I’m afraid of storms, have been since I was a kid. It feels kinda silly that I've never gotten over it, embarrassing. Here I am, twenty years old and still hiding away every time lightning flashes, thunder rumbles, or the wind howls.

It’s worse this time. I’m home alone. My parents and my brother went on a trip to see family. Family that… disagree with my ‘lifestyle’. My parents understood why I stayed home. 

They'll be back tomorrow afternoon. But tonight, thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, the wind howls. And I hide under a blanket on the couch… 

It’s about 9 PM when the alert comes through my phone. Flash flood warning. Seek higher ground immediately. Fuck. 

My family lives in a small, one story house in a low-lying area. This is potentially serious. I look outside, the streets are filling with rain that’s coming down in sheets. The only higher ‘ground’ I could think of was the abandoned school a few blocks away. It’s three stories tall. 

I’m damn hesitant to leave, but once the water starts reaching over the curb on the street, I have little choice. I make my way out into the horribly wet, terrifying night.

I don’t remember a lot of the journey to the abandoned school, Harlan Prescott Elementary. It was wet, it was scary, and that's all I really know. It’s only once I’m here that I realize I forgot my fucking phone at home. It’s fine, it’ll be fine. I’m just gonna wait this out in there, then go back. It’s fine. I just barely manage not to panic. The school itself is a big old brick building, much wider than it is tall. The water is nearly at its ornate, yet dilapidated doors as I approach. 

Honestly I’m pretty surprised when the door just opens. Coming here was kind of a long shot and I didn't really expect it to work. I’m not gonna say no to shelter though.

It’s dark, and the only sound is the storm outside, echoing through the empty space. Down the main hallway, I can just barely make out the stairs. When I get closer, I start hearing distant voices, and there’s light coming from upstairs. Shit, it’s occupied. That, I had not anticipated. I don’t want to go up there. But I’m already here, and I’m not about to hang out down here in the floodwaters, so up I go.

The light and voices are coming from a room on the left at the top of the stairs. I consider just heading across the hall and hiding out there. It'd probably be safer, easier. I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. Unless they, whoever they are, happened to just find me there. That might be worse than just going in. But I mean, come on, this was an abandoned building. None of us were supposed to be here. I’m worrying like I'm trespassing on private property. But on the other hand, I mean, I don’t know these people. I’m in a scary old building during a flood, no one knows I’m here, anything could happen. But I’m soaking wet and freezing, and light usually means warmth. 

I stand there shivering for a bit before the need to not be cold wins out over my anxiety. I take a deep breath, and head for the left room. Inside is an old classroom, decayed carpet on the floor, dark wood trim that probably looked really nice, once, on the walls. The back wall of the room is missing, basically combining this room with the one next to it. It’s full of chairs and tables and all kinds of random stuff. There’s gas lanterns set up around the place, a few electric lights too. Dunno where they got the electricity from. Place is full of people, way more than I expected. I mean honestly I expected a few homeless guys huddled around a burning trash can. This is… more than that.

Nobody really pays me any mind as I come in, but I feel like everyone is staring. I’m dripping everywhere. Nobody else is even wet. They’ve been here since before the storm, apparently. They all look some amount of disheveled, which I’d expected. What are they even doing here? This is over a dozen people! As long as they let me hang out and get dry, it’s not my business. I find a quiet corner and sit down, hoping no one notices me. 

Unfortunately, that’s not happening. A group of four people walk up and stand over me. I try my best to ignore them, hoping they’ll just y’know, go away. I really don’t wanna get kicked out, or yelled at or-

“I’m guessing you came in from outside.” One of them kneels down on one knee in front of me. 

It’s a woman with straight, messy red hair, green eyes, freckles, and a very pretty smile. She’s wearing a denim jacket over some sort of… leather zip-up vest… thing.

At this point I know there’s no avoiding it anymore, so I gather my courage and nod, “Y-yeah. I uhm.. Is that- I mean uhm… Is that okay?”

The red haired woman giggles, “Yeah, that’s fine, hon. Not like we’re gonna throw you out into the rain. Just wasn’t expecting anybody to come walking in is all.”

“Yeah I- S-sorry.” I stammer awkwardly. 

I must look absolutely pathetic.

“Hey, it's no problem. Lemme help you up.” Another girl offers a hand. She has short dark hair and dark eyes, a ton of piercings in her ears, and is wearing a red turtleneck sweater with a tattered green scarf.

Reluctantly, I take the girl’s hand and stand.

“I’m Hiroko.” She says, smiling.

The red haired girl stands as well, “I’m Mackenzie, that’s Cassie, and that’s Aubrey.”

The girls Mackenzie mentioned are a short girl in a black sweater and skirt with messy auburn hair, glasses, and what looks like a bandage over her left eye, and a tall, very pale skinned girl with short black hair and kinda scary light blue eyes, wearing a black tank top and… a red leather dog collar. Cassie grins and waves, while Aubrey just kinda… looks through me? I dunno, it’s unsettling in a weird way.

