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Chapter 5: No Outside

How does he do that?

How live split between worlds?

Can only choose one world now.

Have chosen screen world. Better here.

More control. More purpose. More me.

Outside has too many voices.

Inside has only clicking sound.

Simple sounds. Simple tasks. Simple life.

Type more words. Fix cereal bowl. Fix spoon angle.

Phone rings again. Ignore it. Screen more important.

Girlfriend appears at office door. Looks worried.

"What happening?" She walks closer. "You not home days."

Her face looks different somehow.

Like forgot some details overnight.

Was her hair always that color?

Were her eyes always that shape?

She seems less real than screen.

Like walking photograph now.

Screen images higher resolution than girlfriend.

Her voice sounds tinny. Artificial.

But her smell seems wrong too.

Too much perfume. Too much outside.

Brings air from different world.

Contaminating my screen space.

Want her gone. Want quiet back.

Look up briefly. "Working. Important project."

She touches shoulder. "Need shower. Need sleep."

Shrug away. "After this image. Almost perfect."

She looks at screen. Frowns. "Just cereal picture."

Not just cereal. My work. My purpose.

Her hand felt hot. Like burning.

Outside temperature different from office.

Her touch left mark. Can still feel.

Want to explain importance. Can't find words.

She wouldn't understand screen language.

She speaks outside language now.

Different worlds. Different tongues.

Once understood her. Now sounds foreign.

Once loved her touch. Now disturbs focus.

Once shared world with her.

Now she threatens my screen world.

Must protect new home. Must guard screen.

Boss understands importance. Bob half understands.

Girlfriend understands nothing now.

"Go home," she says. "Miss you."

"Later," I say. Don't look up.

She stands there. Waits. I keep clicking.

Finally she leaves. Hear crying. Don't follow.

Bob watches whole thing. Shakes head.

Tissues on desk. She left them.

Outside world droppings. Foreign objects.

Her tears make no sense.

Just water. Just salt. Why make them?

Screen never cries. Screen just works.

Better companion. Better friend. Better lover.

Her footsteps fade down hallway.

Each step farther from screen world.

Each step back to useless outside.

Feel small pain somewhere inside chest.

Old connection breaking. Old life dying.

Good riddance. Less distraction now.

Bob's eyes follow her. Then return.

His face shows something. Disappointment maybe.

Don't care about his judgment.

His opinion outside world thing.

Screen only judge that matters now.

"Dude, that's messed up. Go home."

Can't explain. Can't leave. Must fix image.

Outside world fading. Only screen real now.

Only clicking matters. Only perfect picture counts.

Try remember girlfriend's name. Takes effort.

Memory banks filling with prompt words instead.

Remember perfect prompt for dog image.

Remember right words for car ad.

Girlfriend's name hiding somewhere. Not important.

Bob still talking. Voice annoying now.

"She really loves you," he says.

Words mean nothing. Foreign concept.

Love can't fix images. Love can't click.

Love doesn't understand perfection need.

Watch clock on wall. Time for Bob's departure approaching.

Soon be alone again. Soon be peaceful.

Soon just me and screen friend.

Perfect relationship. Perfect understanding.

Me and regenerate button. Forever together.

Better than outside love. Better than humans.

Night comes again. Bob leaves. Office empties.

Just me. Just clicking. Just fixing.

Darkness outside windows now. World sleeping.

Screen never sleeps. Screen always waits.

Faithful companion. Patient teacher. Demanding master.

Clock says midnight. Doesn't matter anymore.

Time just outside world construct.

Screen time different. Image time eternal.

Stomach stopped complaining hours ago.

Learned its lesson. Stopped asking food.

Body adapting to new reality.

Becoming more like screen. Less like flesh.

Evolution happening. Becoming digital slowly.

One day won't need outside anymore.

One day fully join screen world.

Until then, keep clicking. Keep trying.

One more image. One more fix.

Screen home now. Screen family now.

Outside gone. Inside forever.