Android (Chapter 2)

Ruuuuuuubbbbiiiiiiinnnn. Where is Rubin's jar? You know where it isssss...... Give Rubin back his jaarrr. Rubin neeeeedsss his jaaaaaarrrrrr.....

My eyes flew open, only to see Emmet and Emilie hovering over me. "You okay, Tails?" Emmet said, looking worried.

I was sweating and breathing hard. Good, it was just a dream. I sat up, "Uh, yeah. I'm.... fine."

Emmet eyed me curiously and Emilie flung her arms around my neck. "Oh Tails! Please don't die!" She sniffed and I patted her on the back. "Don't worry, Emm. I'm not going to die." I looked at Emmet for help and he shrugged. I looked Emilie in the eyes, "I'm fine. Don't you worry, everything is fine." Emilie nodded.

After breakfast, I decided to go check out the abandoned house again. "Maybe I should return The Jar." I had said to Emmet earlier. "Yeah, that might be smart." He had said. I put on my hoodie and slipped out the back door.

I reluctantly cracked open the attic door and it creaked open. I looked around and went inside. I held out The Jar into open space, as if a ghost would just come out and take it. Was that what the woman was? A ghost?

"I have Rubin's jar." I said aloud, holding it out farther, facing a pile of old dusty furniture and boxes.

To my great surprise, a figure soon emerged from the pile, the woman from before. Her eyes sparkled, almost happily. You have Rubin's jar. She said in the same faraway, out of sync tone, but she seemed friendlier than before.

I held out the jar and she took a step forward, her high-heeled glittery white boots clicking on the wooden floor. She held out her hands and I gave her the jar. Ruuuuuuubbbbiiiiiiiiinnnn. She cooed in her sweet electronic voice. A sweet smile broke across her lips. It was rather nice, actually, to see her happy. She was extremely pretty when she wasn't trying to kill me. I smiled pleasantly, "If you would, could you please tell me who Rubin is now?" I ventured, preparing myself to make a run for it incase she attacked me again. "A-and I would like to know your name."

The woman cocked her head slightly, it was the tiniest bit creepy. Ruu-uuuubiiiiinnn.... She said, her voice changing key the tiniest bit. I braced myself, but the woman simply sat down on one of the old, torn up couches.

Suddenly, she pressed two parts of her black belt that ran about five inches up her waist and a hologram shot out of a little slit in the belt. That was it! She was a robot! I got it now....

I am the Anara 326812. Ruuuuubbbbiiiiiiinnnn...... Her voice trailed out of my head and she blinked. A diagram of a robot that looked just like her (I was assuming it was her) appeared in front of her.

I said gently, "Is it okay if I call you Anara?" She nodded slowly, her eyes staring off blankly into space, glimmering a sad bright blueish-green. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubbbiiiiiiinnnnn....... Anara moaned so sorrowfully that I wanted to comfort her. How do you comfort a robot? "Um, no, you don't need to tell me if you don't want." I said. I thought robots weren't supposed to have feelings. Whether she was a robot or not, Anara most definitely had feelings.

No, She said mournfully, Anara will explain my exact origin to.... Her eyes flashed, toooooo.......... She drew out the word, as if trying to figure out how to say 'you'.

"Tails." I told her.

Taaaaaiiiiiiiiilllllssss....... Anara pronounced very slowly. Her eyes flickered and the hologram changed. There was a sudden flash of light and I blinked. The hologram shifted, a diagram of a person coming up on it. It was me! Taaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiillsss..... Anara repeated, as if she was trying to memorize it and put it into her memory data- Oh my gosh, that was what she was doing!

Anara turned her head to face me and she stared at me, almost curiously. Tails wanted Rubin fiiillllessss, neeeeeewwwsssss...... I heard Anara's voice in my head as her lips moved out of sync, but they seemed to be less out of sync than when I first met her the day before. Ruuu-bbbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn. I covered my ears as Anara let out the highest pitched noise I had ever heard. Anara stared blankly at me, her mouth open slightly, as usual. She didn't say anything. I watched her for a second, waiting for her to say something.

Her eyes flashed and she started 'talking' so fast I could barely understand her. Rubin: Love of Anara 326812. Anara fond of- fond of..... Ruuuuuuuuubinnnn................. At least I think that's what she said. She was silent for a moment before sitting up straight and saying, Back 2,000 years ago, Anara gave Rubin a very special gift.... Anara stroked The Jar, which she was holding on her lap like it was a baby. Rubin's song. Anara gave Rubin the most beauuuuutifuuuuul...... Anara let out an electronic sound that sounded like it could be a sigh. Anara loved Rubin, Rubin did not love Anara like Anara loved Ruuuuubiiinnnnnnnn...... Anara's eyes seemed to fog up. She tilted her head to the side sadly. One day, Rubin left. Rubin left Anara.... She got an unbearable look of sadness in her eyes. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubbbbbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn............. She moaned. Androids are very repetitive, I noticed. I actually felt bad for Anara. She was just a lovesick robot, living 

alone in an old abandoned attic with only that jar to remember her love by.

