The human is a Virtual Reality addict. Why? Because real life had become just too painful to face anymore. -- Anon Guest
It was the one thing she wanted to hurry for. After a tedious day of thankless, repetitious, endless toil, Mayra could take her day's wages, buy the cheapest meal she could get, and spend the rest of her resting hours in a Booth.
Like most of the Booths in Centua City, the actual facilities were filthy, falling apart, and had no security. Any idiot with a screwdriver could break into an occupied Booth and do what they wanted to anyone inside. The authorities blamed the addicts like her, but the Booths still ran and took people away from their troubles.
Troubles like birthing bills and having a fifth infant taken from her "for its own good." Not that she wanted the burden of being a single mother. It was just that she was given no choice at all.
For all she knew, the father of the infants she had could be any of the Booth Business Owners. Nobody cared enough to track down the offenders.
They were too busy blaming the people, like her, who had no choices.
Mayra gulped down her meal as she walked, ignoring the stares and judgement of others. She could walk, she could follow instructions, so she could work. Right up until the day her labor pains gave her a long weekend.
Her feet could find the places she wanted without her thinking about it. Seedy little alleys with neon signs showing pictures of what they offered. Beaches, forests, castles, flying free between the stars. Anything and everything was on offer, at all hours of the day or night.
She gave the man running the place all of the rest of her pay, and then found a Booth to use. Coverall off, she settled into the special chair that would cushion her body and allow her to relieve herself without making too much mess.
Once the helmet was on, she would be unaware of her body's sensations or needs until her time was up.
It was the same one, every time. The Garden of Eden. Where sin did not exist and she could roam the world as God intended it. She could pet unicorns, and feed leaves to dinosaurs, or just lie in the grass and watch the Angels dance among the stars.
For eight hours, she could rest and dream of living in perfection.
For the rest of her time, she was on the clock.
When she woke up, forensics teams were swabbing her. There was blood and a sensation of lingering pain. Her cumbersome belly was... deflated.
"Fifth one this week," said one of the cops, just outside the Booth door. "Owner helps himself because he knows she's breeding, she goes into labour and he kills the resource."
"Never heard of murder by sex before," said the obvious Rookie.
You haven't watched anyone die while having their kid, thought Mayra. That's murder by sex, but it never counts. She kept her mouth shut, like a good girl. She just waited for the inevitable.
Mayra knew without asking that she would be found guilty of letting an unborn baby die.
She just hoped they had Booths in prison.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / aleksask]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
[74 remaining prompts] Please don't send any more prompts for now. Thank you.