The life machine #1

“I hate this walk, '' Emily always said on her walk home. It wasn't challenging or long, it was just how boring the walk was. She lived in a small town with not too many roads but hers was the worst. It was a straight path that was about three miles long and took 30 minutes to walk if she got all of the lights. But the walking wasn't the most boring part; it had to be the sights. This road leading away from the houses was nothing but houses and fields which never held any dangerous or interesting animals besides the occasional garden snail which she called Cornu aspersum which gained her some mild aggressive bickering from the students in her class alike.

While on today's walk, about sixteen doors down from her home, she looked up and around the sights she'd walked the two days and weeks before and realized something.

“It's still noon” She then wondered how this would be the case cause it was normally twelve thirty to one by the time she got home but she shrugged it off and decided to do something new. Not like she could go home anyway and listen to music or something because she didn't own a phone or anything new age techy cause she learned that it was just a waste of good copper according to her father so instead she did things no one else likes to do and decided to take a detour.

The detour found her about twenty-four doors from home she assumed and in front of a junkyard of sorts named Jennys. That would be a better name for a diner she thought as she walked inside and heard a megaphone scream out to the world around.

“JUNK FOR SALE JUNK FOR SALE” a woman on top of a once beautiful car screamed like a parrot wanting attention from their owner. The woman had ruff red hair that was placed into long pigtails that reminded Emily of chains she would see in her father's butcher shop. She had freckles on her face that showed through her white skin and blue overalls she wore. She had boots with holes that Emily wouldn't be found dead in and a whitish gray shirt underneath the overalls that Emily assumed to be originally all white but was butchered with the work of a junkyard worker. She then walked up to the crazed hick and raised her hand.

“Howdy there partner” the ginger screeched through the megaphone deafening the perfect hearing Emily had.

“Sorry,” She then turned off her megaphone and jumped down. Reaching out her hand again the ginger took it and spoke.

“My name is Jenny, of Jenny's Junkyard you did read the sign right?” The ginger…. Jenny said as if she found Emily a fool and unable to read.

“My name's Emily Pencilbottom,” Emily said as she shook the greasy yet cold hands of the woman.

“Your last name is funny. Anyone ever told ya that?” Every day of my life Emily wanted to say but just took it with pride

“Huh, no but I do call myself Ms Eraser and I imagine I have a boyfriend named Doctor Pencil but yeah” That was sort of true with her late father calling her that when she was in first grade.

“Well” the junker walked over to some machines of the old-era

“Would you like to see some of the junk?”

Emily never saw herself as a person who would get dirty or buy dirty things but some of the stuff could be turned from dull and rough to shiny and expensive.

“Sure” Emily then followed the junker to see different machines of the olden age turned new like a truck engine that was a blender or a slingshot that was turned into a slingshot but longer. Honestly not all of the stuff was old and rusty but it all had character.

“Nothing ya like Ms Eraser?” Emily shrugged at this until she saw what seemed to be a fairly new-looking slot machine that had a green sticker with the five-dollar mark etched on it.

“Huh? No One's ever been interested in the slot machine before or should I say not even I have seen it” Emily looked at the silent ginger woman in dirty overalls watching her gears turn with confusion.

“Maybe it's my memory, Anyhow ya want it it's only five bucks' ' Emily thought about it and its small size would be easy to take home, repair, and sell to some kid who would then turn into a future slot drooler.

“Sure” Emily then opened her purse she got from a thrift store and gave the woman five dollars, grabbed her new machine, and walked it home.

“Have a safe trip ya here??” She waved at the girl as she left her junkyard

“Huh?? Where did that come from anyhow?”

Arriving home Emily swiftly walked up the stairs into her room so that her stepfather wouldn't find another reason to bring her into a conversation with her mother but she wasn't quick enough.

“Hey sweetie can you come down a sec?” Her stepfather said she groaned to herself and spoke back

“Let me change first weirdo sheesh” She didn't need to change but she did need to hide her newfound machine as well as give another excuse to not spend another 10 minutes of stupid everyday questions to build what he calls Family bonding and hide her machine in the back of her cluttered closet.

She then walks downstairs realizing she didn't change but her stepfather wouldn't notice cause he doesn't notice anything. She then turned to see her stepfather Robert, yes such a bad name for a kid not something nice like Jake or Jhon, or maybe Emily liked names with Js like her real father's name Jim. With a weird name like Jim, you would probably think he's some big bookworm who knows every move in some game like chess but he wasn't. Jim Pencilbottom was a skinny, in-shape guy who loved to work and make everyone around him happy. He taught Emily how to be as smart as she was, how to have good humor, and more.

