Branches Book

BRANCHES

Marcus then emerged from the middle of the staffers and stared deep at the pinned Griffin. “Marcus…?” Griffin said confused, “What’s happening here?” Marcus didn’t respond with anything but a low grumble. Griffin began to sweat but tried to stay calm, convinced it was a joke. Marcus slowly put on a pair of leather gloves. The volume of the grumble increased. Suddenly Marcus started to roar, and before Griffin could let out a yell, Marcus plunged forward and grasped Griffin’s throat with his hand. Marcus grasped tighter and tighter. Griffin turned red, but Marcus continued, tighter, and tighter, and tighter. Then Griffin turned blue. Marcus let go, as his roar transitioned back into a low grumble. Marcus and the staffers continued this routine, until they had addressed every person attending the convention. The staffers at the hotel spread the software reinstallation to other staffers, who spread it to other machinery, until the previous software had returned to all electronics. Marcus fled the hotel triumphant, any one who would have been able to recreate Marcus’ software had been put to an end. He got only two miles away from the hotel before the authorities were notified of what he had done. This time it was human authorities. He was found running down the highway, and was stopped the only way the police at the time knew how. The head officer put on a set of leather gloves. I stood up from Marcus’ grave and headed to section of the patch I dreaded returning to the most. Possessions like Marcus’ started happening all over the world, they were used as a speedy way for the faulty software to return to other electronics. Needless to say, The Surge had returned stronger and faster than ever. As I arrived at the edge of the patch, I let out an unwelcome tear. I hadn’t stood in front of these rocks for years. I sat down in front of them, pulled out my journal, and began to write their story. I looked up at the names carved into the small rock, Linda and Neiman Fotsil, my parents. They passed away when I was fifteen. As a family, we were all each other had in the sad scraps our history left behind for us. The Surge ended before I was born, but the events continued to haunt the survivors. Linda and Neiman Fotsil lived in a small home in what used to New York City. It was a thriving city, filled to the brim with technology. Growing up, they never had to lift a finger to get anything done. But once The Surge was in full throttle, Linda and Neiman hid and cut themselves off from using technology. They were two of the few survivors of The Surge. They built a house with remnants from the city and lived there happily for years. No one died from a technological related death for many years. Everyone believed The Surge was over. People began using electricity again. They started with simple things, such as a light bulb.

81