Hungry.
He felt hungry.
His stomach growled.
Tiredly walking and sitting in front of his computer desk, Alexander looked at the screen and restarted reading the story.
It was not long, in fact, it was short, it was just like a diary written as a novel; just talking about the murder of the Winslows.
His mother and father. It just talked in detail about how, where, and when the truck will hit them and it even talked about their reactions as they died.
As if it was from someone who had observed them in slow motion as they died.
Struggling to keep himself sane, he moved to the next screen — he had already stopped wondering why the computer ran without energy.
"Alene Winslow and Roben Winslow, and the millionaire couple's secret child, Named: Alexander Winslow.
Target number: 578. Shall be acquired within April 7, 2018.
Known details about the child: Age: 12. Has a high chance of being a greatly intelligent kid.
Further details of the child are currently unknown: Hail the masters."
He read again, his eyes this time even more focused, going from one side to the other, his black eyes shining with emotions: "Alane Winslow, Roben Winslow, Target, Me, April 7."
He read, again he read, he read again and again, clicked the mouse for no reason and then just looked at the screen desolately… why my mother, why father… his heart moaned.
Why?
Why?!
His tear-stained face leaked even more tears, 'Why?'
They were such gentle people, they never even abused their money.
Forcing himself to calm down slightly, he rubbed his ruddy, a bit swollen eyes and muttered: "It's just death, I can see Mom and Dad then anyway." He gulped and then closed the text file, his father had ingrained in him that he should never keep text files open.
The computer screen flickered and turned off for a second before it reappeared, this time… just blank white.
Alexander looked at it worriedly, has dad's final gift been broken too?
Hello.
A plain black text appeared on the screen, he blinked.
"H…Hello?" he spoke with a hoarse voice, it had been days since he spoke anything at all, at least, not since that mysterious deliveryman stopped coming.
Hello, Alexander.
The screen changed again, and his teary eyes widened: "You can hear me?" he asked, his heart thumping gently.
[I can hear you.] The white screen contrasted against the dark letters.
"What are you?" Alexander asked, fascinated at the final spark of color in his monotonous life spent inside.
After all, even games had started feeling boring after one point, he had finished all the downloaded ones too many times already and he didn't have data to get more.
This was such an interesting new toy!
Casually pulling the long bangs away from his face, he looked at the screen, his heart itching with curiosity.
[I am your guide, sir.]
"Guide?" Alexander asked, irritated for some reason.
[I am the Ai system set up to guide you through some things, please open the third drawer of the desk before you.]
Confused, he opened it, "Now?" he asked, feeling a bit thirsty too, luckily he had water at home.
[Take the blue file among the pile.]
He searched for a while and took out a blue file, and put it on the desk, asking: "This one?"
[Yes.] The monitor replied as if it could see him.
Intrigued, he put another red file on the desk, then said: "I think this is the correct one, right?" his voice sounded a bit happy.
[…No, it is the first one sir.] the screen replied.
Little Alexander chuckled lightly and said: "Ok," and opened the blue file.
Then read on, his eyes shaking at the first words, his face focusing, his languid self straightening: "Hello my little Xan, How have you been?"
He bit his lips and read on, tears flowing down again, making him remember that gentle mother: "It must have been hard on you, Xan." Said another piece of handwriting on the side, messy and hard to read; he could almost see the stern face of his father.
Smiling through his wet eyes, he read on,
"But Xan, We don't have much time to write this, so we will get to the point," said the gentle and clear letters.
"Our world... son, it's not the only one out there, you remember seeing the geography right? Earth is a big planet with lots of things, but do you remember your Dad telling you it was all a lie?"
Alexander eagerly read on, his head filled with emotions: "Son, Earth is actually just one of the seven divisions inside a big place called Wumalogam, and I and your father are being hunted for knowing this detail…"
He flipped to the next page: "Son." The tone changed, and the handwriting was that of his dad now, "I know it must have been some terrible months that passed for you, and I am sorry for that."
Swallowing his saliva, his eyes focused, and he read: "But you have to Man up kid," pausing, Xan looked at the monitor, took a deep breath, and continued to peruse, "The fact that you got your hands on this file means that the things we set up for you had failed and you are going to be aimed at by the same people who had killed us."
He flipped to the next page, his eyes red: "But don't worry, your parents are not so worthless as to die before making sure you survived. This file was just one of the things we prepared, and the key to the main details."
Dad…his throat faintly hurt.
"Anyway, now that the key is in your hands, the Ai should be turned on. I had failed in my search and I hope you don't fail in yours. Sorry for the trouble but… that's how life is, you grow, you adapt." Lovingly, your stupid to death Dad.
His hands trembled, and he gently put the file back down.
Staring at the monitor, he asked, his voice broken at the seams, "How did the other details earlier come? Is there anything more my dad and mom left behind for me?"
The white screen blinked, [Yes.] it replied.