This wasn't her stepfather however with Robert being an older guy who makes good money working in a cigarette factory, has a short temper, and believes everything is ok and happy. He wasn't that bad of a guy but making money off of people's sadness and troubles and then looked at everything as smiles and rainbows.

She walked up to Robert, faked a smile, and took what seemed to be the best impression of a statue on the planet.

“How was your day?”

“Did you do anything fun?”

“Did you meet a boy?”

The first half of Mother Nature's positivity with a sign of rain falling to crack the statue. The statue brought the presence of a god in its form to combat it with the help of humans to keep the statue alive. Mother nature has lost this battle as the sun leaves and the smokestacks arise. With humans comes greed and greed is one of seven things gods can't fight.

“Are you just ignoring me?”

“DO you know how much I love you?”

“You exactly like your old father”

The statue stays standing watching the world around her crumble from mountains to skyscrapers and minerals mixed with sand.

Emily then walked to her room ignoring her stepfather's pointless corrugated cuts in sand as if it would make a difference and went to work on her machine. She pulled it out, grabbed her red toolbox with a unicorn sticker, and started fixing and cleaning up her machine.

Her father, the real one at least, was a hard worker. He loved cars and as such worked on them all the time. He got so good he ended up making money working on other people's cars. When he had Emily he stated to her on several occasions that a car makes more sense than her mind and that she should be proud of a new mind no one knew. He was a fantastic father and when she had trouble sleeping would tell Emily's favorite bedtime story. The poor princess.

The poor princess told the story of a princess of a small town called Pencilville

The princess left her castle out of boredom because of her being taught by the great Knight. The great Knight was like every Knight besides his helmet of red feathers. One day the Knight found the princess on the edge of the kingdom's border in the Knights's wooden home and decided to question her antics. She explains that she wants to find a unicorn and take its fluffy pink hair home to show her sisters. The Knight then tried to convince her to let the Knight go on his own to get said hair but the princess wasn't gonna budge. They end up going on this large adventure which takes them around the castle for the Knight to tell the princess that unicorns aren't real. The princess gets sad but understands cause she needs to grow up and understand that not everything is as it seems. They return home and In the end, the great Knight hands the princess a note stating that “If you ever are brought a Helmet of red feathers go towards the small shack at the end of the kingdom's border and go into the back to find your final present.” The present was always the same being a small dagger with a pink strand of hair on the hilt.

At that point, Emily would be asleep which she saw she needed most. Which reminded her that she should call it a night but as she puts back her dagger and pink strand as well as her new creation she lays down and tries to think of that story in her dreams.

She awakens however to see a light emit from her closet flashing different colors of red blue and yellow. She walked over with a wrench in hand ready to bap this thing in her closet. She slowly opened her door as if opening the lab's trapdoor to find her monster was alive. ALIVE? Emily thought, how was this possible? While building it she never found any modern power adapter but then again she never found any, not even for a battery or two. To see it working confused her and made her excited. If this was some sort of self-sufficient energy source she could be a millionaire. As she thought this her machine went quiet only having the light-up sign that read Life machine.

The machine was easy to clean with the only two problems being its old lever that was jammed with dust and old machine liquids which Emily replaced with a stick shift from a car that had an eight ball at its hilt and the sign being covered in a thick coat of the liquid which made it unintelligible. That gunk was now gone and replaced with the bright sign and under said sign was a quote. “When life gives you lemons, wish for something you enjoy instead” The entire machine shined the lights above showing a cleaner exterior than Emily left it. As such there was more written in between the slots and stickshift reading. Say what you truly want and pull away from what you know and your life will change.

Emily quickly figured it meant to say what you want and pull the lever back and well then what? She couldn't figure out what that part meant guessing that gaining money can and would change your life but she never did see a coin deposit, or a coin slot at all for that matter.

She then denied pulling on it because the last thing she needed was an addiction that people like her stepfather could exploit to make others richer and angrier. Got up and walked into her bed to sleep.

That night she dreamed of her father's story but this time was different. The Knight was still the Knight but the Knight was with an imposter princess. The princess wore her clothes and did her moves with one difference being the princess has her dagger with a unicorn horn and the Knight at the same time. The princess was confused because she knew some things. One she was in a dream, Two she is the princess, and three you can't have both the Knight and the pink dagger.

