Retreating from the Robots

The dark shadows obscured my face as I crept through the alleyways, peeking out at the streets occasionally to see if I was being watched. It’s been three days since the robots took over, after they became superior, after the robots started coming after us, the humans.

As far as I know, I’m the only one left. I don’t know where my parents are, or my sister. All I’m focused on is escape. You can’t really blame me. I see someone, or rather something coming down the street. One of the robots.

I quickly duck for cover behind one of the trashcans. The robot looks down the alley a moment, red mechanical eyes dull and dead. He moves on. I jump out and run as fast as I can to the next alley, trying not be seen.

I think I’ve been stealthy enough. I crouch down in the other alleyway. I sit down a moment to catch my breath. I hear a shuffle behind me, but I’m pretty sure it’s my imagination. Turns out, it isn’t.

Someone taps me on the back, and I spin around, kicking a trashcan with my foot. I pinch myself for making any kind of noise. I look in the alley for the thing who tapped me. I’m surprised to see Mrs. Potter, the baker.

I hear a click and immediately know that another robot is coming around the corner, probably come to investigate the noise I made. Mrs. Potter pulls me into the shadows. The robot doesn’t seem to see us, surprisingly. It actually looks a little broken.

Mrs. Potter doesn’t say a word when the robot leaves. When the streets are quiet again, she creeps out of the alley. I follow her. She goes to the dock, where she pulls a motorboat out from behind a pile of debris.

It’s brilliant. We can just float to some other place on the motorboat and never have to think about this place again! We get in the boat and float away. We’ve done the impossible. We’ve escaped.