Retrospect

Three

I went back to my apartment as soon as I left the Butterfly Shop. I had stayed in the shadows of the alleyways, concealing my newly purchased coat, because if officers or workers found that, they would immediately lock me up or possibly kill me. Though tonight, I had to be doing the riskiest thing a human in our city could ever do.

I was sitting on my couch in my living room, my wig on my coffee table and the sunlight pouring in through the window leading to my fire escape. I had made it past the building's security worker without him suspecting anything. They usually didn't look in the residents of the buildings' bags, but they could if they felt it necessary for a person's safety. I just got really lucky he didn't this time.

The coat was laid out next to me, already out of its plastic covering. I had checked for rips and tears in the fabric or stains but found nothing. There weren't any trackers attached to it either, so I just had to take the man's word for it that it was okay to wear and wouldn't get me caught.

I was staring straight ahead, thinking. It just didn't seem right that he had given it to me so quickly. I reached over and picked up the coat, examining it once again. Everything looked convincing to me but there was only one way to figure this out. I had to ask my TV. The hack didn't work on my phone (which everyone was required to carry), so the TV was the only option. Problem was, searching for false coats that replicated what the workers wore was dangerous. I knew my building's security worker monitored everything, so it wasn't out of the question that he could also see what I would ask. I'd made searches before on false lenses with a method someone at a store had taught me, though I still felt very anxious after I did.

I was scared to try it again, but it was the only way to figure out if I had been tricked somehow. Walking over to the kitchen counter, I picked up a pen and used the back of a piece of paper already in its place. I scribbled my question down and wrote it backwards. I practiced saying it a couple times, making sure it would sound right once I asked it. I had been told telling the TV things backwards tricked it into bringing up what people wanted but the search was labeled something different. It worked the first and only time I'd done it, though, who was to say it would work again? Maybe they had fixed the glitch by now but I still had to try. All I could do was hope.

I rehearsed the question one more time and took a deep breath. Shutting my eyes, I spoke aloud. The strange words that slid off my tongue slurred together and made me sound like a fool. Once I finished saying the last "word," the TV began searching like I thought it would.

I walked over to the screen from the kitchen counter, nervously waiting for the answer. It was torture as the TV continued to search, taking much longer than it had the first time I'd done this. The screen created a soft, white glow on my face as I stared in anticipation. It was taking forever and I was just about to give up and turn it off when an image and a couple of sentences finally popped up on the screen. I had asked what the details of a replica worker coat were in the secret "language" and I read the answer carefully.

The description matched the coat I had bought perfectly which was a good sign, but once I saw the true price of one I gave an exasperated sigh.

The coats were never available for purchase online (as officers would show up at the buyer's door and most likely arrest them) and they were usually sold at 300 dollars. I had bought it for 200 more. I cursed myself for being so stupid and not bothering to look up the price beforehand, but I had been growing too impatient to think things through at the time. I had known they were expensive but I didn't think I'd be paying more for what they were actually worth.

The coat could definitely get me through the doors without suspicion no question and I should've been happy about that, but I hated that I had wasted 200 dollars. I could've used it for something more beneficial like food and water.