“But why not?” The imposter princess said as the bright kingdom went silent, still and dark. The place contorted into a small room with only the princess and well the princess. The imposter had a black eye and no not in the sense of injury, more of one of her eyes was fully black with a purple that represented an infinity symbol only seen in annoying math.

The princess looked into the infinite princess confused because the fourth and fairly new rule of what she knew was the dreams don't talk back or at least don't say anything new.

“Because… it's not correct to the story Dad gave.”

“All stories go through some type of change, different audiences have different opinions' ' The infinite princess stated as if she were trying to impress someone. The real princess wasn't such.

“Besides, what's so wrong with the Knight never leaving? The story would continue, and there-”

“And nothing!” The real princess screamed then sat down, gaining support from tears.

“Besides the story wouldn't make any sense, she got the note when she got the Knights helmet meaning one has to be gone for the other to appear”

“What if we continue the story?” The infinite princess offered

“But how? The original writer is.. Is…”

“Doesn't matter we don't need a Knight to save us for the moment so let's continue the story on. Your favorite story” The infinite princess reached out her hand in offering showing somewhat of an evil smile but she learned to never judge a fire by its flames and shook the hand.

The room contorted back into the bright land from before but in this it found the princess holding the dagger in one hand observing it above the other. She then looked around and found darkness in a mirror. Walking up to said mirror finding the infinite princess in its reflection holding a book titled Duplicity by Gary Numan.

“Let's continue shall we?”

Emily then woke up and got frustrated. Not because she woke up early but because she didn't find out the new story. She would go back to bed but she feared missing a single day of school would make the roads flip and trees bloom when she returned. She then decided to use her new time, grabbing her machine to clean up and maybe even decipher the final part of the riddle. She then found out that it was as good as new as if it cleaned itself overnight. She then sat back and marveled at the machine wondering what the Knight would bring. She then laid her arms against the machine to support her train of thought. Would the Knight bring a new adventure? No, that wouldn't need a continuation. Maybe I should question what the Knight coming back into the story would bring me.

“Happiness,” Emily said as she slowly went into a realm of slumber.

“Emily!!!!!!!” Emily then jumped at her name being yelled and in a frenzy to find balance pulled down on the lever having the machine spin and spin and spin before landing on 7 7 7 and turning off. She then cursed under her breath moved her machine and covered it in clothes. She then quickly sat on her bed looking towards the door. Waiting, and waiting and waiting. But nothing came which made her wonder why her stepfather called for her in such an angry manner.

She then quietly walked down the stairs imagining one of many scenarios of why her stepfather would be mad at her but found a different answer entirely. She found Robert smiling, but not his corporate smile he gave to sell products but a type of smile that Emily had never seen before a smile of happiness.

“Sorry that I called out so loud sweetie,” Robert said, kissing Emily on her head and pulling back a chair for her. Emily hasn't had this type of royalty treatment since her father's breakfast but didn't complain when she saw her mother with an equally large smile on her face. Her mother was a beautiful redhead by the name of Grace who looked like a doll, she loved her makeup although Emily's father always said she looked good with or without makeup which taught Emily to never judge by looks. Robert however had a different way of seeing things questioning her mother why she did or didn't wear makeup, stating it was a waste of his hard-earned money and just making her miserable. Honestly, Emily hasn't seen her mother with a smile like this since Emily won an award for a foursome project about cars. Even then that smile was a crooked wooden bridge.

Her mother this morning wore a beautiful blue dress with flower designs all around it which had a chance of getting dirty because of the mountain of pancakes that erupted syrup from the top. Emily sat down on her offered seat and looked around in shock and awe. Maybe she's still dreaming.

“We have pancakes, with bacon sausage, and eggs on the way so please stay at the station or go on your path your choice buddy” He rubbed Emily's head as he placed some pancakes on her plate, handing her a fork and knife tapping some peanut butter, butter, and jelly containers that were on the table leaving to cook the rest.

“Did you guys hear that weird noise last night? It was like we were being abducted or something” Grace laughed as she ate pancakes and used a napkin to get the rest of the syrup off of her lips. Emily froze for a moment trying her best to not recall her night of strangeness.

“Y-yeah so weird..” Emily said in a higher pitch. Emily was good at a lot of things but one of them wasn't lying.

“Are you ok sweetie?” Robert said, sitting down with the meat of the breakfast.

