Computers Have It All: Difference between revisions

An old computer tower, double-bagged with clear garbage bags and marked “DO"DO NOT OPEN” sat in front of a dumpster. Neil’s curiosity took over. His heart raced. He was excited to uncover any old documents that the previous owner left behind.

Excited, he heaved it up with all his might and carried back to his house. When he entered the door, his mother looked at him funny. “Where"Where did you get that, Neil? Put that down, where did you get that?”

“Mom"Mom, don’t worry about it! It’s just an old Dell Dimension machine. I’m going to take it to my room and try to get it to work.”

“Okay"Okay, but be careful. There was a strange guy around here carrying that same bag asking if we would take it. Who knows what’s on that computer.”

“Boss"Boss, I’m having daydreams about this weird, haunted computer I found on the street.”

“Neil"Neil, don’t talk to me about that. I found it once too. Double bagged, ‘do not open’, the works. You may want to get rid of it.”

He woke up to the computer screen glowing blood red. He pressed the power button on the computer. Nothing. He looked and everything was still unplugged. This was torture. He asked out loud, “Why"Why me?” No answer. He ripped the connections out of the computer, double bagged it, and wrote “DO"DO NOT OPEN” on it. He remembered the note.

It wasn’t true. The program had a bug and affected him badly for life. He wouldn’t ever forget it. He kept walking down Main Street and took a right onto East Grand Avenue toward the big cliff. Before he could make it, he stumbled upon a house that caught his eye. The mailbox was the only “Souther”"Souther” in town. He knocked on the door.

“What"What do you w—Neil? Neil! What happened?”

“Mr"Mr. Souther, how do you know me?”

“Your"Your mother was a friend of mine and you just happened to catch my eye.”

“Well"Well your little program didn’t work. It scared me.”

“Oh"Oh goodness! Come in. Come in. I have the only known antidote.”

Neil slammed the door in his face. He couldn’t take anymore of this. He kept going toward the cliff and plunged off it’s rocky ledge. It felt endless. But an unknown force swept him out of the air and back to land. He saw the monitor, glowing a cheerful combination of dandelion yellow and sky blue. It chirped in a computerized voice: “Don’t"Don’t fear me....”