STRANDED, 3000.

The vehicle arrived at the destination and they got off the car. Kayelin had to ride the elevator that went down again to get to her apartment house. The long elevator finally came and she got into the crawl space full of strangers. The elevator went down 100 floors, turned left then everybody got off without saying a hello. “Miss.” Kayelin accidentally got off the elevator too focused planning what to study at home. “Oh, my bad. Thank you” she said showing a faint smile. Now only Kayelin and Hammy were left and space seemed much bigger. They went to -130 floor where they lived and got off. The computer on the door recognized Kayelin’s face and the door of the house opened. Kayelin was living in the most expensive house in this apartment because she was supported by the government under the name of the president’s future psychiatrist who would be in charge of her health and emotional problems. As soon as she entered the house, all of the machines and light turned on and in the kitchen robots were preparing her dinner. She grabbed her resources and went to the living room to study. As always, the first thing she did was doing meditation as she learned to look through her window. She loved this house because of the glass ceiling that she could look through even though she wasn’t allowed to go out. Her house was located at the very edge of the cliff without any houses above which made this possible. Through the glass ceiling, the only thing she could see was the yellow sky but she even loved that. She felt very thankful and lucky for every single thing she was given from the president and so tried her best to study in this great opportunity even though every day was hell for her. Through the right and left walls which were also glass, she saw the crust of the earth which was the only thing left on this planet being developed, damaged. Kayelin has always been thankful to live in this house but couldn’t deny the fact that she was lonely. She didn’t have any friends in her school, Worlds Medical School, WMS after others knew she was getting sponsored by the supervision. It was true that she didn’t really need friends. She had estimated this before she came here already and she would return in a couple of years anyways. She even had Hammy that sometimes felt like a friend than anyone else. Kayelin did have a friend, a true friend than Jin her love. He was Aldwin. Thinking of Jin before she started studying was something more like a habit now. “Please let me meet him again.” She prayed earnestly and closed her eyes thinking of him. At this time, she felt stronger than any time. She didn’t exactly know what it was, maybe love. She had heard of this word before from Aldwin. However, this wasn’t a word that could be used outside of their friendship. Once, not knowing what this word she asked Hammy. “Hammy, what is love? Do you love me?” “That word is a prohibited word, ma’am. You should use the word ‘respect’ instead of it. Please do not use that word again.” Hammy’s was serious than anytime. She closed her eyes and pictured Jin. She looked at him in sad eyes, with eyes that seemed tears would come out at any sudden. She hugged him and waited for him to hug back but she doesn’t feel anything. She opened her eyes saw Jin. “Jin! Where are you going?” He ran into the forest and Kayelin followed him. They met at a cliff of a mountain. Jin screamed at her, “You orphan without parents!” She suddenly turned to him and walked toward him. “Jin! You love me!” “What did you say? Love? I am dead. Forget about me.” She stood straight and tried to pretend she was calm hiding her shaking hands. He smiled and said “Why? You don’t believe me?” The boy thought she was afraid and laughed and starting to punch her in the stomach violently. He pushed her to the wall and hit her hard. “I am dead. Now it is only your imagination that you are seeing.” Kayelin pulled out her phone to call Hammy but she didn’t. It was Aldwin, her only true friend. She had nothing to say. Maybe it was her fault. Maybe she was the one that was taking all the opportunities of education from other children. “Au revoir.” and he fell off the cliff. “Jin!” she screamed. “Miss, Miss.” It was Hammy. The cold plastic hand felt warmer than anyone else.“Miss, you fell asleep studying. Are you alright?” “Hammy… I am alright. I just had a bad dream for a second. You can go out. I have to study.” “Yes Miss. Dinner is ready. Please come out and eat when you feel the need.” Hammy left but Kayelin didn’t study.

“Jin… Why do you come to me so often these days? You change every time and die at the end… Why.” This was Kayelin’s big concern these days. She slept only 3~4 hours a day but when she slept she had nightmares of Jin repeatedly. Aldwin was the only friend who knew Kayelin’s whole story with Jin. He was the first friend and maybe her true last friend that knew everything about her. They met each other when they were being educated by the community at the age of 5. When they were 5, they played hide and seek together. At the age of 6, they built their first robot house together. At the age of 7, they went to elementary school together holding hands because Kayelin was alone from seven. At the age of 8, they learned how to play the piano together. When they turned 9, they flew their kites in the back school yard in secret of everyone. At the age of 10, they were still best friends and had Kayelin’s first birthday party. When they were 11, they got on the same soccer team and did after school activities. When they were 12, Kayelin and Aldwin had their intelligence test and were assigned to study instead of training to become miners. When they turned 13, they moved to a dormitory middle school and Kayelin, Aldwin, and Jin became the same class. The three of them always hung out together and became best friends. When school ended, it was a daily routine for them to eat a hotdog and talk about their concerns, a debate about their studies helping each other and soon every worry in the world would disappear. They would look for each other when they were bored and be the first to each other to tell the good news. No teachers or adults seemed to care about their friendship because they were so young; perhaps too young. By the end of the first year of middle school, Kayelin was assigned to major in medical psychology while Jin and Aldwin would study astronomy. All three of them were happy because it was the subjects they were most interested in and most of all, the president wanted all three of them to be her individual workers. The 3 best friends filled out a contract together that they would study 3 more years then go to Worlds science academy when they turned 17. Now Kayelin was split and studied in a different building with Jin and Aldwin due to the different major subject. That day was absolutely same as the other regular days. School ended at 4:00 and as soon as the school bell rang, Kayelin ran to the building of science. She waited for her 2 best friends that knew her well than anyone else in front of their class so they could go home together. Then she saw Aldwin coming out of the class alone. He was pale and had no energy. “Eld, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay? Where is Jin?” When he saw her, he grabbed her arm tight and took her to the highest floor of the building. When they arrived, he cried looking at her in a reproachful face. His eyes were full of anger and his fingers were covered in a wrist that was prepared to hit her at any time he let go. But he didn’t hit her. He came closer to her and closer until their eyes were so close she could hear his breathing. For the first time, she saw her one the only friend being angry and maybe it was because of her. She tried to open her mouth and say something but he blocked it with his cold finger. He just said “I thought you were my true my friend but you betrayed me. What a fool I was. You were just trying to protect him betraying me.” and jumped off the school building. She couldn’t believe what just happened. Maybe it was a lie or a joke or a birthday surprise. It was July 10, her 14th birthday and she knew he knew it as well. As she really hoped it was a joke, she walked toward the end of the building and as she saw it, she fainted. When she opened her eyes slowly, she was in the hospital, surrounded by medical robots and Mrs. Adira, the president of the country. She tried to remember why she was lying in a bed and then thought of her seeing her best friend dying in front of her. Kayelin screamed crying for “Aldwin” and tried to get out off the bed to find him. Mrs. Adira hugged her and said “It’s okay. Jin is fine in the other hospital.” Kayelin didn’t know what it meant but just cried and cried believing everything would be fine. However, after this everyone looked at her as if they were looking at a criminal that didn’t save a life she could have. She no longer had any friends. Nowhere. Jin was in the hospital recovering from the shock Aldwin committed suicide. Kayelin’s life turned back to normal again and started to think there was no reason to live until Mrs. Brigitte proposed studying out of this region, in Hong Kong.