“If you're sick you can skip school, your teachers would understand,” Grace said, shoveling a mixture of bacon, sausage, and eggs into her pancake making a breakfast taco of sorts. Emily smiled at her because that was the reason her father loved her was creativity and childish nature but with that came childish ideas which her father always supported but helped her move into the side of reality. For one time she wanted an entire pool in their small backyard which had her father work for days in the summer to make a makeshift one just for it to be finally done in December making it useless.

“Nah I can't waste a day besides PE day,” Emily said as she only added some sausage and bacon to her waffles.

“Yeah, you can't miss a day with Martin can you?” Grace said giggling to herself like a teasing sister.

“Mom, one new and two no, because Martin is just a friend”

“A friend u enjoy seeing every other day in school?”

Emily would defend this but Martin was a cool guy. They would always hang out on block two that had PE which was where Martin met her mom as he walked Emily to her car on the day she got sick during dodgeball and ever since the joke of Martin being a love interest became a reality. Martin was sweet but could never beat her real crush, Justin Jamison.

Justin was the dessert to Emily's dinner and the real reason why she loves PE day. Justin is a tall blond who is the quarterback for their school's football team. He isn't your average jock however because he reads to the younger grades and is a genius in anything he does. However, the good looks are nice to Emily, knowing that her father would be ashamed of his daughter looking for a cute boy instead of a kind one. But this boy is both so I win she would say if she was able to.

Emily then left to go wash her dishes, get dressed from her pajamas into school clothes, and get ready for school. She then stood up and walked out the door before she was stopped by an arm. Emily looked up to see Robert smiling and then hugging Emily. Emily was confused and a little torch lit up when there should be a fire but it just won't light. She then left for the day and walked down the road to her school looking around to the houses of lights and figures eating and getting ready, some just empty with signs at the front of it saying they need shadows to live and be bright.

She arrived later at the school's front steps that lead to the doors of intelligence or the front windows of the huge building that has a door in the middle which Emily found a stupid design because one good earthquake would make the front and only exit impossible to escape from but that would mean something interesting would happen in this town. Walking through she saw the casual people sitting around because Emily always arrived early to help teachers if they looked like they needed it.

Her earliest however got her a parasite of sorts on her head in the shape of Martin. Martin is a skinny guy with rectangular glasses, some brown hair, and his famous striped shirts. He had several colors which Martin always organized for reasons that according to Martin would “Be a great way to show emotion” Which Emily found dumb. He then explained how animals always did this, like how a peacock would show colors to attract a mate or how a chameleon would show their true colors to show who they were comfortable with before. Emily then would call him dumb again and tell him to not talk so loud because all his reasoning and nerdiness found him a great target for bullies in the school giving him the name Waldo and of course Emily the nickname Eraser. Martin hated his nickname but Emily enjoyed hers with the argument that erasers get rid of mistakes which she thought was clever at the time.

“Then how come you're still here?” A blond woman with perfect nails, figure, and no brain said. This is Stacy Shinogi or as she called her Adélie. Adélie is a very angry penguin breed which was fitting of a name because like an Adélie penguin Stacy was something with no intelligence and a deceiving look that didn't know anything other than to be angry.

Emily said something to Stacy that day but all Emily remembered was whatever she said that got her a first-class ticket to Gymlockerville. No one tried to help her except Martin but Emily wasn't afraid of being locked in there forever because her locker was on the other side of Justin's locker. She heard noises behind her and muffled talking through the walls which calmed Emily so much to the point that when Martin finally got the lock open after guessing or well failing to remember Emily's locker code she decided to stay inside until PE was over and Justin left.

The parasite from before was wearing a green shirt which meant he was happy which Emily found strange.

“Morning Mart, what's with the shirt?”

“Morning Em, and I think I've moved on honesty.”

Martin has been wearing different shades of blue striped shirts or being sad without showing it since he got broken up with last Friday but this usually happens around once every two months which has made him keep the we sell only blue striped shirts in different shades companies alive and fat. But it usually takes Martin at least two weeks to stop wearing them but maybe he has grown up a little but that seemed impossible for Martin.

“You know I understand your concern but I'm not the same kid ya knew a year ago I have changed” Emily then choked on the water and coughed. Did I say that out loud?

“Really? What about a month ago when that one girl with the uncentered pigtails dumped you and you were mocked by the guys because they thought the sky was falling?”

“GROWING UP IS GROWING UP EM!!!!... and her name was Jenny.”

Emily laughed at this because no matter what Martin was never actually mad at Emily and she liked the nickname Em, it's better than eraser.

