George

"Up, get up, get out!"  One of the faceless guards storms into my cell. 

My head whips up, I must have been snoozing.  This outburst is just another in a long line of abrupt, rude, torture methods in my mind.  I stumble into the dingy corridor where I'm grabbed and frog marched along.  "Stupid ignorant toffs, sticking their noses in, don't think for a second we aren't on to you! Oh no, we are going to be keeping a close eye on you, a very close eye on you indeed."  The guard is obviously agitated about something, but I'm struggling to follow what he's getting at.  "Here you go, and not a word about any of this to anyone.  Understand? We are always watching you."  He thrusts a pile into my hands and puts my shoes on top.  It's my clothes, I frown as it slowly dawns on me, maybe I'm getting out of here.

"Erm, what about my ear piece?" I tentatively ask, think I might just be trying my luck but I can't leave TOMI here.

"Your precious ear piece! Ha!  This is what I think of you and your friends in high places."  He sneers, grabbing TOMI. He flicks him down on the floor between us, stamps down hard on him, then grinds his foot into him to make sure the destruction is utterly complete.  It take everything in me not to wipe that smug look off his face.  Good thing really, this guy is huge.

I'm speechless, TOMI gone.

As I start to keel over in shock, they shove me unceremoniously out of a door and close it firmly behind me.  I'm on the street, in the dark, clutching my things, the mangled heap of TOMI is on top. 

***

Collapsed there on the pavement in the grime and the filth, my muscles start to make their complaints known until they drown out my shock.  Eventually I pull myself together enough to review my situation.  What would TOMI do?  Take stock, review and plan.

Body? Check. Huddled there clutching my empty stomach I'm tired, thirsty, cold and hungry.

Clothes? Check. I fight my clothes back on over the top of the blue outfit I woke up in.  Its bulky and uncomfortable, but already the added bulk has cut out the biting wind.  My shoes are missing their laces, and my socks are gone but I shove my feet in anyway.  Anything is better than the cold hard ground.  This is still going to hurt, a lot.  I carefully tuck the mangled parts that were TOMI into my pocket.

Location? No idea, I don't recognise this narrow dark street.  A solitary bag blows past me, the only movement. The buildings loom over me with their boarded up doors and windows. Even the one I was thrown out of has no sign, no door handle. 

Wallet? Phone? No, they were back at the kiosk when I was taken, probably been stolen by now, along with my train pass.  Without my basic resources, this city has become a survival problem.

Well I can't stay here, I can't contact anyone, leaving me with only one option, walk.

I walk aimlessly at first, instinctively heading for the well lit areas, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar land mark.  My feet are killing me.  Without laces my shoes rub with every step, and my toes ache from trying to keep them on.  It must be very early morning, only the very drunk seem to be stumbling around, oblivious of the fact they should be tucked up in bed.  Finally, after what feels like hours of trudging, I spot a sign for the Eurostar terminal and head that way.  At least I can find my way from my kiosk.  I should find food, water and finally have my location.

The signs guide me, but it's still a hike to get there.  After many more agonizing steps, I spot it, across the road, bound up with yellow tape. 

The kiosk, my lovely little kiosk, is there covered in police tape, shutters hanging open, sign skew.  It's just a shell now.  As I cross to it, examining the damage, it starts to dawn on me, there is nothing left.  I frantically search through the cupboards, nothing.  Not a single muesli bar left.  It's been gutted.

I've been gutted.

Helplessness washes over me.  I can't take any more loss, my feet are in shreds, my life in tatters.  A big fat tear rolls down my face and lands on my knee, then the dam breaks and they flow freely, I just don't care any more as I sit up against my decimated kiosk, sobbing my heart out. 

After soaking my knees in my moment of abandon, I stop myself.  That little worm of a thought creeps into my head, what would TOMI do?  I cradle his remains in my hand before carefully wrapping him in a discarded napkin, I then return him to the safety of my pocket.

I come to, cold, hungry, with new resolve to be home in bed.  There is no way I can make it all the way home on foot, but I can make it to Ben's, he's much closer and can help me.  I've never walked it from here before, but I can work out which roads to follow. 

I stuff my shoes with torn bits of newspaper to ease the rubbing.  A couple of stretched bits of police tape do for laces and my feet feel much better at the prospect of another long hike.

The roads pass by with impossible slowness, I know I'm getting closer, but it just feels such a huge, feet breaking distance.  "....forty nine, fifty, well done, now the next fifty, one, two... "  talking to myself in the voice of a primary school teacher and counting steps, distracts me just enough to take the next step, and the next. 

At long last I'm at the end of Ben's road.  By now I've given up counting to fifty, not nearly distracting enough from the sheer exhaustion and pain.  For this final stretch, I find myself breaking the distance up into fractions.  I know, crazy, but it works if you are desperate enough.  "....two thirds there, come on, that lamp post is half way"  The last bit is the worst, seems to go on for ever.  "Last eighth to go, come on.."

The peeling blue garage door is in front of me, I collapse against it and attempt to knock.  My first few knocks are pathetic, but I pull myself together and manage to knock loudly.

"Come on, come on, Ben, please wake up, please."

I hear a stirring inside, then see a very welcome face. 

"George! They let you out! It must have worked! Come in, you look dreadful."  Ben exclaims, making way for me to enter. 

"I'm so sorry Ben, so sorry, they've killed TOMI!" The words tumble out, I can't hold onto the burden of TOMI any longer.  I hold out his demolished remains.

"Not even close my old sport."  A familiar, amused voice from inside replies. 

Wait, was that.....?

"TOMI?" How can he be here, alive? "But the ear piece, crushed!" 

Ben gently closes the napkin over TOMI's remains, puts the bundle on his desk.  He puts an arm around my shoulders guides me to his cot in the corner. 

"I can't take your bed." I feebly protest.

"Of course you can, I've got my sofa." Ben smiles.

"The ear piece is mostly just my interface with you, the way I talk to you."  TOMI explains, "Most of my software and essence is safe in the cloud.  I managed to connect back to Ben's system without it, took a bit of processing, but here I am."

It takes my last bit of energy to focus on the things TOMI is proudly explaining. "Ben and I have been working on your release. So glad our ruse worked old boy, we managed to get you out of that shady place.  Hey Ben!" He exclaims, excitement building. "Time for an upgrade don't you think, and I want cameras so I can see this time."

"Thanks guys." I yawn loudly and they both chuckle. 

"We'll tell you all about it once you've had some sleep."  Ben tells me, gently covering me with a blanket.

I lay back in the bed, lulled by the sound of my two best friends quietly arguing about cameras.  Before I know it, I'm fast asleep, safe at last. 

Hi guys, thanks for reading.  At least everyone is safe after all that.  Hope you are enjoying the adventure.  Until next time. Rachel x