The Heaven Cure

The Heaven Cure. The biggest, most-wanted procedure of all time. So many people had it by the time Asha had turned fifteen; it had been out since she was twelve, and she was sixteen now. In only three years, a vast majority of the population in richer countries had the procedure done. Even Asha's own mother had it. The Heaven Cure was what they called the little microchip that they implanted into the patient's brain. The procedure was completely painless. The microchip tapped into limbic system and the parietal lobe, allowing it to affect the emotions and senses of the patient with the microchip. It didn't make everything seem perfect, but it made life seem like your own personal heaven.

Well, that's what everyone had thought.

Asha didn't know many people like her. Well, like her in the sense of not having the microchip. Her mother had been saving up money and they had planned to get it for her on her birthday. But, the procedure cost more for teenagers, and even more for children, due to the ability for adaptability of the chip with developing brains. Some people were able to afford it for their entire family. However, Asha and her mother, the family of two, were not.

Asha and her mother had saved up only enough money for an adult procedure, and her mother already had it. So Asha hadn't gotten it.

At the time, she was a little resentful. Why had her mother gotten it, when Asha so clearly wanted it too? But looking back, she was glad. If she had gotten the implant, had the Heaven Cure microchip put into her brain, she would have been like them.

The day that everything went wrong started off normal, much like most horrible days do. Almost no one had expected it, either, which is also quite like most horrible, life-changing days. Asha had gotten up, gotten dressed, and walked to the kitchen. She had a small conversation with her mother while making breakfast. Asha's mother had been acting a little weird a few days prior, but Asha had just assumed it was due to work, or something of the sort. She had no reason to believe that her mother would go insane. Sure, her eyes were a bit hazier than normal, but that wasn't something that Asha had caught on to. Who would blame her? She was just a teenager with her own worries, and as stated earlier, nobody really would have expected what came next.

Asha's mother was watching the news. There were reports of people acting strange, crazy even, but there were always reports of that every few days or so. That day was different, though. There were more reports than normal. Asha remembered sitting on the couch, staring at the television, when her mother's mug shattered on the floor.

Asha sprang to her feet. She turned to see her mother spitting out all the coffee she had in her mouth.

"Poison! It's in my mouth, someone's put it in my coffee! It was in the cup! Asha! Help me!" her mother screamed. Asha, in a panic, grabbed her phone. She had just begun to dial 911 when the phone was violently snatched from her hands. Her mother threw the phone against the wall.

"Mom! Calm down! What's happening, why are you acting like this? That was my phone!"

"They're going to hurt you, they're going to hurt us, they're coming here because of me, we're all in danger, we need to leave!"
"What? Mom, who's they? What are you talking about? It's not funny, you're starting to scare me!"

"We need to go Asha, we need to leave! Run and pack your things!" her mother ushered Asha into her room, then ran to her own. Asha, dazed and unsure, started to pack. She had no idea what was going on, but her mom was terrified, and that scared her. She snatched up the packed bag and ran to her mother's room.

"Mom! I packed, what now?! What's happening?!"
Her mother turned to her. Her expression, once vulnerable and full of fear, suddenly became hardened and cold. There was still traces of fear left, but she narrowed her eyes and took a step toward Asha. "You aren't Asha. Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?"
"What? Mom, what are you-"
"What did you do with my daughter?!" her mother yelled, anger and terror in her voice. "Where is she?!"