“Anyways, ya I moved on, speaking of moving, you gonna wear some pink today for Justin to make a move on him?”

Emily then patted Martin on the head as a way of saying shut up although she knew she didn't need to. Emily and Martin were both intelligent so Emily just told him one day out of the blue but just in case Emily did that.

“No, I don't even have a pink striped shirt even if I wanted to.”

Emily then imagined herself in such an ugly thing, Although she fought with herself that it looked fine on Martin but not her she realized that Martin cant see or hear this argument which nullified everything.

“What a shame but I do see a happy future for you Em and if ya ever need someone to talk to or help ya ca-”

“Always ask you as long as I'm comfortable and willing, yes yes I know, but at this point I should be helping you, Mr blue Shirt.”

“Ya already know my answer Em and besides you know I help you and you don't help me remember Em”

And that's what Em did not like about Martin. Martin was intelligent, scrawny, and funny but he never accepted help although he does act like he would. Emily would never understand this because as her father told her, A boy is as dumb as a boy and a girl is as dumb as a girl. Which Emily thinks means everyone has their stupidity.

“Yeah yeah, well what made ya decide to grow up and be happy on a day like this?”

“Whatcha mean Em?” Martin asked as the beginning group of normal kids started entering which meant it was almost period two or Pe.

“Well, you always have a reason for being happy or say there's always a reason to be happy so what is that reason?”

“To tell you the truth I don't know last night I was sad but I heard something went downstairs to find my dad making breakfast with a smile and I guess his smile got me to smile.”

Emily took the answer with a grain of salt because Martin did lie if he didn't wanna tell something emotional.

They then started walking towards the lockers while they talked and bantered about Justin and Emily getting more and more annoyed which gained Martin more and more head and arm injuries only a teddy bear could fix when all of a sudden Emily saw a nightmare unfold. Stacy was talking to Justin.

Fire filled the room with Stacy and Justin in the wake, the fire rising at Stacy but lowering at Justin. Emily then walked past the two as she heard someone knock on a door. She opened the door for her father to enter her small pink room that was cluttered with monster trucks and more boyish things, Emily was on the bed.

“Hey champ what's the matter?” Emily's father walked in and sat next to her.

“He cheated Dad he cheated,” Emily said as she cried into her father's chest.

“Derrick? Well, how did he cheat?”

Emily then looked up at him and sniffled to catch her breath.

“He was talking to that one girl, the tall one with pretty hair that tells us what to do in numbers class.”

“The teacher? Sweetie that is a teacher, and again you silly Billy” Her father petted her hair which made Emily giggle

“That math which is something your father is fantastic at”

“But, he was talking to her about dating and stuff and she even kissed him, Daddy”

“Is that true? Or did you see the teacher kiss his forehead?”

“Yeah, she kissed his forehead after lunch, which I spent on the swings alone after he left for some reason.”

Emily's father then laughed at this and smiled “Did he fall off the swings by chance and land on his head?”

“Yeah but he said he was ok '' At this point Emily wasn't crying and was just looking at her father with curiosity cause dang is he smart?

“Sweetie, remember what I said about guys? Well, guys will lie to a girl they like or anyone to show strength and never emotion cause well guys are guys.”

“But what about-”

“And girls are girls and as such you got scared when you saw someone you like get taken and ya got sad, which ended up being the teacher kissing his forehead to probably feel better”

“Oh,” Emily was astonished by this which gained her father a hug and more knocking wondering what was happening.

“Emily?”

“Emily…”

“Hey, you there?”

Emily then looked over at Martin who looked worried. Emily looked around to find everyone was either gone or moving to their respective classes including Justin and Stacy.

“Did seeing those two shake you up that bad?”

“NO, I was just thinking about stuff that's all.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Martin asked in a calming voice, putting his hand on Emily's shoulder.

“And miss my chance with Justin? Never” Emily walked ahead and after a moment Martin caught up.

The PE class today was about fake tennis or Badminton

“I like badminton, '' Martin said. “It's easy, you don't have to do a lot and it counts as an elective, '' Martin then chuckled.

They then changed in their locker rooms and walked out into their gymnasium watching Justin turn the school's ugly little shirt into a brand-name shirt that Emily needed in her life. After warmups, the teacher split up people into teams to go against each other. The group Emily got was Herself yeah, Martin ok, Stacy ew, and finally Justin yes.

