literature

The Automated Voice

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Literature Text

"Derek, oh, Derek~!" Penny sang.
"What?" her older brother asked angrily.
"Remember how Lilith said I could do whatever I wanted to when I got older?"
"Yeah…?"
"And remember how she said I have a great voice?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, I've decided that I'm going to be a singer in Las Vegas!"
Derek scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that." He took his cell phone from his jacket pocket to answer a text.
Penny looked around the living room as if she was looking for something. "Now, I just need some money for a plane ticket."
"What?"
"I'm leaving. As soon as possible."
"Penny, don't be stupid," her brother said, only giving her a fourth of his attention. "You're only ten." He snapped his phone shut and put it back in his pocket.
"So?"
"Don't you think you should finish school first? Not that I care about that kind of thing. I'm just saying…. It'll make Mom happy."
"I have a real shot being a singer. Lilith said so. So, I'm going to Vegas very, very soon."
"All right, fine. Just pack properly." He smirked, knowing his sister wouldn't be gone too long. She would get lonely and scared and come running back home.
"'Kay~." The little girl ran upstairs to her room and tugged an old suitcase out from under her bed. She began stuffing it with her clothes. She packed a week's worth of outfits and went back downstairs to continue packing. She put a few bananas, a couple of apples, and a jar of peanut butter next to her socks. I suppose I could stay and watch T.V. with Derek for a little bit before I have to leave, she thought. After all, I still need to fish up the money for that plane ticket.
She settled down on the couch next to the lazy teenage boy. She didn't exactly know what he was watching because a commercial was on at the moment. The next commercial that came on snagged her attention, though. Derek never muted the T.V. (He was either too lazy or too busy texting.) The commercial was for a moving service. It said: "Getting divorced and want to get away from your ex? Well, feel free to move as far away as you want! We'll send you any of your belongings that you ask for to you for one payment of $219.12. Just call the toll free number on your screen and move away." Penny didn't exactly know what the word "divorced" meant. She had never had it explained to her. However, the commercial made the gears in her brain start turning. What if she could get them to move her bed and all of her stuffed animals to Vegas?
She silently repeated the number over and over again as she went to get the phone. She quickly dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. She was greeted by an automated voice. "Hello," it said. "Thank you for choosing Simon's Moving Services. You will need something to write with and a piece of paper." There was a drawer under the phone, and Penny opened it and withdrew from it the required items. The automated voice then told her to write a check for $219.12 and mail it to a certain address. She jotted the address down on the paper. "Remember," said the voice, "this is only for people who are getting divorced." Penny ignored the last statement, and the automated voice fell silent. The ten-year-old singer pressed the "End" button on the phone and put it in her suitcase. She thought she might need it.
Her mother's purse was in the kitchen. She glanced at Derek to make sure he wasn't watching before she scurried to the kitchen to get her mother's checkbook. Her mother had taught her how to write a check a while ago, so that was easy. She retrieved an envelope and a stamp from the same drawer in which she had found the pencil and paper. She addressed the envelope and put the check and a note saying what she wanted moved and where she wanted it moved to inside. She sealed it and went outside to put it in the mailbox.
It was already late in the afternoon, and Penny was getting anxious to leave. She figured she could work up the money for a plane ticket by performing on the streets. She went back inside and grabbed her suitcase. "Bye Derek," she called over her shoulder as she stepped into the warm afternoon again. However, he was too absorbed in his texting to notice her.
She walked to the park, thinking that she would have a large audience there, but once she arrived, she found that the audience was too large and felt too self-conscious to sing. Instead, she played hide-and-seek with some other kids.
The sun began to set, and many of the children went home. Soon, the only people in the park were Penny and a few teenagers. One girl had a portable radio, and she was dancing to some music. Penny, who also loved to dance, asked the girl if she could join her. The teen gave the little girl a warm smile and said, "Of course." They danced to various pop songs until both of the girls became tired. She and the teenage girl sat down in the grass and talked for a while. Penny discovered that the girl and her friends were homeless.
It was starting to get dark, so the girls decided that they would settle down for the night. The teenagers took over pretty much all of the benches in the park. Penny found her new friend and asked if the girl could move to make room for her. "What? No way! Go away, kid."
"My name is Penny, not kid."
"Whatever, kid. Just leave me alone." The girl's voice was cruel and harsh. This girl that Penny had believed to be her new friend was now turning her away. The little girl was forced to sleep in an uncomfortable upright position.
She nodded off a few times, but the phone in her suitcase started to ring, pulling her from what little sleep she could manage to get. She went to get it from her suitcase and looked at the caller ID. It said "Derek's cell." She didn't answer. He called back two more times. She answered the phone on the second ring when the third call came. "Penny isn't here," she growled before her brother could say anything. She jabbed her thumb into the "End" button as forcefully as she could. However, she did kinda of want to go home, but she didn't want to face her mother since she had taken so much money from her. She knew what she had to do.
She dialed the number that she had called to get the address for Simon's Moving Services. It rang for a while, and then the rings were silent like someone had picked it up and was waiting for her to say the first word. "I-I w-want my money b-back," she stammered.
Immediately after she said that, there was an answer from the phone, but it was not the answer she wanted. The answer horrified her. The automated voice was on the other end, and it said, "Hello. Thank you for choosing Simon's Moving Services. You will need something to write with and a piece of paper."
Her throat constricted with fear. Tears filled her eyes. "I need that money!" she screamed at the phone. "I need it!" She began to drag her free fingers through the dirt, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She mumbled, "You...You don't understand. I need it. I need it. I need that money back."
The automated voice said, "Remember, this is only for people who are getting divorced." She thought the voice had finished its speech, but it said, "Not little girls who want to go to Las Vegas, Penny." The hand that was holding the phone began to shake uncontrollably. The hand that was clawing at the dirt froze. The phone fell to the ground. "Penny? Penny? Are you there, Penny?" The automated voice continued to talk to her. She didn't know what to do. "Penny, are you ignoring me, Penny? I do not like to be ignored, Penny. Stop ignoring me, Penny."
Suddenly, images of Lilith began racing through her head. The images flashed before her eyes before one finally settled down in her brain. It was the disappointed face of her deceased older sister. Lilith's crystal blue eyes shone with disapproval. She seemed to be saying, Don't blame Simon, foolish girl. It isn't his fault you can't go home. It's yours. You brought this upon yourself. It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all your….
"Penny!" screamed the voice. Then, it became calm again. "Pick up the phone, Penny." It kept saying her name. It wasn't normal. Penny did pick up the phone, but instead of talking to the voice, she was about to hang up. "Don't hang up, Penny."
"What'll happen if I do?" she asked it.
"Penny, dear Penny, you'll die."
She hung up anyway.
A little short story based on a really weird dream I had. :D I like it. Sorry if it doesn't make sense at some points. D: Like I said, it was a really weird dream...
© 2011 - 2024 Byakuzaya100102
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