My Birthday

The best birthdays are on Saturdays, and the best Saturdays are birthdays. The sun wakes you up, and the first thing you know is It's my birthday. I'm eight. Today is my party.

I wear my favourite t-shirt. I run to the kitchen. Today is a day for running. Mum makes pancakes. They're my favourite. My cake is on the kitchen counter. I poke my finger towards the chocolate fudge icing. She slaps my hand away laughing.

The living room is decorated with balloons and streamers. There's stacks of cards to open. Presents too. When will my friends get here? Mum shoos me away. Go and play!

At last I can hear someone outside. I can hear the front gate-

-tug on the gate, impatient, and it squeaks open. I run up the path. Today isn't a day for walking. I reach the door, the wrapped present under my arm. I have to reach up on tip toes to reach the bell. Ding dong! I can see him through the glass, running.

-we're late! We must be! Look, someone is there already. I run ahead, waving.

-We all run out to the garden to play football while we wait for everyone else to get here.

-It's already loud, there's music playing, and everyone looks pink in the face. We gulp down juice and run to the living room for games. Musical statues is hard because today is not a day for being still. Sitting in a circle is tricky too. I pass the parce-

-I take the parcel slowly, grinning, and pass it on, just as slow, but the music doesn't stop, and I sigh, disappointed.

-I ring the bell, frantic, so late, I can see they've started on the party games already and-

-the room flickers

-the room flickers

-the room flickers and everything goes dark

-goes dark

-dark

-A voice echoed around me, cold and mechanical. “Simulation complete. Subject 9 has experienced all perspectives.”

The party, the friends, the balloons, the whole house, the fine Saturday morning sunshine, it all crackled, like pixels and started dissolving into-

-the sun streaming in wakes me up, and the first thing I know is, it's my birthday-

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Word count: 366

(NB. This excludes the title, subtitle, and author's note.)

Submitted on Friday 11th October at 22:39

Disclaimer: Any similarity to any person alive or dead is purely coincidental.

The story behind the story: Inspiration here is Toy Story, Andy's birthday party. Watch it and you'll see what I mean!

A Year of Stories: I'm writing (and submitting, here) a story every day this year. This continues my 285 daily micro-fiction story streak since 1st January.

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