Two Stories Inspired By The Same Image (Foxtales 40 Entry)
I should have always loved you. Especially back then.
She stared at the lone girl in the old photo, the short hacked hair, the hollow hurt staring back in defiance.
I know it hurt you.
Tears slipped down the soft curves of her peach brushed cheeks at the memory of that night; rusty scissors, squeaking with each snip, locks tumbling, scattering in broken pieces as she shed the woman she’d been. There had been something symbolic about cutting off her beautiful tresses, freeing herself from the weight of years it represented.
I know you blamed yourself, the hate, the resentment, you turned it all on yourself.
A slender finger slipped into her hair, silky threads twisting free of a plaited crown. It had grown back softer, stronger. She wouldn’t change it now for anything.
It was never your fault. I’m sorry I couldn’t see that then.
Her heart welled with affection for the woman she had been, the hard choices that had made her who was she now. Pressing the faded photo against her chest, she closed her eyes, it had taken a long time for her to embrace who she was.
Jake faltered on his way down the street. The two woman beyond the glass washed in the soft lamp light had been entranced in each other. They were carefully programmed to lavish each other in unbridled affection, as one looked at him, it stopped him in his tracks.
The deep tones of her artificial eyes were supposed to hold an invitation, a promise - “This could be you.”
Yet for the fifth time this week, Jake saw something else in that constructed iris. A lonely plea.
It called to him on a deeper level, churning in his gut.
Shaking his head, he turned to walk away. They were robots, it wasn’t real, probably just the latest corporate ploy to draw in the punters. He’d told himself that every day, and it still sounded hollow. He couldn’t bring himself to continue down the street again. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he ducked impulsively into the doorway.
A squat, grey, elderly woman sat behind a grubby desk in the lobby.
“Can I get an hour with the two in the window?”
Jake fumbled in his coat, looking for his creditchip.
“Ex-floor models them two, not for private hire, I got a lovely pair in booth 32 who’d be just your thing though, let me hook you up.”
“No! I mean, no thank you, I was more interested in those two… Ex-floor models? Would you consider selling them?”
The woman gave Jake a long, hard look, taking in his suit.
“Come back tomorrow, ask for Petey.”
Making his way out into the street, Jake glanced back at the two girls. One of them still looked at him.
There was something different in her strong, swirling eyes, something he couldn’t even pretend to deny.
I hadn't planned to enter this round, but I was just really struck with ideas on my break on Friday. I had wanted a love story in here but I haven't managed to get online much this weekend only just got chance to post these, let alone work on anything else. I should be able to put aside some time and catch up tomorrow.
This is an entry to #foxtales, this is such an inspiring contest and runs every week, our fantastic host @vermillionfox providing her stunning art as a prompt to set our imaginations running wild. Check out the latest round here
Artwork provided by @vermillionfox as the contest prompt
Mortipus by Mad Uncle Art StudiosMy contest - Tell A Story To Me - is back over on @bananafish
Check out the latest round - Big Brother's Got Your Back - a prompt about the future of smart tech in the home. Head over for the full prompt - open until April 15th
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When I was reading the first entry, I took my time to leisurely read it and make sure I didn't skip over a word. For me in my mind, it created thoughts of internalized self-denial and the overcoming of such. But then looking at the prompt image, the story know feels like that what I had imagined is a base ground yet symbolically its trying to recreate the emotions that exude off the drawing. To put it in another way, the first entry to me, myself and I is trying to symbolically capture the drawing while interpreting it in the lens of the duality betwixt self-love and self-hatred; with how she had been on the left and how she is, at the time of the story, reacting against on the right and their holy consecration of recognition going from right to left. To which, to me, symbolizes a return back but not forgetting the memories; in an essence of owning up to her negative self-image in the past and self-addressing it all right now. But in essence, as the last line captures it all, she embraces herself.
