Artificially Intelligent

Chapter 7

        "Is that what you grabbed on the way out?" Bindy says as our walk continues.

        "Yup," I reply.

        "Do they work?"

        "Yup."

        "Is that where we're going?"

        "Yup."

        "In that case, do you like Helio?"

        "Yu...wait what?" I sputter practically telling my best friend that I wasn't paying attention.

        "Caught you!" she exclaims. I have to remember to keep my guard up, or else I might say something I'll regret.

        As we continue to walk through the forest, I start to feel as though we aren't alone. I initially try to ignore this sensation, it's perfectly normal for someone to walk through the forest at night, but it grows harder to ignore by the second. I keep hearing what sounds like the poorly muffled breaths of someone trying to hide, but only doing a halfway decent job.

        I've had enough. "Alright, where are you?" I half shout.

        "Who are you talking to?" Bindy asked.

        "Don't you hear it?"

       "What? There's nothing."

       I hear the noises suddenly silence themselves. My head whips around and my eyes dart as I desperately try to find the source. "Where the heck did you go you son of a...THERE!" I point at the tree where the mysterious failure of a stealth mission made the mistake of snapping a twig under their feet.

        "Arsenic, there's nothi... HOLY CRAP!!!" she noticed the figure who fell over clumsily trying to regain control of their footwork. Finally! How long did that take, four, five paragraphs?

        The figure slowly almost stumbles into the dim moonlight. I can't tell what they are. They look human and not at the same time. They look mangled, masculine, and distraught. Is...is he in a lab coat? Crud, he's coming over to us. No. No! Stay away...actually...is he a scientist? Can he explain the "magic" concept in normal terms?

        "Please," the stranger says, "do you know where my daughter is? Her name is Victoria. Please. I just...I need to know if she's alright.

        Figures the only scientist besides Bindy and I, is a delusional, deranged, homeless schizophrenic.

        "No we haven't seen anyone besides you," Bindy replies.

        "Actually...there are a few people a..." I try to send him to Stanly, but Bindy covers my mouth.

        "Not right now," Bindy tries to explain through eye contact why I shouldn't give the whereabouts of the others. And while the purpose of the message gets across, I simply don't care..

        "Please, if you know anybody else, just tell me! My daughter was very sick when I escaped. I personally see myself as a genius, but apparently I'm a dunce. My wife was killed by..." He freezes, hesitant before starting again, "She was killed by someone and my daughter fell really ill with a weird disease. A demon's child was soon found, and I used my power transfer machine at the lab I worked at to transfer her soul into the child's. I was soon sentenced to death for torturing that brat, but I'm not sure if she made it out alive. I mean, I did, but I couldn't find her." Once again, he seemed to hold back information, but I wasn't sure whether to push for it.

        "That's so sad," Bindy said with genuine concern dripping from her tone, "is there any more inform..."

        "Bindy. We need to talk," I say as I grab her arm. I'm repaid with a deathly cold stare.

        "What is wrong with you? He clearly needs help, and you're trying to keep me from assisting him!" she says pushing me back.

        I'm taken back by the shock of her biting words. Part of me wants to remind her to trust no one, but the other is too shocked to move. How can she blindly trust someone she just met?

         "Can I help you?" she continues, but my head is in so many different places at once. I stumble around for a few hours and come up to another house. As i regain my senses i feel a rag get shoved over my mouth and pass out.

Hey everyone, it's me, BANANA_BERAD_mfn. I just wanted you to know that the lost scientist was derived from my friend's story. It's not on Watt pad because she doesn't have an account. When and if she does get an account, I will make sure to inform you with the proper information promptly. Once again, thank you so much, my friend, for allowing me to use your character(s) in this book. Have a fluteiful day, bai!