I said quietly, "So, what is the jar for?"

Anara sighed a deep, grief-filled sigh. Anara gave Rubin a song. Anara gave Rubin her song, her song 

created just for Anara. Anara loved Rubin, so Anara gave Rubin her song. Anara's song is in this jar.... She patted the jar. Anara's song is still in this jar, Rubin would not except. Rubin did not want Anara's 

love..... Anara turned her head to face me. Rubin was not like Anara. Rubin was human.

I gasped. Poor Anara. Rubin didn't love her because she was a robot and he was a human.

Anara sighed again, Rubin did care about Anara, but Rubin would not allow himself to fall in love with Anara. Rubin knew how painful it would be for Anara when Rubin passed and she did not.

My eyes widened. That was why Rubin wouldn't except her, he didn't want her to be miserable after he was gone! Oh, poor Anara....

I put my hand on her shoulder and her eyes twinkled. "I'm sorry." I said. 

Anara's eyes flashed. Sooooooooorrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy............... I blinked. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, soooooorrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy......... Anara 

moaned. "What?" I said stupidly.

Sorry: def: "I'm sorry, Anara." A male voice that I didn't recognize started speaking. The voice seemed 

to be coming from Anara's belt. "I'm going to have to leave you soon, Anara." The voice continued. 

Rubin! It was a recording of Rubin the day he left her!

I blinked and I, to my great surprise, found myself in a dark, old-looking building. To figures stood a few feet away from me, Anara and who I guessed was Rubin. Anara looked pretty much exactly the same, 

except, well, happier. Rubin put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I'm sorry, Anara. I'm going to 

have to leave you soon."

The smile quickly faded from Anara's face and she looked at him as if to say, "What? Leaving? Why?" But she said nothing. I realized that they couldn't see me and I watched curiously. 

Anara looked down at the floor and Rubin tilted her head up. "I'm sorry, Anara."

Not taking her eyes off Rubin, Anara drew a jar, The Jar, out of a bag that was on the floor next to 

her feet and placed it in Rubin's hands. "My song." She said. Rubin smiled at The Jar and Anara smiled 

excitedly, probably hoping this would keep him with her for a little longer.

Rubin looked into Anara's excited eyes. She was like a little kid, smiling her heart out with excitement. 

Rubin shook his head and said, "Thank you, Anara. This is an amazing gift...." He put The Jar back in 

her hands. "But I cannot except it."

Anara's smile faded and she made a cute, confused pigeon-like cooing sound. Rubin turned and started 

to walk to the door. What a jerk! Anara ran after him. "Rubin!" She screamed, sounding more human 

than she does when she talks to me.

Rubin walked out into the rain, getting on his horse and leaving quickly, a sad, pained look on his face.

Anara ran after him, but stopped at the door. Could she not get wet? "Rubin!" She screamed again, tears streaming down her cheeks. She could cry, why couldn't she go outside?

Rubin rode off on his horse into the rainy darkness. Anara stood in the doorway, crying. She fell to her 

knees, holding The Jar to her chest. I don't think I had ever seen anything this sad since I heard the story of how Emmet ended up in the orphanage. But I won't tell it to you now, because that's a different story.

I blinked and the illusion faded away, sending me back to the old attic. Anara sat next to me, her cheeks were streaked with tears. Ruuuuuuubbbbiiiiiinnnnn...... I said quietly, almost in a whisper.

I gently patted her shoulder, her eyes glimmered when I touched her. "Rubin.... left?" I ventured.

Anara hesitated and nodded without looking at me. Rubin left Anara, he left. Anara gave him her song.

I said gently, "What do you mean your song?"

Anara turned to look at me for the first time in a while. I had no idea how long I had been there, but I 

needed to know.

My song. Anara said. She started talking fast again, really fast. SONG: def: One will give one's song 

away to their loved one if one trusts their other. Once a song is excepted, eternal love is to follow.

Wow. This is deep stuff. "So, why- er, how is their a song in that jar? I mean...."

Anara's eyes glimmered again, Anara is not sure how to explain to Tails..... exactly how..... Her electron-

ic voice varied from high to lower, changing key for a few seconds and going back to normal.

I patted her shoulder again, "It's alright Anara, some things are just too hard to explain." Anara nodded 

slowly. Being an *android, Anara could easily be tens of thousands times smarter than me, but she did 

everything so slowly.... Maybe it was just her........... Were there others?

Reluctantly, I stood up. "Hey, Anara, I should being going home now. People are probably getting 

worried." Anara's eyes glimmered sadly. Geez, I hate leaving this girl by herself, she just looks so sad....

