Read Number 88 :: Error 6 Part 2

Clare was driving her car with number 85 in the passenger seat. Clare’s heartbeat was pumping a little bit faster than she’d felt comfortable with. She gave off a soft chuckle.

“Feels like I just robbed a bank or something.” She glanced over at 85. For some reason she hoped to get a reaction out of her, but nothing happened. She turned her attention back to the road. “Where do you want to go?” “Home.” 85 pointed forward, something on her face showed a ghost of a life. “Tell me how to get there.” Clare drove, following 85’s directions and these directions lasted far into the night.

Will was on his cell, calling a number over and over again, while driving the car at the same time. “Clare, honey, pick up your phone. Where are you? I didn’t see you yesterday and you aren’t in your apartment.” He gave a worried sigh. “I know I sound like a wife but I’m worried for you. Call me when you get this and the other 6 or 7 messages I left you. Love you.” He hung up and drove into the parking lot of the A block. He found a parking spot and parked like normal. What wasn’t normal, was the smell he smelt when he opened the door. Other passersby covered their noises at the smell. Will knew that smell all too well, it was a smell of a dead body.

“What happened?” He asked one of his co-workers.

“Someone killed Randy.” Will walked over to the office, to take a quick look.

“Cops not here yet?” Will asked while looking. He cringed a bit seeing the mess. Even more so, knowing who did Randy in, but why?

“No, just called them.” The person started to freak out a bit. “Do you think it’s that killer? The one that killed our fellow workers?”

Will was ready for this. “Maybe someone has a grudge against the company. Some disgruntled employee?” Will started walking towards the stairs. The man looked at him in shock.

“Where are you going?”

Will looked back. “Up where all the other people are. No way I’m being alone with a dead body with a killer on the loose.” Will started back up, but slowed walking. He pulled his cell out of his pocket. “Hey Clare, call me Baby. Starting to get real scared here now. Love you.” He hung up, having the pit of fear growing even more. He heard behind him the man asking him to wait up. A small smile came on his face.

Clare drove to a rich town. Passing by a high school, seeing students heading off to school in their uniforms. 85 looked out the window, as if knowing some of the people in the group. Clare drove around some more, before 85 spoke again.

“Stop here.” Clare did as told.

“85?”

85 opened the car door, not bothering to close it. She ran full speed up six steps, leading to a red painted door. A small cross rested above it, with the words, “Ashley, Our Angel.” embedded in it. 85 pushed the button to the house as it rang.

Clare looked on in awe and shock. To see how eager 85 was to reach that door. She looked on, waiting to see what happened next. The red door opened. A man looked down at the girl in front of him. Tears fell down as he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into a hug.

“Ashley, my baby. How, oh Ashley…” 85 extended her arms, hugging the man in front of her.

“Daddy. I’m home.” A woman soon joined them. Joined in the tears and shock. Ashley looked up at the woman. “Mamma?”

Clare smiled. She was unsure of what to do. She knew she had to go, get as far away from 85. She hoped the company would never find her. The one thing Clare was glad about, was that her previous owner never put a tracking chip in her system. If so, they’d know where she was and take her back, shut her down. Her family would most likely be killed too. Clare reached over and closed the passenger door. She drove away, never looking back at the girl who was returned to her family.

Clare grabbed her cell, getting ready to tell her company that she wasn’t going to make it today. She turned her phone on and smiled a bit. The cell spoke back to her in a robotic pitch. “You have 32 messages.” But her smile fell a bit. She knew who those messages belong to and she now knew what he meant. About how the models are still human. When that realization hit her, she also knew now why Will wasn’t afraid of death. She was sure that Will was ready for it. By the creations of their own work. Their own greed. She dialed her phone to Will’s.

Will sat, waiting. Waiting for what, he wasn’t sure. A call? Any call? A person? Or a Thing? Who’d be there first, Clare, 88, or someone else to dispatch him. There still was Number 89 to worry about.

He jumped a bit when he felt vibration in his pocket. He gave a little smile, feeling stupid for being scared by a cell phone. He looked at the name and smiled reassured.

“Clare, where have you been? I was starting to worry.” Will leaned back in his chair. “You mean you don’t know? Rolly Polly’s dead. Someone did him in.” Will leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk, a calm expression settled in. “You know, you had me worried. I thought you had gotten killed too, you know.” He smiled, looking out the window of the building. The graying sky made it look like the sun would die out. “Be safe, drop by my place when you get back.” “Love you too. Bye.” Will hung up, still sitting in his chair. He looked forward at his desk, his face was very steady. He glanced his eyes at the single door to the room. There stood a tall, older gentleman.

“Hello, Dr. Ackell. It’s been awhile.” The man walked in, a cane in hand. His dark hair was graying and his aging was graceful than to most men.

“It has been a while. I have been preoccupied to grace you with my appearance, Henslin.” The smile on Dr. Ackell’s face was unsettling. Will just sat in his chair, looking out the window once again.

“It’s rather surprising to see you out. Did something change with 00?”

“She spoke.”

Will’s eyes widened. He was expecting no change, hoping for no change. “So, she’s awake?” Dr. Ackell clenched his cane. “No, she’s still dreaming. She’s just talking.” He stopped walking as he too looked out the window. “How is your babysitting doing?”

“You mean looking after Rodney?” Will moved, scratching his neck.

Dr. Ackell smiled. “Yes, that useless man. Has he gone completely crazy yet?”

Will closed his eye, getting ready to cross into uncharted territory. “He called me his son.” Dr. Ackell looked down, his frown visible in the widows reflection.

“Be careful Will, because he did kill his own son. He might confuse you to that far.” Dr. Ackell turned, ready to leave. “Join me in Basement D. I need help with 00.”

Will nodded. “I’ll be down in an hour or two.” The older man walked out, closing the door behind him.

Will stood up, stretching out a bit, before sighing heavily. He looked over to a corner. “So, did you hear all that, 88?” 88 walked out, seeming to be there the whole time. His dark glasses reflected the fluorescent light. He lifted his hand to take his sunglasses off.

His gray eyes shone with something that wasn’t there before. “That man…” 88 looked down, a frown on his face. “He’s the reason, the start of it all.” Will gazed at the man in front of him. His attention was pulled away and the sound of cracking thunder. 88 looked at his arm, the tattoo of his given name. His gray eyes, lost in confusion.

“Sarah? Is that you calling?…..Or is it someone else?”

“You know who I am yet?”

“I am starting to, and I fear it.”

“Why is it that you fear it? Is it that you fear who you once were?”

“More like who you once was. Not me. Not who I am now.”

“Why not you. For we helped make this nightmare come to life.”

“No, not me, it was you. You’re the monster.”

“Monster? Then aren’t we both? The bringer of life and death.”

“Your problem is you play god.”

“Then I am your god. I created it.”

“Then if you are my god, then..”

“Then what?”