“So are we playing with guys versus girls or??” Emily smiled at this and calmly asked everyone but peaking at Justin the entire time, she knew her plan would be genius because Stacy would never team with her, Martin would have to deal with Stacy and her nagging when she gets home which sucks and then it would be just Emily and Justin which will end in smiles and happiness and after three months they would be happily married.

“Oooh girls versus guys sounds fun,” Stacy said, grabbing rackets and giving each of us one.

Emily was shocked at this and checked her racket for mouse traps, glue, or anything Stacy would pull but found nothing but a small hole in the racket.

“Oh? I'm sorry Emmy here has mine.” Stacy then handed Emily her racket which was in perfect condition.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON Emily thought, why is Stacy being nice? Why is Stacy wanting to be on a team with Emily? Why is her nickname, Emmy? Stacy then calmed down and thought about it with logic. Is Stacy nice? No, Is Stacy tricky? Yes? Why would Stacy pull something like this? Emily then thought and found what she hoped was the answer. Stacy was trying to look good to steal Justin. Emily frowned at this because it was genius. If Emily says something then Justin will find her weird. If Stacy looks good then Justin will fall in love. Martin can't interfere because Justin must know about Waldo and the eraser duo. It was the perfect plan.

“Thank you,” Emily said with a shaky breath, They then went to their sides and started to play with Stacy being the first server. The first round goes by with some good luck, take this, and more banter against the teams which ends with the girls getting a point and the birdie going to the boys or Martin.

“Huh?” Martin said looking at the birdie

“What?”

“I wonder why it's called a birdie?”

“Well it's because it is a birdie,” Justin said stretching “Original birdies, or shuttlecocks as their name is funnily called are made of feathers of certain birds like ducks” Justin then stood back up grabbing his chin” Those poor lovely birds.”

Lovely, Justin loves birds. He loved birds. Emily then imagined a galleon of doves lifting Justin down gently to the earth with a sea of light and beautiful robes. His hair swayed down as he reached for Emily who lay on a slanted rock. They reach but never touch as the birds take Justin away. Emily then stopped daydreaming to find the birdie hit her on the head.

“Are you ok?” Stacy asked curious

“Sorry” Came from Martin laughing at this

“Dude what if ya got her eye?” Justin defended

OMG Justin just defended me

“She can dodge I think she was just spacing out”

At this Emily then came back into reality and looked at Martin

“Shut it,” Emily said with maybe a bit too much seriousness

“Sheesh sorry,” Martin said raising his hands

“Ima go get some water but you're fine,” Emily said placing her racket in its case walking away, and waving at them.

Emily then rushed to the locker room and opened a small pink journal which she thought Martin would laugh at. Inside on the last page, she wrote down love birds and quickly put it away to get back into the game but the period ended and so did the good part of the day.

While Emily was walking home she looked into her pink journal to read what was written down. Under love is Emily, Water, sleeping, running, Dogs, cats, games, and birds. Under it reads Games, politics, sadness, and stupid people. She wrote this down so her future husband would be happy but closed it once she found a yellow vehicle driving by. It was a giant scoop of sorts and it was heading towards the junkyard and with it a convoy of yellow construction vehicles. It took a while but while she waited she thought about what happened today and how she would avoid telling Robert.

She then remembered this morning and how he was making breakfast as well as Grace and her smile. She then realized Martin was also strangely happy as well. She then finally found the answer when she found out Stacy was kind for once as well. Emily looked forward as the final car went by releasing what power she held. The life machine works. She then looked down at her pink journal and felt her heart skip a beat as she ran towards home across streets, passing roads until she made it to her home and ran up the stairs.

She then ran to her machine and opened the closet to realize something. She wasn't being called or told anything. She walked downstairs slowly to find Robert and Grace talking to each other with a smile on both of their faces. Emily couldn't hear what they were saying but Emily knew it couldn't be correct. She then quietly walked back upstairs regaining her glee of the new plan trying to forget the anomaly in her home. Ok so the plan was simple, get the machine to say love, leave early for school wait at the front for Justin, and then bing bam boom married by this weekend. Emily was filled with joy with this, finally something good for her family and something nice. No more marrying into mid-western wealth, no more having to remember happiness, and finally a good ending. Emily was so excited that she lay in her bed ready to sleep which didn't end as thought cause it was the afternoon so she started working on some homework that was due in a few weeks instead.

