In 1962, Germany, sparks of molten metal launch out of my head in little groups as my eyes open to the world. I am a girl like no other, but yet my mind is the same. Gears and wires make up my parts to move and to see, but I cannot talk or sleep. Sleep means death if I rest my gears will shut down and never come back alive after twenty-four hours. Papa told me I am a creation of his imagination, a perfect resemblance to his dream, a family of two.
“My girl you look beautiful! A masterpiece!” my papa said with joy as he kissed his hand in an Italian way.
In this little town of Zahnrader und Drahte, my papa and I live together in a bit of shed beyond in the woods. We live here to keep safe as living in the town means we have to follow the rules. 1. Inventors shall be hunted down and killed, 2. Creations shall be shunned and destroyed, and 3. Pledge your heart to the mayor. The rules are always beating in my eardrums, like tympanies constantly banging in your ears. The rules mean death to our fellow inventors.
For the first time living in the shed for seven years, I got curious about the outdoor world. My papa would always take naps in the afternoon, so I had my chance to step outside. Walking out the door I saw the beautiful flowers of spring, the aurora of nature left me gazing upon the bees and petals. I had a wish to sniff the flowers, but technology can never advance to that point, so I dreamt of the pleasant smell. A crack came behind the bush, and a boy tackled me to the ground, and my part of my blue dress landed in a rose bush tearing the ends. He held a knife and set it on my neck. His blue eyes gazed at me and the oily hair under his hood was ready to spill. He fell backward and covered his face with his hands.
“I can’t do it! I am an embarrassment to society!” he sobbed behind the trembling hands that covered his face.
My papa said that people hide their faces because they are sad or scared so I walked right next to him and patted him on the back.He uncovered his hands, and the good in him glistened back at me, we became friends. He led me to the busy town one day, and I looked around with curiosity.
“What's your name by the way?” he asked. I couldn’t reply, so I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head to show him I didn’t have a name.
“Ehhh… I’ll call you gears it seems to fit you,” the boy replied with an ensuring smile. I liked the name, so I pulled my hand up from a normal position and managed to make a thumbs up. He then smiled, I guess he understands me. Before he asked anything else we already in the town.
Everybody in the town glared at me, like a tempered cat. I didn’t know how to react to the situation, so I held my friend’s hand and trembled. A man grabbed me and walked towards the alley where a group of guys held wooden bats and hammers.
“You did a good job, Peter, let’s show those inventors what happens when you break the rules eh?” He grinned with an evil chuckle. The man nudged me towards them, and the group members smiled with eyes of evil. I saw the man pat my friend, Peter on the back, and I felt betrayed.
Nobody has my trust in this world, and nobody can be my friend. The guys swung their weapons and crashed it upon my gears. Sparks splattered everywhere, and I dropped to the ground helpless. Before I gave up my friend stepped in and screamed for me to run.
“Gears run! Quick I’ll handle it from here, whatever you do don’t go back!” he screamed. I wanted to help but what is a dented robotic girl going to do to stop them, I felt useless.
The guys beat him up back and forth, and my friend crumpled to the ground coughing up blood. I ran as fast as I could, but the struggle of broken parts slowed me down. The only person who can fix me is Papa. I reached home, and the door was open, my mind knew something was wrong. Behind the creaking door was my papa on the ground with blood spitting out of his heart.
“I couldn’t stop them… I’m sorry” my papa cried spilling blood after every word.
When I left some of the group members were tracking down inventors, like my papa. If only I were home, I could have seen the men walking towards the shed. It’s all my fault. The weight of guiltiness made me drop to the ground and lay next to my papa. He was killed because I wasn’t there to warn him. My friend who protected me may have the same faith too. My curiosity killed the cat. I climbed to reach my papa’s heart and hear the soft beating, and then the mild defeat came to a silence. I’m sorry. I closed my eyes and slept, my gears stop working and wires slowly became silenced. In twenty-four hours my system will come to an abrupt stop leaving me a robot frozen in time.
About twelve hours had passed, and my friend came up to me with a teardrop slowly making its way down his cheekbone. He carried me with a white blanket towards the depth of the forest sniffling the whole way. The walk seemed like a never-ending ride, but it all came to a stop. What my eyes saw was beautiful, like a fairytale world created by magic. The forest was lush with willows and lilies, what stood in the middle of the place was a small box set next to a dug up hole. My time has come, the end of my story will stop here buried in the beautiful forest covered with flowers.
“I’m sorry Gear’s… it’s all my fault I shouldn’t have listened to them. You were my only friend, but now I’m alone again,” He finished the sentence with a tear, and his final words were spoken to me in a gentle whisper. “I love you.”
The box was shut, and my eyesight went blank, all I could do was lay here listening to the soil spilling over the edge of the box like gentle raindrops. In just seven years so much has changed, in only seven years my life will end here in a peaceful place of love and beauty.