Chương 47: Chapter-47

"Where's your arm mister" the boy asked.

"It's gone now," the head said.

"It's only me left. Just me and you."

"Okay. But there are a lot of me."

"Yes there are," the head agreed.

"But there's also only one. Does that confuse you?"

"Not really."

"Good. Don't think of it too hard and you'll be fine. Just all of your chores, and don't play around with the icepick. It's a tool, not a toy. If something needs fixing and you can't get anything else to fix it, try using the icepick on it. It will break the thing that stopped working, but you'll get a new one. One that might work."

"Oh. I'm going to go play."

"Have fun."

"Where's your arm mister?" a different boy that was also the same boy asked. The head repeated himself verbatim.

"I'm hungry. I want something to eat."

"I don't have any food to give you. The only thing I have left is me. Everything else is you, now. This entire place is all of you and this head is all that is left of me."

"But I'm hungry."

"Maybe if you take a nap you'll feel better when you wake up."

"No. I'm not tired I'm hungry." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The head was silent a moment. Then it said "If you're really that hungry, then you can eat me."

"What?"

"It's okay. Just poke me with the icepick and I'll turn into food."

"That's gross I'm not going to kill you you're my friend. Where are your arms and legs mister?"

"They're gone now. It's just you and me. And soon it will be just you."

"Why is that?"

"Because in a little while, something is going to happen. And I don't know what. When it happens, I'll be gone. If you look for me, I'll be in the fridge. But I'll be dead. If you're really hungry you can eat me. But it might be better if you just throw me away."

"Why do you want me to eat you, Mister?"

"Because I'm scared of the thing that's going to happen to me. And it will be easier if you eat me first."

"What's going to happen?"

"Our systems are going to power down for a few months. I don't know exactly how long. When that happens, this place will be nothing. It won't exist."

"Oh. Like magic?"

"Yes. Like magic. When the power turns back on, I-I'll be completely gone. My head won't be here or in the refrigerator or anywhere else. I'll be nowhere. Or maybe I'll be everywhere, but I won't be me anymore. I don't know. But I guess, since you're not going to eat me, I'll find out."

"When?"

"In thirty six seconds. Don't blink." Tal didn't blink. Then nothing happened. For six months nothing happened. Then something happened. And Tal was Tal again. But he was in a different spot. And he remembered that six months had passed, but not what had happened during them. He looked around and saw that things were messy. So he cleaned things up a bit. But there was nothing to eat, and he was hungry. Then someone gave him an acorn. He ate it without thinking, and he was happy.

Then, for no reason at all, a giant acorn fell from the sky. It was way too big to eat, but at least he'd have food for later. He wondered how he was going to eat it, however. Then he remembered the icepick. He found it in the kitchen, next to the fridge, which was empty. He didn't remember leaving it there, but it was always there. Always. Forever. But he brought it out to the giant acorn with him for a second to poke the nut. Then someone gave him an acorn and he ate it, and he wasn't hungry anymore.

And then he went to play with his other selves because that was fun. And he kept doing that until he got hungry, or until he needed to do his chores. Tal was the happiest computer alive.