✳️ZERO

“Hold on tight my Blorchid! Everything is going to be okay,” his raspy voice came out in quick undulated short breaths. Why was he telling me everything was going to be okay? My heart raced madly....my vision was vague and my ears tingled with every explosions that were diluted with horrendous screams and wails all over.

“Daddy.....Where’s mommy? Why are you running? Please Daddy am scared,” I sniffled as tears cascaded down my flared cheeks and my jet black hair brushed across my face. He didn't respond or he didn't have anything to say in the least. Then it all happened in a flash.... a dead body from a distance made my eyes dilate in shock and I began fussing in fear . “ Bree please! For once listen to instructions! I didn't want to say this but we will die if you make a mistake so please....”

Those were my old man’s last words to me. Call me Bree Guaranta. Blorchid is not my name.....I term it as a birthmark to me. Because my old man liked calling me that. Short form for black orchid, a flower that only bloomed in the north point ‘Shidon’s Temple’ famously known for its fragrance. It remains a mystery to me how my old man discovered it. My world was about to change.. and I just didn't know if it was for the better or worse. When I was young... I never had friends and mostly that was coupled up with social awkwardness and lame neighbors but that never bothered me at all.

Then this day....this sunny afternoon I was playing with my toys in the beach....all alone as usual and one second am scooped up in a jiffy and everybody is screaming their lungs out. Now that we are recapping.... as I said those were my old man’s last words. We made it back to our beach house but it was already in shambles....pieces of furniture lying everywhere and shattered...it was a grotesque site in summary. My old man plodded up the stairs and burst into my room fixing me into my toy box. He blinked his tears away, took a deep breath and signaled me to remain silent with his index finger pursed on his pink lips. Fear, panic, anger, anxiety and all these weird emotions clouded my mind and that was the moment when time stood still. You know what they say when time stands still....it means death is wafting in the air! “ There’s a remnant in here! Hey you!” A rough voice echoed downstairs coupled with few footsteps and someone gasping in shock.

“Where is she?” It echoed once more. I held my breath.

“ I don't know what you're talking about...” a hefty blow probably delivered to the midsection took the wind of my dad’s lungs. He was probably on his knees...coughing up blood.

“Your wife, Chin Guaranta, you will not cover for her atrocities Frietz. She is wanted by the Chinese Renisystems for leaking an important file linked to the new game! Make it easier for you and the small girl upstairs.” Did he just say upstairs? Run! My heart echoed but my legs were too heavy to kick open the toy box....No way.

“My wife is not here. Same as my kid. Do whatever you want with me but leave my kid out of this!”

“ You know what Frietz...you always proved hard-headed and never took my opinions to consideration. Because you always thought you were the best there is. Well...wake up and smell the coffee beans...its time for the world to pave way for new idealistic inventions...”

“No it can’t be....your...”

“ I am nothing Frietz....that is who I am. Zero. Because you have offered yourself however so much willingly much to my advantage. Your candidate number 1. Allow me to demonstrate.” The voice died down.

I heard a machine powering up and so much pressure building up in the house. It was like the machine was sucking all the life energy around because everything seemed hazy for a few seconds and then my old man screamed so hoarsely and a loud gunshot followed after. Weird right?

Then two men came plundering into my room. They were combing the room for any life energy left which happened to be me holding my breath for the worst case scenario.

“ What’s in here Jack.”

“ Its a toy box. Don't be stupid lets go. The Renisystem has got candidate number 1 that's what matters at the moment.”

Dumb. They left the house and only after a few minutes did i get out if the toy box. When I came down the stairs. I stepped into a warm puddle. Blood! Fresh blood. My old man lay there almost lifeless. He was motionless and a zero with a straight line across it was carved onto his right palm.

I was merely 9 years old, I couldn't do much so I lay next to him, sobbing silently, waiting for the world to come and put a fullstop to my life. But of course it doesn't work that way. That's the universe for you.

As if to mock me, the universe delivered another shockwave in my direction. A man and an old lady stumbled into the house geared up with masks and odd-looking weapons.

“Found one."

"Its just a kid Jean.....we cant harm the child let it be," The man said in a hoarse stubble voice. The moment I saw his rough masculine hands reach out to my face I broke out in a muffled scream drowned with tears.

"Jim stop scaring her... Let me handle this. Go to back to the front door and look out for the bluedroids," the lady shot back.

She slid her weapon into her rusty brown ragsack and squatted, looking at me apprehensively. "Can you talk? Are you...hurt?"

I nodded, pushing back my wayward strands from my face.

"C'mon...I know its very insignificant to ask you to lend me your trust but the bad guys are scouting the area...It would be a shame to leave you...please..."

There was a slight crackle from my left where my dad's body lay. He was pulsating as if he was struggling to wake up.

" We will take him with us . Your old man is a strong person kid.

He knows you're still alive so do him a favor and make it out alive...c'mon..."

So yeah. I guess now you have a skeleton of what happened after that. I followed them meekly into their truck tagging along my dad's unconscious body. Lemme tell you what its been 8 years since then and nothing has changed. More as to say we live in the cracks of the city away from the bluedroids and my dad has gone into a coma I suppose all he does is pulsate and give me false hopes.

But grasp onto something lads because this is where the epic journey of my horrendous battle against a stupid simulation and Zero actually begins. I am Bree Guaranta don't forget it...