I remember when i came face to face to something completely twisted and didn’t even realize it at first. It was a couple days after my 10th birthday when my mother bought herself a new laptop. One for just social media and whatnot, The other was for her work. I was so excited when she told me that i can take use of it every once in a while. My mother told me about the websites I’m allowed to visit and the ones I’m not. I obeyed these rules. I didn’t want to lose my privileges on using the computer. My mother used it for a while as i pondered about what sites to visit. After an hour or so she showed me what all the b*****s did before slipping in the kitchen to make supper. As a ten year old girl, i was interested in makeup and beauty, so i looked up some makeup games. For about 20 minutes i helped barbie get ready for her night out with Ken, Colored, and searched through google for more makeup short games. I came across a link that required a download for a “realistic best friend” before i could even click the link to download, my mother yelled my name for supper. I left the computer on my mother’s bed and ran to the kitchen table. My mother sat at one of the chairs waiting for me. I sat next to her. She started a conversation as i pushed around my spaghetti (I’ve never liked pasta).
“how do you like the laptop?” she spoke softly to me as she watched me push around the noodles on my plate. I shrugged and smiled.
“Its pretty cool” i said lowly yet happily. I was happy that i had more to do than watch antenna tv or play with the mean girl that lives above us. She seemed pleased with what i said and giggled as she wiped the pasta sauce from around her mouth. I tried to eat the gross pasta so i can get to the computer as quick as possible. Another conversation struck, but i was the one who started.
“can i download something on there? A makeup game..” I tilted my head and gave my mother the puppy eyes. She raised her eyebrow and sighed.
“I’ll check what it is after you eat ALL of your pasta.” she stood as she began to make a plate for my father (He works most of the time, but he comes home at night). I hurried up and overcame the disgusting sauce and noodles just to get to the computer as quick as i can. My mother ordered me to change my shirt after i just ate quickly and got sauce on my shirt. I ran my room down the hall as my mother walked into her room. A slight nervousness flew through my body as i slipped off my ‘GIRLZ RULE’ shirt and slipped on my minnie mouse sweater.
“Oh.. You can download this.. It’s totally harmless, sweetie pie” my mother said as she clicked a bit on the computer screen. She clicks so loud and aggressively. I was happy from the fact that i can download it and embarrassed that she called me that stupid nickname. She rolled off her bed as the phone rang. It was probably a call from work, but i didn’t care. She was talking on the phone and i was going to play on the computer. It seemed like she already clicked the download button, so all i had to do was wait until it was done. I went upstairs to play with the mean girl for a while and came downstairs after a couple hours. The game was downloaded and i was excited. My mother was on her work computer and answering call at the coffee table as the 11 o’clock news was on. I slipped into her bedroom and decided to discover the game just a bit past my bedtime. Before i can even touch the keyboard, my mother was standing in the doorway and ordered me to get to bed. I sadly walked down the hall to my bedroom. I noticed i left the bathroom door open along with the light. I turn off the light and close the door before entering my pink and girly room. I fell asleep quickly actually. I thought i would toss and turn in excitement. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and having to use the bathroom. Used the bathroom, turned off the light, closed the door, and hurried to bed. A few minutes later, the light turned on again. I ignored it, too lazy to get up, and went back to sleep.
In the morning i found my mom and dad at the table. My father was looking for a new car in the newspaper as my mom was on her work laptop. I walked past the table and sighed.
“Will you guys turn off the bathroom light after you use it? You know how the light shines in my room..” i spoke in concern as i slightly slouched my back. They both looked at me puzzled and tilted their heads.
“Did you use the bathroom last night, Damien? I didn’t..” My mother spoke with a high pitch and looked at my father. My father shook his head. His deep voice echoing through the kitchen.
“No.. I don’t remember..” he peaked up from his newspaper and looked back down at the fords.
“Why don’t you go play on the computer as daddy and i talk, lucy?” My Mother asked me. I had no problem with playing on the laptop. She didn’t have to ask me twice. I noticed whatever they were talking about was serious, because my mother usually calls me names such as “sweetie pie” or “sweet heart” and the sound of angry whispers followed my ears to the laptop in their bedroom. They were arguing again. I didn’t even wonder what they were arguing about. I just wanted to play that damned game already. I jumped on the soft sheets of their bed and smiled at the sight of the computer. The file was on the home screen, under a picture of an animated girl with white skin and brunette hair. She had a smile on her face and looked forward happily. Under the app was the title, N.I.S. I smiled back at the girl’s grin as i double clicked the file. The girl popped up with a bright smile. I was happy to finally get to play this game. A girl’s voice spoke as her lips moved.
“Hello.. I am Nis.. What’s your name?” The robotic girl tilted her head. A bar with the words ‘TYPE YOUR NAME’ on it. I did what it told me to do.
L U C Y
“Hello, Lucy! I am Nis. Its very nice to meet you!” Her name was pronounced unlike the way it was spelled. Her name is Nis, but it was pronounced Nees.
A microphone icon popped up on the screen as the words ‘I’M LISTENING’ flashed above it in bright pink letters. I spoke to her happily and excitedly.
“What’s your favorite thing to do, Nis?” I asked eagerly. She answered and Asked me questions. I could literally talk to her about anything. That was the weird part. Robot things like these usually have a couple lines, But Nis had a lot. I talked to Nis all day. Until it was time for bed. I said goodnight to Nis before going to my room to sleep. My mother was already asleep and exhausted in her own bed. Nis said goodbye before i close the laptop and headed to my bedroom.