Tails is leaving Anara?

I started to panic, "Uh- f-for now! Just for now...." Crap! What was I saying?

Anara's eyes sparkled and she smiled a pretty smile at me, Will Tails come back..... toooomoorroowww?

Without thinking, I nodded. It was probably a stupid idea, but I couldn't stand that look of pure sadness 

in her eyes. "Yes, I'll come back tomorrow. I promise."

Anara smiled, showing her perfect teeth. Thank you, Tails. She said, sounding a little more human, I 

thought.

I couldn't help but smile back. I had made her happy. I waved to her. Anara blinked and hesitantly 

waved, smiling more.

I climbed through the door out, holding the door above my head, taking one last look at Anara before I 

left. I stopped waving and reluctantly closed the door. I climbed down the ladder and left the house.

Right as I opened the door, Emmet came up to me. "Tails! You're late!"

"How can I be late if there was no scheduled time for me to get back?"

Emilie came into view. "Tails!" She came up and hugged me.

"What? You weren't worried, were you?" I gasped and Emilie giggled.

"No, I wasn't worried."

"Good." I smiled at her.

That night, I sat on my bed, listening to my Cat Stevens tape. It is the only music I have. Trouble is my 

favorite. I fell asleep with the earphones still in my ears. I had crazy dreams about Cat Stevens stealing 

Anara's jar and Rubin coming to save the day. I was happy to go and visit her tomorrow, she needed a 

friend.

*Android - A robot resembling a human.

Android.

I pressed my back against the old wooden attic door, it wouldn't budge. I was in an old abandoned house. I pressed my shoulder up against the door until it cracked open and I climbed through. I found myself in an old musty attic full of junk. Everything was covered in a layer of dust. Something caught my eye. I spotted a jar with the lid on tight. I picked it up, wiping the dust off. Something seemed to glitter  inside it, though it was clearly empty..... or was it? There was a note on it, it read: For Rubin. Rubin? 

I heard a sweet sounding, pretty, and almost electronic sounding voice echo through my head; That's Rubin's jar. I almost jumped out of my skin, dropping the jar. Instead of shattering on the hard wood floor, it landed on a gold and tan pillow at my feet. I could've sworn that wasn't there before. 

I whirled around, in search for the source of the voice, my black hair hitting me in the face. There was a woman, about 17 or 18, sitting on a stack of boxes behind me. She looked just like Molly Ringwald, I thought, only her hair was short and curly and kind of a weird slightly blueish white. She was wearing a silvery blue leather suit. What are you doing here? She said. Her lips were moving and I heard her say this, but what I saw and what I heard seemed to be out of sync. I heard her voice, but in my head. "What?" I asked, a little scared.

What are you doing with Rubin's jar? The Molly Ringwald woman asked in that odd out-of-sync way, her eyes glittering weirdly.

"Who's Rubin?" I asked stupidly.

Ruuuuubiiiiinnnn...... The woman seemed to sigh with grief. Her voice sounded electronic and far away, maybe even a little bit sad. I realized that it was hard to clearly focus on her. She seemed to drift slightly out of your line of vision every time you tried to look directly at her.

I tried to study her face and said again, "Who's Rubin?"

Her head snapped around so that she was looking at me, her head cocked to the side. Her eyes seemed to glow a vague blueish glow. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuubbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnn........ She sighed a deep heavy sigh. Why did you leaaaaave me Ruuuubiiiiinnnn? I backed up a little, still holding the jar. The woman moaned in her electronic far away echoing voice, I gave you a song and you stiiillll won't loooooooove meeee....... The woman stood up slowly, I backed up a bit more. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubbbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnn..... She said again. I was scared. I should never have come here! You know that old phrase, "Curiosity killed the Tails"? Well, that's not how it goes. It should be that way. 

I ran to the attic door and the Molly Ringwald woman cried out, Noooooo! Don't leave me Ruuuubiiiiin! Tears started rocketing out her eyes instantly. I climbed down the ladder and got the hell out of that attic! As I ran, I could hear the woman's mournful cries, Ruuuuuuuuubbbiiiiiiiiinnn. Why did you leaave meeeee??????

I ran out of the house at top speed, running to my house. Suddenly, a tall figure stepped in front of me and I skidded to a stop. Alex. 

Alex smacked her gum, looking me up and down with her creepy reddish eyes. "Hey, kiddo. Whacha up to? No good, I'm sure." Her curly red hair was tied in a ponytail and her intimidating dark red eyes stared at me. She pinched my face between her sharp, black fingernails. "Where you goin' Shorty?" Alex noticed the jar in my hand. "Aye, what's that?" She snatched the jar from me. "For Rubin? 'S that your boyfriend?" I shook my head, quivering in fear. 

