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ALEXIS
Newscaster: It’s been two days since Mr Mark’s body was found. As expected, evidence of him threatening to fail students if they refused to have a physical relationship with him has been all over the internet. According to the citizens; “We are convinced that ALEX is karma because they have never hurt the innocent. Their account proved it, all those people did bad.” Maybe they are right, maybe they are not, but so far, ALEX notes have only been found on people involved in sexual harassment and assaults.
Iturned off the television in time to read Ariana’s homework, as I registered the newscaster’s words with a smirk on my face.
‘Alex is Karma.’ Might as well just admit she had a crush on me.
“What is life?” I dumbfoundedly read the next question. “Who even asked you a question like that?”
“My teacher, obviously,” Ariana replied.
I nodded and pulled out my phone to google the answer, because I just didn’t know what answer to give to a question like that. I wondered why they would ask that of a twelve-year-old.
Schools these days.
Google provided the answer and I laughed;The condition that distinguishes humans, animals, and plants from inorganic matter. What a joke.
This was how they deceived people into thinking they were special by living.The condition that distinguishes humans from inorganic matter, so that way people could be like ‘Oh I’m special because I have something that distinguishes me from inorganic things.’
Other than that? Was that all this was about? The condition that distinguishes humans from inorganic matter? That Was All?
How about ‘the state of being thrown down from Heaven for no reason whatsoever’? Or ‘the state of coming to suffer for doing absolutely nothing’? Or ‘the state of being manipulated and brought to earth against your will, where you don’t even get to choose the life you want or the parents you want or the face you want’?
I was convinced Google collaborated with God to manipulate people into coming to earth.
“Lexi?” A tiny voice rang across my ear. I looked down at the twelve-year-old waiting for an answer.
I glanced at my phone one last time. “Ari, they said it’s a condition that distinguishes humans from inorganic matter.”
“Is that correct though?” She questioned and I couldn’t help but smile at her. She was so young, yet so smart just like me.
Just like me? I never wanted to remember what I was like when I was twelve years old, but so far, that was the only memory I couldn’t seem to forget.
Twelve years old me wasn’t smart. Twelve years old me was weak, twelve years old me was vulnerable, twelve years old me was a stupid, gullible, and emotional little girl.
But that was a long time ago —ten years ago.
“I’m sure it’ll be correct. Google is never wrong,” I said to her and watched as she jotted the answer down in her book.
“Lexi, when will Kendal start school?” She asked after a minute of silence and I sighed. She glanced at me immediately to check if I was bothered by her question. Cute.
It reminded me of the first time I laid eyes on her, she was so beautiful and so small, that I just couldn’t find it in my heart to hate her —and her brother.
Even when I thought I no longer had a soul, when I thought that I no longer had a heart, I guess I used the last ounce to save both her and Kendal. No more mercy for anyone now. This time, I was solely focused on fulfilling my mission.
Four years ago, I wrote down the names of the seven people who hurt me and it was now time for them to leave the world. I refused to add any more names on that list until those seven were cleared.
“I’m working on it. Trust me, I am.” I was.
It was not about the money, it was about the school. I wanted the best school for them, but I didn’t want to ask my mother for help because then she wouldn’t stop bothering me about it. She hadn’t stopped talking about how I should go for another therapy session because she thought I could still change since Ihelpedsomeone.
Actually, deeply thinking about it, I didn’t help them. I ruined their lives and the thought of it comforted me somehow. I guessed I was still soulless after all. I was just making it up to them.
You didn’t have to. You wanted to, which means that you still feel.That stupid voice in my head said, and I shook it off to listen to Ari.
“… and I think he’s sad about it, he didn’t even talk to me all day,” she dramatically sighed, slumping her shoulders. I knew she didn’t like it when Kendal wasn’t talking to her—or better still, signing to her.