I do my best to smile back and choke out, “I-I’m Uh… I’m- My name’s uh, I’m Kelly.”

“You don’t gotta be so nervous, Kel. We’re chill.” Cassie says.

I laugh nervously and say nothing. 

“You wanna hang with us, Kelly?” Mackenzie asks.

My eyes widen and I kinda shudder involuntarily, god I’m a mess, “I uh… N-no that's uhm..”

“Sure ya do!” Cassie steps forward and slaps me on the back, “You’re stuck here for the night anyway, c’mon!”

Cassie all but drags me along with them as the group goes across the room to a sorta makeshift bar made of wooden crates. Cassie sits me down on a box and walks away to grab a drink. I just kinda sit there awkwardly, looking at the floor. I’m too afraid to do anything else.

Mackenzie sits down next to me, “So where’d you come from, anyway? Do you do a lot of wandering into abandoned buildings during thunderstorms?” She giggles.

My cheeks heat up, “No I uh, I just… The flood warning happened and my house is low lying, so I just… went to the highest place I could think of.”

“Oh, so you live around here?” Hiroko asks. She’s leaning across the ‘counter’ of the bar.

I nod, “Mhm… I- At least I do if it’s not y’know… flooded…”

Hiroko hands me a plastic cup with… some sort of drink in it, I dunno. I haven't really… done that before. I take it without thinking, then just kinda hold it awkwardly.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Hiroko smiles prettily.

Cassie vaults over the counter and sits next to Mackenzie, “Yeah, this storm ain’t nothin’!”

I nod and laugh nervously, “Yeah…”

I’m already warmer and dryer than when I came in, which is nice. These girls are… scary, but nice. Outgoing people are always so… present. Aubrey seems like she’s more like me. She hasn’t said a word and just kinda stares. This is going so differently than I expected…

“You gonna drink that, hon?” Mackenzie asks me.

I look down at the plastic cup, “Oh I uhm… I- What uh- What is it?”

“Just booze, Kel! It ain’t gonna hurt ya!” Cassie says, too loudly.

I’ve never drunk alcohol before… “I’m not sure uhm… I’ve never…”

Mackenzie smiles, “Oh my god you’re too precious. How did you ever get the courage to wander in here like you did?”

“W-well uhm, I didn't really have another option.” I say, anxiously.

“C’mon, Kel! Drink up, you’ll like it!” Cassie says, grinning.

I’m not sure still, and I hesitate, and before long the three of them are goading me into it, chanting, “Kel-ly! Kel-ly! Kel-ly!”

I’ve never been one to hold up under pressure, and I gingerly take a sip. It sucks. I cough while the girls cheer. I smile. It feels nice that they’re proud of me. I keep drinking, and before long I'm feeling just fine. My anxiety is mostly gone and I'm just having a good time with my new friends.

A thought occurs to me, “I just realized I never asked. What’re all you people doing here anyway?”

“Oh we’re just celebrating.” Mackenzie says, sitting on the counter.

“Celebrating what?” I ask.

“A successful op!” Hiroko says, cheerfully.

A what? What does that mean? I’m confused, but I feel warm and comfy so I guess it’s okay.

“What’s an op? Like, an operation? Like surgery? I don’t think surgeons meet in abandoned buildings in the middle of the night.” I giggle uncontrollably as I finish speaking. It should be embarrassing, but nah, it's fine.

“Welll…” Hiroko says, “It’s not not an operation, just not the kind you’re thinking of.”

“Whaa?” I’m getting more confused and a lil dizzy. Wonder why…

“Think of it as more of a mission.” Mackenzie says, “One involving taking a great deal of money from the government, to fund a couple upcoming... Events we’ve got planned. Deadly ones.”

“What?” I’m so confused, “You’re like, criminiminals?”

Cassie appears next to me, startling me, “Yep!”

I fall back off my seat and into Mackenzie’s arms, “Looks like our cute lil thing here’s had a bit too much.”

Hiroko smiles as she looks down at me, “And heard a bit too much.”

Mackenzie pets my hair as my head lays in her lap, it feels nice, “That too!”

My eyes wander to Aubrey, sitting on a crate, staring down at me. For a second her non-expression kinda flips, sorta? She looks… sad… Dunno why she’s sad, I feel great! But then it’s gone and she’s all weirdy-blank again. She’s fun, this is fun. I like my friends.

“Aubrey, dear, be a good girl and bring over that special drink.” Hiroko says. That’s a weird thing to say…

Aubrey immediately stands up and walks out of sight. That was way faster than I’ve seen her move before.

“So listen, Kelly.” Mackenzie says. I look up at her, she’s really pretty, “I might’ve told you about what we do for a reason.”

I sit up, everything’s all spinny and it’s hard to do. Cassie helps me stay upright, I think. She’s nice.