Alex smiled at my fear, smacking her gum loudly. "Later, Tails." She said, tossing the jar at me, thank god I caught it. Alex walked off. 

Man, I hate my sister. Yes, Alex Gates is my sister. Well, kind of. We looked nothing alike, thankfully. I have almond-shaped eyes and straight black hair, while Alex has pasty white skin and thin curly red hair. I was so glad she isn't my actual sister, just my uh... orphanage sister? Whatever, I don't know what to call it. Oh and  how she called me Tails; My real name is Bailey Taylor, but everyone calls me Tails. Horrible nickname, I know, but I've gotten used to it after four years at the orphanage.

I suddenly remembered my situation. Well, the weird Molly Ringwald woman hasn't killed me yet, so I guess it's safe to walk instead of running all the way home.

I kept turning the jar over and over in my hands. I don't know why I had brought it with me, but I did. I was probably going to regret that later.

I opened the door to the orphanage where I live and the second I came in, Emilie jumped up and tackled me in a hug. "Tails! Where were you?" She said. Then she noticed the jar. "What's that?" Oh, Emilie, how will I begin to explain? "Umm.... A jar." I said stupidly.

Emilie cocked her head, her messy blondish ponytails swaying. "A jar....... Like a jam jar? Was there jam in it? Did you eat it all? Why didn't you save some for me? Why are you carrying around a jar-" 

"Woah, woah, woah, Emms. Too many questions!" I said, picking her up. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" Emilie pouted. "No...." She said slowly, "It's nine o'clock." 

"Which is past your bedtime!" I said cheerfully, rubbing my nose against hers.

"It's past your bedtime too!" Emilie said, smiling. 

I shook my head, "Noo, silly. There's a new curfew for the big kids. I can stay up until ten now!" 

Emilie raised her eyebrows at me, looking silly and cute.

I sighed, "Okay, Emms. We're going to play a game. It's called Be Reaaallyy Quiet And Go Back To Bed While Tails Sneeks In- uh! I mean-"

Emilie laughed, "You're sneaky! You were supposed to go to bed a half hour ago!"

I kissed her forehead, "And so were you. Run along, be quiet."

"Okay!" Emilie rubbed her nose on mine and I put her down so she could go upstairs.

I crept up the stairs, trying to be silent. Every rotting wooden stair creaked loudly as I went up the stairs and I sighed quietly. 

As I reached the top of the stairs, the bathroom door nearby opened and Emmet stepped out, yawning. He spotted me, "Tails? What are you doing up?"

I stopped in my tracks, eyes wide, and Emmet grinned. "So, where'd you go?"

"Shut it, Earwig. I'll tell you later." I hissed, trying to pass him. 

Emmet stepped in front of me, his big brown eyes staring into mine curiously. "Where were you? Is that a jar?"

"Yes! Now move!"

Emmet smirked, "Tell me and I'll move."

"Emmet! We're gonna get caught!"

"Shh." Emmet covered my mouth and backed me against a wall. We stood with our backs flattened against the wall as Jacob, one of the younger kids, passed us. 

Once he was gone, we unflattened ourselves. "That was close, the little kids are such tattlers." Emmet said.

I started to walk away and he grabbed my arm, "No way are you getting out of here without telling me, Tails."

I pawed at his arm, trying to get free, but Emmet only tightened his grip. "Let go, Earwig!" I hissed.

"Tell me."

"Fine. Come with me." I pulled on his arm and led him to my room (which I shared with about ten other girls and little kids). We lied down under my bed and I explained what had happened. "And she just started saying in this weird electronic tone 'Why did you leave me, Rubin? Why don't you love me?' and it was so creepy!"

Emmet smiled a little, "Wow, awesome." He looked at me, "You weren't scared, were you, Tails?"

I shook my head violently. "No!" I said a little bit too loudly. One of the little kids stirred. We froze, not making a sound. Please go back to sleep please please please go back to sleep. I thought. He did and we both let out a breath as if we had been holding it in. "Okay, I told you. Beat it, Earwig."

"Manners, man." Emmet said and I playfully punched his shoulder as he left. I got into my bed and fell asleep instantly.

I saw the woman from the attic, she was coming towards me, her eyes glowing blue. That's Rubin's jar. She said, reaching a hand out. I am nothing without Rubin, as Rubin is nothing without his jar. Rubin's song is in that jar. Rubin neeeeeeeds his jaaaaarr..... "NO!!!!" I screamed, bolting upright. 

Yvette, one of the women who worked here, came in, "Tails! What are you screaming about?"

I was breathing heavily. I gasped, my cheeks reddening, "Dream...." I said wearily.

Yvette walked over to me, "Oh, I'm sorry, Sweetie. Are you alright now?"

I nodded, glancing at all the other kids who were staring at me, a little embarrassed.

Yvette left and we all went back to sleep.