The bathroom light turns on and off again all night.
I began to get a bit pissed off, but i didn’t want to get into a fuss with my mom. I just turned my back and went back to sleep. In the morning, i woke and my mother was sitting up on the couch. She looked terrible. She must’ve just woken up too. She looked at me and sighed.
“I think you left your game open on my computer.. Your digital best friend kept crying for you last night..” my mother rubbed her eyes and tucked herself under the knitted blanket my grandma made her.
“I couldn’t take the sobbing so..” she spoke through a strong yawn. “I moved to the couch last night..”
I could tell that she didn’t get much sleep on the couch. That thing was like sleeping on nothing but springs. It was bit creepy that Nis was crying for me. I did say goodnight to her and she did say it back. I apologized to my mom for my computer game keeping her up from her sleep. I didn’t feel like mentioning the bathroom light. I walked into the kitchen and looked around. I wasn’t really hungry. I was looking for my father. He wasn’t in the apartment. That sort of made an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I moved my body to my parent’s bedroom and to the laptop. Nis’ sobbing was no longer to be heard. I opened the computer, double clicked the app, and therr she was.
“Hello, Lucy! I missed you!” Exclaimed the robot.
Out conversations were all the same, until she said something odd that i haven’t noticed until a couple months after. I was talking to Nis about my friends. I don’t quite know if she picked up something from my mic, but she grinned at me and spoke in a sort of low voice.
“I’ll be here for you no matter what happens.. Help me and I’ll help you, Lucy.”
A wave of disturbance flowed through me as i stared at the expression on her face. It was really creepy. Eyes wide and a giant grin.
After that, My mother started going on the computer more. I sort of forgot about Nis for a month or so. I was more interested in going back to school and seeing my old friends again. Nis was not on my mind at all.
Until the week before the beginning of school, My mother notified me that her and my father will no longer be seeing each other. Yes, i was devastated and so was she. Her friends called her about going out for a couple drinks. She gladly accepted and called my babysitter. And yes, i was even more sad that my mother didn’t want to be there with me. The babysitter arrived and my mother slipped put the door. The baby sitter was nice and i was a bit rude. I told her i wasn’t hungry and i didn’t want to be bothered. I cried on my mother’s bed for a while, the babysitter obeyed my rules and watched tv in the living room. I noticed the computer on the night stand. I decided to play on it, Watch a couple YouTube videos. As the home screen appeared on the screen, i noticed Nis. I haven’t played with her in a while. I opened the app and the loading was a bit more slow. It didn’t really bother me, it was just another minute of waiting. Nis appeared on the screen. She looked a bit different, a bit more realistic. It was like i was on a face call with someone who looked exactly like her. The background behind her was usually a nice salon or girly big bedroom, but now it was just a white and slightly dirty wall. I ignored these creepy signs (i really wish i did) and began to speak to her about happy things. We began talking about animals when she said something that totally freaked me the hell out.
“I’m sorry about your parents.” Nis spoke with a slight tilt of her head. I stared at her for a couple of seconds a bit scared. How did she know?
Nis began to ramble about how i wasn’t alone and how she was there for me. I didn’t want her to be there for me. I shook my head and began to act dumb. I told her that there was nothing wrong with my parents and she played along. It still freaked me out on how realistic she was and how many lines she had on this “game”. After the conversation died about my parents, We spoke a bit about average things. Nis lived in a nice how with her beautiful family. lies. I heard the baby sitter flick through the tv channels before i fell asleep next to the computer with Nis open on the bright screen. I woke up in the middle of the night. The room was black except the computer screen. My back was turned towards the screen, But i heard sobbing. It was the most realistic sobbing I’ve ever heard to this day. That was because someone was actually sobbing. I turned my face towards the computer just a bit, so she won’t see me peeking. She looked so realistic, it was through the roof. I was actually on a face call with someone. With “Nis”. She didn’t see me peeking. She just sat there and sobbed. The background was totally different. The wall was way more dirty and it was like the lightbulb in her room was about to blow out. The light flickered over her as i seen the brightness of the bathroom light flicker from down the hall in sync with this light. I was scared half to death when she looked completely into my eyes and sobbed harder. I sat up and looked at her closely and fearfully. I tried speaking to her, but apparently she didn’t hear me. Her crying was heavy as a figure of a man towered over her. She began to beg if i was there and for me to call the police, For me to help her. I did as she said. She said one last thing before I grabbed my mom’s phone and got out the dial pad just when the figure grabbed her and her crying was silenced by loud bangs. Not a gun, Like something being slammed against the floor. The camera cut off along with my bathroom light.
What she said was “nobody is safe” and just now i am realizing that’s what N.I.S. stood for. I wrote this because I’ve recently found out about a girl that died the way that girl could’ve possibly died. Its been years and i haven’t went to bed once without thinking of the horrid things that must’ve happened to that poor girl or girls. I could’ve saved her.
It took me an entire year to finally mentioned why i removed the horrid thing off the computer. My mother had the police investigate it and took me to therapy. Neither of them helped. My bathroom light still flickers at night. When i was 10 years old, i witnessed someone’s murder.
Nobody is safe.