The other entry is more I feel a speculative Sci-Fi scene, with society still mediated by a universal commodity, money, and moneyed relations as a mean to get through life. But that's an unconscious foundation point to this story: connection as the title suggests, as Jake sees through the veil of socio-economic construction of robo-human differences, the fact that Jake acts upon it (whether it remains true for non-male subjects, who knows but the cashier seems to be willing to bend over to some socio-economic pressure) and the fact that story draws upon the eyes. While I could go on about the Gaze of which compels action and how eyes have been that common medium that enforces some moral-ethical actions into characters, I rather leave that alone as a throwaway comment for now. Of course, we can only be given semblances of what Jake consciously sees in them and gesticulate, yet a chasm that inextricably deep which divides us and the character. And that is a good thing to leave us pondering what connects Jake despite whatever the socio-economic constructs between Robots and Humans, what compels him to act now instead of earlier or later, for whom does Jake act upon (the lassie robots or what he thinks they stand-for) and/or why does Jake consider doing what Jake is doing now. After all, speculation which should inform us of our current material conditions and situation of where we as a species wish to go with technology similar to that. But I like to bring up an earlier throwaway comment, but leave no explication for: the unconscious foundation of how Jake tries to liberate them is through money. Take that as anyone will for what that speaks for the rest of society that is beyond yet incorporates people like Jake, the cashier, robots and Petey.
An automated message whereof to promote humbleness more on Steemit: but of course, I could just be deceived by an evil deceiver to not see more into it or been lured to read more into something which should've been looked into. (Of course, reading the Meditations by Descartes further, he does go on to disprove and abandon the evil deceiver argument.) Maybe I had looked at the right things but ended on the wrong course, I shall admit all this as I am a biased creature and I made sure that I never strayed away from necessarily being cocky with how many "I" words I pollute in comments like these. I cannot state the actual intent of the author, nor can I see if the arrow hit the target from so far away. I can feel confident to say you have regardless of what I have stated here, but I will need to be told after you have walked towards the target and see if you've struck it or not if I was right in being confident. If I was correctly confident, I thought a good folly; if I was incorrectly confident, then I need to review how I had interpreted the message. Thanks for your time to read my reply, hopefully I had read it right all the same.
I always enjoy your detailed analysis <3
I was very much trying to set it up as being open as to what it was that she had been through/lead her to that and leave what it was/why she was shedding it up to the reader so I am very happy that it worked and there was an emotion you felt in there <3 That was the transition I was going for, something about the second girl, its such a tender affectionate kiss. I was very much going for accepting who she used to be, with her flaws, instead of mentally correcting them looking back and remembering the darker moments and accepting herself as she was then even if she couldn't at the time. Yey <3
Now this is very interesting, I was indeed going for the speculative scifi, the edge of the AI/life line. It was my intention that Jake's tries to hire, then offers to buy them, but I deliberately avoided lines about money, or anything like Jake hoping he would have enough. I was pleased with the title when I finally came up with it <3 so very glad you appreciated its role in the story. Given my love for AI stories, this is very much one, but equally... Jake who walks home past these windows every day - yet does not go inside, (but equally has noone else to worry about when it comes to bringing home to sexrobots) could be projecting something that isn't there, his own loneliness reflected in something he can't quite dismiss as not real. But it is more of an AI coming to life story, could easily lead into a full blown story if I had time!
This is an automated message: Thank you for calling [expunged] all our operators are helping other customers right now. Please hold... ... ...We value your call. Our operators will be available to assist you shortly. Please continue to hold. We value your call. Our operators will be available to assist you shortly. Please continue to hold. We value your call. Our operators will be available to assist you shortly. Please continue to hold. We value your call. Our operators will be available to assist y- Hello how may I help you today? Oh yes, feelings are always valid. Well... now a story plays out in the readers mind, whatever the author may intend. Well yes I know the author might have had an intention they hoped is seen, but that doesn't make any other reading any less valid or the sharing of any less valued. Thank you, please may I ask, have I answered your questions satisfactorily and offered good customer service?
I’m so glad you decided to enter this week. These two stories are gems! I could feel the strong emotions in the first and the second was so intriguing!