Ni by Ren Williams (latest ebook reader txt) 📕

Part I: Feel

"How do you feel?" dripped into the holes in my head. First there was red, then a blinding white that cause my eyes to slightly ache. Feel? What does that mean? I don't understand. For some reason, I can't understand anything. Who am I, and what does it mean, feel?

"Please, answer the question, Ni. How do you feel?" A very deep voice asked. That word again. Feel. Verb. Two definitions. The first: be aware of (person or object) through touching or being touched. The second: experience (emotion or sensation). What? How do I know that? I don't even know me. By this moment, my eyes had fully adjusted, and I was looking at a ceiling that had 258 squares, 129 were white and the other 129 were grey. I don't understand.

"Ni!" The voice barked, annoyed. "Ans-"

"It's a failure." A much softer, but just as annoyed voice said before deep voice could say anything. "Put her back into REM mode, we'll try again later." This statement was followed by silence and then a sigh of defeat.

"Fine." Deep voice disappointedly said. "Putting Ni into REM, December 13, 3014, 15:36." The sound of movement and shuffling filled the room. "These test," DV murmured "may last forever."

Test, feelings, tiles. I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand. Why is the room so quiet?

"She spoke." Soft voice said. "Ni spoke." The tiles were covered by a face. Face?

"What is it you don't understand?"

Part II: Big News

 I don't understand my body. Everytime I think I can control it, it does something to prove I cannot. While SV was teaching me the etiquette of conversing, I had the most uncontrollable urge to urinate. I believed I could control the urge, but the result was very smelly. When I told DV about this, he said:

"It is a very human thing, Ni." The way he said it, it seemed as though he was happy I felt this way. I don't understand. I need to go to sleep or else I feel unwell, but I do not like to sleep. Hours are wasted, hours I could be spending doing something productive, laying on a bed, motionless. Eating is a hassle. If I do not eat, I do not work, but the food is very uninteresting. Maybe if it was more like the food in the movies SV shows me, I would be more intrigued by eating, but it is only a thick mush and a glass of water. Water.

Yes. The only thing I enjoy are the baths. When I push my body underneath the water, I feel like time has slowed down. It calms me in a way nothing can.

"Ni, are you daydreaming?" SV asked as he approached me. I had been resting on the couch and staring at some zinnias that are kept in my room. Daydreaming. I do that sometimes. DV says it makes me human.

"Yes." I answered and he sat next to me. If I had to describe SV in one word it would be harmonious: adjective meaning agreeable, corresponding; friendly. His shoulder length blond hair is always pull back into a ponytail, his chin decorated with a light stubble, and his square glasses resting on nose. He always wears a white button-up shirt and black pants, as if his closet was filled with them, and he smelled of vanilla chai tea, the only thing he drank.

"I have big news!" He exclaimed, holding his hands apart as if he was holding a box containing the big news.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'll tell you when Connor gets here," he said, resting back into the couch.

"May I give you some hypothesis of what the big news is?"

"Of course," he smiled. "I love to here what you think, Ni."

"I predict the big news is a new lesson."

"No."

"A new movie."

"No"

"New books."

"Nah."

"A new furniture item."

"Nope."

"New clothes."

"Sorry, but no."

"Hmm," I pondered. Anytime there was news, it was between those five"

"Do you give up?" He asked, his head resting against the couch.

"I am afraid I will have to," I said.

"Good, just in time too," he smiled as DV walked in, holding a big box. If I had to describe DV in one word it would be exuberant: adjective meaning energetic, enthusiastic. His head was completely shaven, and his huge smile, showing off his white teeth that were pronounced with his dark skin, the shade of nutmeg, would appear when he seemed proud of me. It was very often. He wore the same thing SV wore. They must get their clothes from the same place. So SV was not kidding when he motioned a box when he told me of the big news.

"Did you tell her?" DV asked, setting the box down.

"Of course not," SV sighed, standing up and walking over to DV, turning when he got beside him so they were both facing me.

