him from then.
The next day, the girl went to ask the Wind some things.
Oh, Wind. You travel everywhere. Share your wisdom with me. Why is he an empty shell of nothing?
Human girl, the Wind whispered to her. Do you think he is an empty shell of nothing?
No, Wind, I do not. I think he is an empty shell of full.
Then that is what he is, human girl, the Wind whispered to her.
Oh, Wind. You have been everywhere. Share your wisdom with me. Why am I a full jar of everything?
Human girl, the Wind whispered to her. Do you believe you are a jar full of everything?
No, Wind, because I'm too young to know these things. But I know too much for being too young.
Then, human girl, the Wind whispered to her, you are not. You are only what you want to be.
The girl went back to the robot boy later.
Oh, robot boy, tell me, do you love me?
Human girl, I am a robot. I cannot feel.
Robot boy, I don't believe that, she begged. I don't believe that you can't feel.
I have-
Well,
I don't want you to have, the human girl said, staring at him with her
big, green eyes. I don't want you to have been hurt and I do not want
you to have been someone else. I do not love the someone else. I love
the someone you are now.
And the robot smiled at her and laughed, but she only walked away.
That night, the girl went to ask the Moon some things.
Oh, gentle Moon, tell me something. Why can he not believe me? she begged, staring at the mirage.
Silly human girl, he believes you. The robot boy is afraid, the Moon laughed with its cheery face.
But why is he afraid, sweet Moon?
Because he does not know how to handle things. He is a program, silly human girl, the Moon laughed with its cheery face.
But I love him, oh darling Moon.
Then love him away, laughed the Moon with it's cheery face as he disappeared and the Sun smiled at her.
Oh, Sun, warming Sun. Can you love a shell?
Human girl, you must first learn to love yourself, the Sun smiled, warming her.
The girl went to the robot boy the next day.
I love you.
The robot boy only smiled.
You are not a shell.
The robot boy only smiled, still.
You are a human, robot boy.
The robot boy's smile faded..
Robot
boy, my sweet robot boy. I love you. You are not a shell; you are a
human. If I cut you, you will bleed and feel pain. If I walked away,
you would feel empty and empty is a feeling. If I held you, you would
feel something because my feelings would be so strong. You are not a
shell, robot boy. You are a human and I love you and always have and
always will because you are my robot boy.
The robot boy stared at her and then laughed. You do not know me, human girl.
So
she hugged his metallic skin and smiled. She could feel the warmth of
his skin, which was not metallic but flesh. She could hear the beating
of his heart, quick, like a rabbit's. She could hear his breathing,
shaky in his chest.
Oh, robot boy, I love you. But you do not have to love me. I am content with just loving you.
And the robot boy smiled and just held her.