Love with a cost

"Mama!"

I call out to her, a smile painted across my face as I rush toward a woman whose hair reaches the tip of her shoulders, and whose shirt was stained with a disgusting shade of brown. Her left cheek was wounded, yet her eyes outshined all her imperfections.

She welcomed me into her arms, stretching out her rough and calloused hands to embrace the little girl whose as dirty as her.

She gently runs her fingers through her dark hair, patting her head before pulling away from the warm embrace of her loving daughter.

"Where have you been? I was worried."

"I was out playing with Leanne. He found a big tree and we picked up some fruits! Its mangoes!"

"Really? How nice. Let's go back inside, It's getting late."

I nod in response, holding her hand as she lead me back into our house.

Our house couldn't even be recognized as one. It was shabby, barely able to stand by itself without the help of a little bit of wood stuck onto the sides for the walls.

But it was home.

Our home.

Home?

Right. That was my home. How could I... Have forgotten?

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[Project 0001 is online. Please be alert.]

"No errors so far. Shall we begin?"

"We should. Activate all the cameras at once, I'll be testing in case there has been any mistakes during the process."

"Activate the cameras!"

I open my eyes, only to be met with a blinding light. This fades into the sight of people in white uniforms, a lot of them. All nearly identical, supported by the strange background full of metal boxes and strange wires.

Everything felt strange.

Everything felt painful.

Everything... I can't remember.

I can't remember anything.

Where am I? Who are these people? What's my name?

Why am I....here?

"Yuki."

Despite the feeling that everything was unfamiliar, one thing stood out to me.

"Can you speak?"

The person in front of me.

"Yuki, please respond. Are you there?"

They..

"There must be something wrong. Recheck her system and reload her data."

...Were...my friend?

[Project 0001 is attempting to respond. Please wait.]

That's not right.

I cant remember.

"Hello."

My mouth opened and let out a monotonous voice. One that I know isn't mine.

"Alright, good! What is your name?"

[Project 0001 is attempting to respond. Please be patient.]

"Aa-A- Y-U-K-I"

it happened again. How do I know that? That's not my name.

"What is my name?"

[Project 0001 is attempting to respond. Please be patient.]

"You...A-Are D-O-C-T-O-R A-R-I."

That name. As it left my throat, I felt my tongue sting and my chest tightening. I dont like that name.

"Correct! Now...What else?"

I dont like that name.

I dont like that name.

I hate it. I hate it.

Get away from me. Take it away from me.

I HATE IT. I HATE THAT NAME.

TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME. TAKE IT AWAY. TAKE IT AWAY.

"Hmm... What about... Ah. How old are you?"

[Project 0001 is a____ to re____. P_____ b-e p-p__tient.]

"What-?"

[Error is system. Foreign anomaly detected.]

[__E-e_ror_ 'W hat di d I do t o des er ve th i s?' __d-detect-__]

"What's going on? Someone, check!"

[___ 'Yo u... Fo ole d m e.' ___]

"Dangit, I said someone check her-"

[___'G I VE I T BA CK'___]

"JUST SHUT IT DOWN AT THIS POINT, TURN IT OFF!"

[___'GI VE IT B ACK'___]

"TURN OFF THE DA-"

[___'GIVE IT BA-]

[Project 0001 shutting down.]

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Looking back at this, perhaps I shouldn't have been fooled with such cheap words, just to cling onto the hope that I could save my loved ones.

Words that costed me my life.