"Good." DV clapped and looked at me. My body did something uncontrollable again and the hairs on my arms raised. I don't understand.

"Ni, tomorrow you will be going somewhere amazing."

"Going somewhere?" I had never gone anywhere except for our place. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining room, and a living room. I have never known anything else, nor have I ever felt the need to

. "Where?"

"It is a..." SV said, smile wide and eyes huge with excitement.

"Ball!" DV finished.

"A ball?" I wondered aloud. Images of Cinderella flashed through my mind. She wanted so desperately to go. I don't understand. "Why?"

"It's an experience for you!" DV explained. "You'll meet other people, dance, witness the beauty of love."

"Maybe not the last part," SV muttered, then said "but it'll be fun, Ni. I think you'll enjoy it."

"Fun." I don't understand.DV bent down and opened the box, pulling out a long dress, the shade of the apple Snow White had eaten.

"Yes, Ni." SV laughed. "Fun." 

Part III: Calm

 I don't understand.

Everyone is smiling, laughing, giggling. It is strange. As they spin in circles, the sparking dresses merge and it seems like a dream I may have. Why am I here?"You are the second one," SV said gently, "so you will be sitting at that table with the other four." I am not supposed to dance yet, said DV, so I am sitting with four other people with a huge table that sat in the back of the room, over looking the dance floor. If this was a movie, we would be king and queens.

The other four: Ichi, a female. Dark skin, long white hair, styled in an undercut, which sat in a large bun, decorated with jade pearls. Her green eyes were studying the dancing people, almost as if she was surveying them. I sat next to her, and next to me was San, a male. Peach skin, short, curly white hair and sat above his ears, a five o'clock shadow and a bored looking face. When he was not staring at the ceiling he was poking his food. Then there was Shi, a female. Skin as pale as mine, and hair as white, it passed her bottom in silky waves. Unlike Ichi and San, she seemed to be enjoying herself, laughing at clumsy dancers, waving at those below us, and drinking her wine. Her gold eyes were filled with laughter. Then, at the end of the table was Gou. Tan, messy white hair and a slight beard, he stuffed his face with all the food presented to him, would yell at people who he believed to be looking at him "funny" and almost jumped for his seat to the dance floor.

Physically, we seem like a group, maybe even family by blood. But, I feel no connection to these people. Even as I looked into their eyes when we met, I felt no warmth. Their smiles. I don't understand. Why are we here? This ball, there is something unnerving about it. Ichi seems to think so too. When I look at her, she looks prepared, for what I don't know.

"Hey," a deep, rough voice said from behind me. I turned to see Gou, looking down at me with a smirk. "Wanna dance?"

"I was told we're supposed to sit here," I said back. For a moment my stomach felt strange. Not painful, but not normal. I don't understand.

"We've been sitting up here forever," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "It will be a short dance, it won't hurt a soul." I don't understand. Why am I getting up? Why am I taking his hand? This is all strange. As we walk down to the dance floor, he says to me:

"I didn't want to ask Ichi because she looked like she might punch me, and I didn't ask Shi because she's kinda crazy." Crazy. It is ironic."You're the only one who seems nice, Ni."

"Thank you." I said. When we reached the floor people slowly moved away from us. Strange. Gou put his arm around my waist and held my hand while my other hand was on his shoulder. SV and DV both taught me how to dance. When I watched Cinderella and Belle dance with their princes, I felt nothing. It looked almost intriguing, but nothing special. I don't understand. My body is acting weird. I feel warm, my heartbeat is rising, my stomach feels strange. I don't understand.

"You're an great dancer," Gou remarked. Is it possible...?

"Is it possible?" I murmured.

"Hmm?" Gou inquired.

"Is this-" A bang. I had heard this kind of bang in movies. Usually, though, it is followed by an explosion of fireworks. But, there was just the bang. Everyone froze. Time had stopped. It is strange. When time stops in the tub I feel calm, but now I feel like I may die.

SV. DV. I lied. There is something else that calms me.

End.

For the next part: Shi, follow me!