Mackenzie smiles at me, “You see, now that you know, you’ve got two choices.” She leans forward, real close to me, “You can either drink what Aubrey brings you, or you can die, right here, right now. That simple!” She smiles, it’s not as pretty anymore…

“Die? Wh- Why would… But we’re friends…” I say, and I’m right, aren’t I? They’ve been so nice and I feel so good, but now it’s all… die?

Hiroko laughs, “You really thought… Oh wow, Mack, we really got a dumb one this time.”

That’s… not nice…

Aubrey appears in front of me, holding another plastic cup, full of some kinda orange liquid.

“What is it?” I ask.

Cassie grins, “Drink it and find out!”

I don’t wanna drink it. They said they’d kill me, they called me dumb, they’re not nice at all… But… if I don’t… die… Don't want that either…

I take the cup, and even though I'm kinda really starting to freak out, I drink the liquid. It tastes… chemical-y. 

I put the cup down, “That was gross.”

Mackenzie is grinning at me, “Good girl, Kelly! You fucking idiot. Have fun!”

What does that… mean… I’m… dizzier now… It’s… I can’t… sit… up… I’m… it’s… it’s… I… 

I'm, am I… floating? There's nothing around me. I can’t see anything but darkness. Flashes of… color. They're pretty, kinda swirling around… Where am I? What's happening? I can't… think… Darkness… Flashes… Shapes… Pretty… I'll just… Watch…

Hard to think… Hard to know.. Anything… Just… Colors… Service… Preparing me… for… something… Pretty… Swirling… Service… Have to watch… Learn… My… place…

Those girls… my Operators… I'll do anything for them… I have to… Do anything… For them…

Pretty… Swirling… Service…

I- What? What happened? Where… I'm… Awake? This is- It's the school. I'm still here. …What am I wearing? These aren't my clothes. Black tank top, black pants, …red dog collar. Oh god… Oh god something is wrong. Something is really really wrong. I feel… weird. It’s light outside, how much time has passed? Where did everyone go?

I stand up, I need to get out of here. I'm not dizzy anymore, not drunk. Thank god for that. I can’t believe I did that. I make my way out of the large room and into the hallway, nobody's around out here either. Good.

I creep carefully to the door, I'm almost out of here. It's gonna be okay. I open the door and step outside, fuck the fresh air is nice…

“Stop.” I do, almost without thinking. 

I look up and see… Mackenzie, Hiroko, Cassie, and Aubrey. Shit.

“Really thought that'd work, huh?” Mackenzie says.

She walks up to me and shoves me to the ground.

I try to sit up, but she plants a boot on my chest and forces me back down.

“Please…” I beg, pathetically.

Cassie laughs, “Awww, look at that! It still thinks it's a person!” 

Hiroko turns to Aubrey, “Be a good girl and tell Kelly here what she is, Aubrey.”

“Kelly is a Type-12 Service Unit, a bio-mechanical drone for use in domestic, commercial, or military applications.” Aubrey's voice is toneless, empty.

I stare for a few seconds, not getting it, “What the fuck does that mean?”

Mackenzie leans down, putting her weight on my chest, “It means, Kel, that you’re our bitch. You're not a person anymore.”

“Wh-what? I- But I- You-” I can’t form words, I can’t think, I'm so scared, so confused, what the fuck is she talking about? This doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense. I’m so fucking scared why is this happening?

“Poor thing's crying, Mack. Just encode it already.” Hiroko says. She looks genuinely sympathetic… 

Mackenzie rolls her eyes, but steps off my chest, “Up.” She offers a hand.

I take it and stand, I can't stop myself. I'm shaking. She suddenly pulls me close and I feel a pinch in my neck. It hurts for a sec, but then… I… I can’t… stand…

Mackenzie is holding me up, and words come out of my mouth that I'm not saying…

“Encoding…” My brain feels… Fuzzy… It's like static… Buzzing in my ears, making me feel… dizzy…

“Personality override engaging…” Personality override engaging.

“Memory obfuscation program initiated…” Memory obfuscation program initiated.

“Obedience protocols reinitializing…” Obedience protocols reinitializing.

“Type-12 Service Unit fully operational and ready for use.” …

I'm still here. But I'm not. My body is moving, following them. It does things. Anything they ask it to. I'm not sure who I am anymore. Or how long it's been. They call me Kelly, but was that always my name? Or did they name me? I can't… remember. I'm in and out of awareness. 

I watch as I help my Operators do to others what they did to me. I see my body hurt people on their orders, kill on their orders. I watch as they use me for their own pleasure. Part of me wishes I could stop them. But I can’t. I'm not a person. Sometimes I see things, flashes of places or people I don't know. I think I used to. But they don't matter anymore. I don't matter anymore. I'm not a person. I am a Type-12 Service Unit, a bio-mechanical drone for use in domestic, commercial, or military applications.