TEST DRIVE

[smolotov]

[ FOR WHATEVER REASON! there is a small child staring very intently at you, before trotting fearlessly over regardless of how approachable you look ]

...Um. Um! Excuse me!

Comments

[counterfaith]

[ ??????????? CHILD ]

Ah -- hello. What is it, miss?

[smolotov]

Are you... old?

[counterfaith]

Ah -- well, in comparison to yourself, I suppose I am.

[ he's like 80 ]

[smolotov]

Everybody is! But, but your hair is white.

[counterfaith]

That's right, it is. Still, does it make me look old?

[smolotov]

No, that's why it's weird!

[counterfaith]

Hahaha.

[ kneels down to be at her eye level, his hands on his lap ]

Well, let's see. What's an old person like?

[smolotov]

[ thinks

about this ]

...Their bodies don't work as well anymore, and— and also they have wrinkles.

[counterfaith]

That's right. But I don't have wrinkles, right?

[ offers both his hands to her, palms up, in demonstration; he flexes his fingers slowly ]

My body works well, too. So, am I old?

[smolotov]

[ squints at him— everything does sound and look fine. he's got a healthy heart rate and there's none of the warmer spots she'd associate with joint inflammation or anything like that. ]

...I guess not...

But then why's your hair white?

[counterfaith]

Hmm. You know, I don't know.

One day, I just woke up like this.

[smolotov]

—really?!

[counterfaith]

Mm. It was strange! I forgot everything, too. So, I don't really know. Sorry.

[smolotov]

...I was going to say that's really cool but that's not cool at all, are you ok?

[counterfaith]

Haha!

[ flaps his hand, don't worry ]

It's alright, my head is a lot lighter now. It's like I could float.

[smolotov]

[ grabs his hand DO NOT FLOAT AWAY STRANGE NII-SAN ]

But! But! Humans don't forget like that unless something bad happened to them! Like getting hit really hard, or having a stroke, or— or getting tortured!

[counterfaith]

[ hahaha, takes her hand

why are you saying such bizarre things are you okay ]

............... Well, that's not what happened, probably. . .

Is that something you read?

[smolotov]

But you don't know that—

... ummm mmhmm. It was on the internet.

[counterfaith]

. . . I see. . .

[ sounds fake but ok ]

Ah, but I do know. A person in a mask told me what happened.

[smolotov]

[ WHISPERS ]

But what if they were the one who did it.

[counterfaith]

[ whispers, also ]

Hmmm. I don't know, huh. . . I guess I have to trust that's what happened, right?

[inspiteful]

[ ??? ]

Yes?

[smolotov]

I dunno...

[smolotov]

—your eyes don't match!

[counterfaith]

It's alright. By the way, what's your name, miss? It's a bit strange to have a conversation like this without exchanging names, right?