A change.

“I'm not saying I want to go to prison!! I just think..” I said, after chugging the last bit of beer in my glass, and lied on the bar table, only to find Riku interrupting me.

“What is it then? Do you think that everyone back then, who read prison literature, had to go to prison to understand it?!”

“Where is your brain located? I’m just saying..”

“I honestly think we are lucky to be living in this time, and you should be too.” Said Riku, my good friend.

Sigh. “You’re right.”

“Enough for today. Let’s get you home.” He grabbed my suit jacket and helped me stand.

Riku is a great guy. I wonder why we were never chosen for each other.

I mean yes, I know we disagree about some matters.. Ok, a lot of matters. But does that necessarily make us not a good match? We still get along. And It’s comfortable being around each other. We're actually often envied because of the bond we share.

I like to believe that he thinks about this too, and that he regrets it. But we have never actually spoken about it.

“He couldn’t be more right.”, I thought, with half closed eyes, watching the wandering people far down, from the window of the flouting taxi. The city lights are always magical from above. I don’t usually take these flouting taxis, they don’t fit into my budget very well compared to the train. But I felt the urge to get in one of those today. I wanted to celebrate my appreciation for life, riding this clean, eco-friendly, flying piece of junk.

“I'm safe, and stable. I’ve had a guaranteed job from the moment I was born. Despite the fact that I'm not really rich, I know I'll never be homeless in the streets, and will never be in need of medical care and not have access to it. And even If I’ve finally decided to get married one day, I'll have the government’s support in finding the best match for me in order to live happily ever after. My government is always there for me.

I’m blessed. I’m happy.

I'll never allow myself to feel the slightest misery in my bones. I don’t have the right to carry such emotion along.” I thought, leaning on the window, half asleep, witnessing the after midnight dim city lights flushing in my eyes ever so gently.

The chirping of peaceful birds, and the sunlight seeping through the curtains of my room and drawing a line of warmth on the floor, announcing the arrival of a new day. and I'm proceeding with my mundane peaceful life.

Got ready, walked to the train station, and sat on the bench waiting for the train. It’s a fresh morning on a beautiful winter day.

But more importantly, it’s another day that I can experience the various forms of art.

However, despite art being an essential element in forming this “Mira” person that I'm today, I still don’t personally connect to it very well. Even the most natural “slice of life” stories.

I always had a deep lonely feeling engraved within me, that they came from an entire different world.

This is one of the arguments I have with Riku. That stupid Riku.

“Ah Mira! you’re being annoying again.” I hate it when I catch myself overthinking. Because it has worsened over the years, and it negatively impacts my concentration.

“Let's just listen to something.”

I clicked on my smart watch, and a hologram appeared with my AI assistant.

As usual, she got a new beautiful outfit on. I could also smell her new sweet floral perfume, through neurotransmitters connected to the brain, by the emerging connection between the smart watch and the microchip implanted inside my head. It was a method that fashion companies used to advertise their products through AI assistants.

“Morning, Lili. Wow what a nice suit and makeup you’ve got on today! And that perfume, girl! Send me the info of where you got everything, would ya?”

“Right away, Mira-san!

You're a little late today. Told you yesterday that milk was expired, hehe. Hope we make it to work on time!”

“Sssh…You're loud, Lili!”

“Hehe. Shall we listen to some music then?”

“The usual, my dear.” Nodded with excitement.

Lili and I have had this habit for over a year now, she shuffles a completely random new song for me to listen to while I'm on the train to work. No matter what language, genre, or year it was released.

Today's pick was a song from the 20th century.

I refuse to believe that angels weren't visible back then, because there's no way they didn't have any hand in making this song.

I was sitting there, surrounded by the noise of the crowds, and the electric bullet trains, but I could by all means feel the waves of the sea flowing between my feet, and smell the sea salt in my nose.

That angelic voice kept going on and on, about her strong affection towards the sea, the wide sky, and the street, that they all somehow carry her life story, memories, and journey in them.

Something deep within me was vastly touched and shifted. My heart started pounding faster at this realization, I cannot ignore this anymore. I'm in dire need of true life experience. I need change!

At this moment, I felt sudden heat going through my body, I felt as if my body was dissolving, and my flesh was painfully melting.

“AHHH WHAT IS THIS?! DID I DRINK..THIS MUCH..YESTER..DA..?!”

Everything went blank, and before I knew it,

I woke up.

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying on a bed in a room that’s not mine. My heart dropped into my stomach. I looked slowly around. I was frozen in place. I thought I was kidnapped, and last night with Riku was just a dream.

“I have to get out of here!” A wave of terror washed over me. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. I’m not gonna lie, it was refreshing.

But then I realized that they technically cannot kill me nor torture me. So what do they want from me?

I also don’t feel any pain in my body, except for this severe headache, and I don’t see any signs of any weird activity in this room. Looks like a regular man’s room. Not dirty, yet a little messy.

“But no Mira, don’t get fooled!” Yes, I know from what I read, that the best serial killers are good at hiding behind a perfectly normal appearance and lifestyle. But again why was I kidnapped when they basically cannot kill me?

I suddenly heard something ringing. I looked at my wrist to check my smart watch. But it wasn’t working. This is also not my ringtone.

I then realized that it was coming from the small table beside the bed. I slowly picked it up in surprise.

“This..is a smartphone! A vintage smartphone!” I was so excited to touch one. It has become something that only the rich who collect antiques can have.

But weirdly enough, it’s ringing!

The phone stopped ringing. Then rang again, and again.

So I answered the phone.

“HELLO?”

“H..Hello..?”

“FINALLY! UM..LISTEN, MISS, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THIS, BUT I THINK I AM DREAMING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT FEELS FAR TOO REAL TO BE DREAMING, AND YOU HAVE MY PHONE BECAUSE I CALLED MYSELF, AND GOD PLEASE SOMEONE ANSWER ME ON THIS QUESTION: WHY ARE THERE CARS CASUALLY FLYING OVER MY HEAD?!!!!”

“Sir, who are you? Are you the one who brought me here? Is this a prank? It’s not funny you know! If you’re bored you can play Sudoku or something.”

“MISS.. I AM TELLING THE TRUTH! AM I ON SOMETHING OR WHAT?”

“SIR, is this your first time outside? Why are you so taken by the flying cars? And also, I'm asking you again since this is your phone, are you the one who brought me here?”

“Sigh..Brought you where exactly?!”

“Here to this roo..!” I said, while walking towards the curtains, opening them, and was in shock that made speechless.

“What? something happened, miss?”

“Ah..I think..something happened!”

I saw..a city. This was my city. Very similar to how I saw it in an old movie, from the year 2024!