One night she wanted to get a drink of water from the kitchen but found her mother crying on the kitchen table. Emily comforted her mother until she calmed down and asked what was the matter. Grace then told her about the truth of their situation and why she married Gary. She was crying because she couldn't take Gary anymore, the way he treated Emily and her alike, and how she only married him to keep the house afloat, she then questioned if what she was doing was right or not with Emily replying sympathy and how she was strong. Grace then breathed and told Emily something that would stay with her forever.

“One day, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not soon but one day we will be happy and never have such a cold house and equally cold company. We will have a happy land full of warmth and royalties again, I promise” Then walked up the stairs to her bed as did Emily.

Night time came and with it, she walked up to her machine and reached for the lever. We will have our happy times Mom, but first I have to find mine. She thought as she brought the machine out and pulled the lever breathing as she opened her eyes and saw the machine spin and light up and make different beeps and boops.

“Love” and with that, the machine quiets down and Emily goes to sleep.

The princess and the infinite princess meet again in the box.

“Ready for a new story?” The infinite princess asked

“You shouldn't have left it on a cliffhanger but yes' ' The princess said as he stepped out of the box and into the new story.

The princess slashed and slashed at the dummy because she knew that the Knight was watching. The princess got what she wanted with being the Knight's apprentice giving the princess a job to someone she didn't know just yet. The princess found the Knight above her when she cut the dummy in half with the small dagger with the pink strand of hair. So what is this hair exactly? The princess asked that day with the Knight puzzled then realizing that she meant the dagger he laughed and smiled. You would never believe this the Knight said but unicorns are real and they are found in a land called Hapland where some unicorns and swords and Knights fight pink dragons on unicorns. He then explained that the dagger was a magical unicorn dagger that he somehow got in a goblin nest.

The princess lit up at this and asked to go there. The Knight questioned why she would wanna go to such a manly place but she replied quickly and sternly to the fact it would make her full of happiness. The Knight agreed and took her on a long journey through jungles, savannahs, snowy tundras, and more to find this place until they got to the bright, cut-green hills of Hapland. She smiled and ran down to the new land and found the unicorns she always wanted to see. She saw one that was white, one that was black, one with rainbow hair, one with neon hair, and one with… The princess called for the Knight who arrived shortly and questioned one of the unicorns. The Knight then looked and found that the unicorn was a camel that had been transformed into a unicorn. The princess thought about camels like deserts and the princess hates sand. The Knight shrugged at this and said that it was nothing to care about. The camel was with a big unicorn with just pink hair just like the princess wanted. The princess walked towards it and was about to touch it but the land turned black.

Emily woke up and found no loud yell for Emily but found that she finally woke up on time. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen to find a note on the table. Emily, who was confused by this, read the note carefully before she got ready for the day just in case it was bad.

Dear Emily

Me and your dad are going out to an amusement

park to celebrate our anniversary, we will be back

Home tomorrow to tell you all the fun we had and

make sure to bring presents and stuff.

Lots of love Mom

Emily couldn't believe this, this was against everything she said that night, and they

we're going for their happy ending and a happy world. Why would she jeopardize that and their future? She then remembered that dad married her for her smarts and found that it could be a trick of some kind but the grief of it was scary enough. Emily then walked to school and found love everywhere, in the trees squirrels were together, in the field garden snails were gathering with each other, the birds in the air were riding together and everything was just a lovely paradise and the perfect day to find love Emily thought.

Emily walked to the front of the school waiting for Justin to arrive and when he did he was a red shy reck. Emily walked up to Justin, her heart fluttering, and started the conversation.

“Hey Justin”

“Hey Emily,” Justin said while looking at a small purple gemmed ring in his hand. Holy Atua is what Emily thought.

“What's the matter?”

“Well Emily I don't know how to ask this but have you ever had a friend who you like more than a friend and didn't know how to tell them” With this Emily's eyes teared up

“Yeah, totally why do you ask”

“Well, I don't know if it's the right time to tell this friend that I like them that way cause yeah we talk a lot and we only see each other in PE so I don't know if I've been in their life enough to be in it forever.” Emily smiled victoriously because she had won but maybe she could have a little more.

“The best way of telling her in my opinion is in lunch cause like in royalty princesses love the attention of her people when a prince asks to marry her.” Emily didn't consider herself as such but the idea of rubbing in infinite love to others sounded nice.

