Caretaker

April is a time for showers and renewal.

Our protagonist wanted renewal. Fewer bad moments. She didn’t expect to become one.

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The apartment was Felicia's haven after hours of accounts, details, and micromanaging colleagues who did not understand the nuances of the business. the last thing the busy executive wanted to do was to deal with unnecessary  annoyances.

Spilled coffee.  Misplaced keys. A missed bus.

There were times ife's little things were simply-

Repulsive.

Life  was easier when she thought she had them to blame.

They were frustrating enough for her to download Caretaker -   an app that didn't promise miracles.

Just fewer bad moments.

The apartment was even more welcoming the next day. She micromanaged less, and colleagues responded.

The app was accurate enough to feel like luck.  Too accurate to feel right.

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Felicia  couldn't be parted from the app.  indispensable was an understatement.

She used it whenever she wanted to avoid doing anything inconvenient. Chores.  Accounts.

 Even relationships.

 For  a time, it served her only too well. it fielded every inconvenience, including her accounts. 

The Caretaker App  also created agents that served  her spokespersons.  she used it whenever she was too busy to speak to anyone. 

"Felicia? Mum here. I need you to take me to the doctor."

"Felicia's not available. Is there a way I can assist you?"

 The inconveniences found her -

The more she avoided them.

She couldn't ignore the accounts. The table parameters had been wrongly set. 

The wait at the Accident and Emergency department was four hours. 

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The trivialities continued to grate under her skin. The app was still a solace -

No matter how grating it was. 

Until it lit up one evening. 

Another reminder. 

"Time to break your mother's heart tonight."

She had not written it. She quickly scrolled through the Appointments section of the app. 

Nothing. 

Then, a phone call. It was her mother. 

"Felicia, I need you to take me to..please.."

The app's notification panel lit. The agent interjected before Felicia could speak. "She is too busy to come to the phone now."

Click. 

The line went dead.

Felicia returned the phone call. Still dead. 

Dead. 

The agents -

Too alive.

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She deleted the app. Everything went quiet, for a while. 

But her fingers scrolled through the notifications again.

Predicting. 

Again. 

When was her father's next appointment? What if...?

The app was gone. But she knew.

Too well. 

Still, every choice she made now had its -

Shadow. 

That notified. 

Too accurately. But she found it easier -

Far easier to respond. 

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For Mikeydred's April Challenge