𝐿𝑎 𝑃𝑎𝑢

I don't have a beta reader either 😐.

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The first time they felt something wasn't right was when they discovered their bodies moving like puppets: kicks they didn't want to give, shots fired at friendly faces, spells cast left and right; none of them liked the feeling of being puppets.

And when they weren't, it was like entering a kind of silent bubble, one that quickly lulled them to sleep no matter how hard they tried to stay awake.

Then the static started, the kind that comes from an old radio before you hear the announcer's voice.

The voice grew clearer over time, all the sounds becoming more distinct, as if a plug had been removed from their ears.

You spoke little, only small, spontaneous buzzing sounds. All they usually heard was the music that was always playing, always with a different beat, different lyrics, some repeated often, and others they didn't hear for a long time. They felt very confused. Was it your fault? They began to get angry with you, resentful of their condition. Until the call, one day (afternoon, night?) they found themselves in the middle of a battle, being used against their will. While they were getting used to it, they began to hear a voice. It was different, higher-pitched, louder than usual. They knew it wasn't you. It was a normal, everyday conversation, although the only one speaking was the other girl (your friend, as they discovered). Your answers ranged from monosyllables to simple noises. The girl, Ana, asked a question, the question that changed their opinion and feelings about you. The question was simple: "What do you do?" Your answer, as from the beginning, was simple, without giving details, but at your friend's insistence, you began to talk.

And talk.

And talk.

You talked about them, each one individually, praising their skills, their appearance, their voices. You called them your "babies" in such a sweet tone, like someone talking about someone they love. After that game (battle?), they returned to their bubbles, but this time it was different. Before falling asleep, they heard your voice, so soft, bidding them goodnight, and for the first time in a long time, they all stopped resisting sleep. When they opened their eyes again, the first thing they saw was your face. You had your camera on, on a video call with the same friend as before. Your hair was messed up, you had dark circles under your eyes, and your eyes were red. You'd been crying.

This time, you didn't play the game. You were just chatting with your friend while browsing the apps.

You'd cried over an idiot who had tricked you. Few people cared about your words; others only focused on your expressions, until you said something that touched a few.

"I should keep my babies."

And you meant it, they knew it. Saying that, you opened the game and pointed at them. You told your friend that you'd rather be with them because, after all, you liked them more than your idiot ex.

"I should keep my babies." You started talking to them more, even without your friend. You used to cheer them on, and when they lost, you didn't get frustrated with them, but with yourself. Until an accident happened, a very happy accident. You had downloaded a file with a virus, and although you thought you'd eliminated it, the virus had wormed its way into their programming code, and they began to do more than just hear you. They discovered they could turn on your camera and see you. Their bodies no longer moved only with the controls; they could move at will. Although you thought it was some connection error or something, you even tried to delete them, but they resisted and remained in your computer. And then, finally, they began to communicate with you. At first, it was small things, things they were already programmed to do. They escalated to the point where they could tell you things outside of their code. You were a little scared, but you were always the kind to take it easy. So, when you finally accepted that they wouldn't leave, you started talking to them. Your tone became sweet again. You gave them access to your phone. Now they can text you and even call you.

Although some of them tend to play tricks, like deleting files, others help you and remind you of things you need to do.

You accepted them.