“Really? Ok I'll do it I'll give her this'' He held up the ring “During lunch and then we will be together” Emily melted at this and teared up

“Can't wait” She then choked

“To see I mean, I can't wait to see '' She didn't need to hide it anymore but felt obligated to at least end it like it started. She then walked away excited for her future with Justin, imagining him in the morning making her breakfast, going on hikes with him, and helping each other through college. She smiled at this and walked towards the main room of the school and got ready to go. She then was met by her parasite which was wearing a pink shirt today, which made sense because of the life machine.

“Oooh someone in love again,” Emily said messing with the boy

“Yeah? And so what I see you in love to talking to him this morning”

“I and he were talking about our future and I think, now don't freak out but I think he's gonna propose to me this afternoon”

“Propose?? You guys aren't even dating yet. What do you mean to propose?”

“Well he had a purple ring in his hand”

“Your favorite color”

“And was talking about telling a friend he only sees in Pe that he likes her”

“The best girl I know”

“So, yes I do think he's gonna propose and honestly I'm excited.”

“Yeah.. good for you”

“Yeah.. Well, who's the girl you're gonna go for this time Romeo?”

“Oh, she's the perfect Juliet this time, and she.. Well you'll meet her soon”

“Oh really? Well I can't wait to meet her, maybe we can do a type of double date”

“Yeah, we're dating, with others totally.”

“Yep can't wait '' Emily found it kinda weird but shrugged it off and went on with her classes.

Her first one English was fine besides Martin being more defensive on his intelligence than normal and Entomology was fine as well with Martin even with him listing information about the garden snail which to bug standards was cool because it was her favorite bug. But then was quickly told it isn't an insect and is part of its animal kingdom which ended that convo quickly.

Lunch came and after getting food with Martin and sitting down she found someone she didn't expect to see.

“Why is Stacy at our seat?”

“Maybe she's trying to take it”

“No I asked her to sit there because I have something for her,” Justin said walking in

Emily froze at this and looked at him in shock because it couldn't be real.

“Stacy, can I ask you something weird?” Justin said loud as everyone in the cafeteria looked.

No, I'm still dreaming, it's a nightmare.

“What is it?” Stacy said quieter, getting her balance as she stood grabbing the knife inside of Emily's heart to stand.

“Well, we've been friends off and because of Pe '' Emily fell to her knees as they gave way.

“and well, I wanna be friends with you forever” Emily's happy ending started to rise away.

“so.. Would you do the honor “ Emily was crushed with a boulder.

“and go on a date with me” Emily died that day and with that the Knights's intelligence.

“Yes, of course I will bestie” Stacy then teared up and smiled accepting him as hers and stole everything once again from Emily. Emily then walked out of the cafeteria, out the doors of intelligence, and started to walk home.

“Hey wait, what about school?” Martin ran after her saying this

“Who cares?” Said Emily as she walked towards the distance.

“I do, I always have '' Emily then stopped and turned towards Martin.

“What are you saying?”

Martin then breathed and teared up

“Ever since the day I met you I knew one thing, I loved you, No it wasn't like the other girls where I give them this same spiel you would hear me give them, that was a practice all for you, I have always loved you but the day you told me about Justin that dream died and with it came a new life of me where I date people to hope to get to you, So I care about you and I love you forever and ever true and true. So, please… Will you go on a date with me”

Emily couldn't believe it, her rock, her bestie asking her to date. She couldn't answer and instead ran away. She ran until the field went distant, she ran until the junkyard was a smelly memory she ran so far that she even missed her house. She then stopped on the corner and sat down trying to calm down and breathe. The concrete beyond her disappeared as she wandered in and out of space seeing rooms and wires, the center of the world coming down on her as everything started to slowly quiet down. The universe is less stiff than before because something is trying to get in. Something loud and bright, something infinite. She then sees a door and tries to get to it only to find it is above everything and in that room is the source of that light. She then enters her room and lays in her bed crying her eyes out waiting for the moon to go away because she was alone maybe forever.

More knocking on the door but this time Emily immediately welcomed them in. It was her father questioning and looking around to find the dollhouse tipped over and something red tainting it.

“What happened?” Her father entered the room gently going toward her

“Nothing Daddy I'm fine,” Emily said as she tried her best to hide her finger behind her back.

“Ems, you gotta tell me please”

“Promise you won't get mad?”

“I promise”

Emily then opened the dam and the tears spilled faster than any river had ever seen as she showed her father the crushed and mangled finger.

Emily's father didn't say a word as she grabbed her daughter and ran her to the car. Emily doesn't remember much besides that she woke up with a cast on her hand and McDonald on her lap. She sadly couldn't grab onto a nugget properly because of her finger but she did try and try and try.