The Uncanny Valley

The night was still, the streets wet with fresh rain. Guards patrolled the quiet buildings, looking through windows and edging across rooftops. Their uniforms glinted in the moonlight, an abrasive silver and blue, it was hard to picture them as people sometimes. They all blended, one giant mass of shapeless voices. I think the weirdest thing about them was their smile or lack thereof. Have you ever seen a man smile but no muscle moved? It’s more of a twitch, empty gazes met with cheeks that angled the wrong direction.

The city burned down in 2024, no one knew how the fire started. Thousands of people died, families obliterated, dream homes destroyed. It tore through every crack, crevice, and gap that it could find til there was nothing left but ash. I don’t know if the other cities survived. I grew up here, rebuilt to be the perfect version of what once was. A restoration, a chance to fix everything that was wrong with what we now call ‘The Skyline'. They never told us what the original city was called, I’ve asked my dad countless times, but he gets quiet when I do. It doesn't matter though, none of it really matters because I met Lily here.

Lily, the first real person among the countless perfect faces. The one who has always been able to pull me out of the doldrum routine and consistency with her signature mischievous grin; and typically into another of her 'fun ideas.'

We're supposed to meet tonight at the water tower. Curfew was an hour ago, but the tower is typically unguarded. It's a little risky, but tonight it's worth it. This needs to be special; I know she’s been on edge lately. We all know what happens when a girl turns eighteen, even if we don't talk about it. Her birthday’s tomorrow, and despite my insisting that nothing's going to change I can see it in the crease of her eyes, the flutter of her nod; she doesn’t believe me. I have to give her something to hold onto, something real.

I have something better than words, it's dangerous though. My dad has a necklace, I’m sure they don’t know about it, he wouldn't be here if they did. It’s small, a silver heart that opens on a chain. My mom’s picture lays inside it. A wide smile over a green backdrop, her eyes a deep reflection of my own. The guards took her when I was nine, she didn’t adhere to the rules very well. She always used to say that living under someone else’s thumb is a life half-lived. I remember her smile as she would say it, she would ruffle my hair and look at me, a hint of unease lived in her gaze. It happened ten years ago, but it still feels like yesterday.

They don’t allow accessories here, “pursuing individuality is damaging to the whole.” We are one in a majority, a star in a constellation of millions, they never cease to remind us of that. Dad kept it after she got taken, I think he knew that she wasn’t going to come back. I would see him sometimes, open the drawer, dig to the bottom and pull it out gently. It was almost like he was scared if he grabbed it too hard it would shatter.

I had pulled it from its hiding place, gingerly, effortlessly. The pang of guilt hit; it’s been coming in waves. Dad hasn't looked at it since the surgery anyway. It's as if he’s a broken version of himself. Regardless I need to do this, Lily needed to know that I was serious. Dad was stuck in the past, and I can’t live in it with him anymore. Maybe this is what we need, a new light to lead the way, a new meaning for something that was meant to be happy. I took mom’s picture out, that wasn’t mine to take.

I crept to the window; my face looked back at me. Short dark hair pasted to my forehead, eyes a deep amber, I’ve always hated the color. Lily claims they are the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen, so I guess that can be enough for me.

I can feel the fear in my core, what if this is the last time I ever see her? A shaky breath found its way out, and I checked my pocket for the clank of the heart. I grabbed at the door handle before I could change my mind.

Dad was working tonight, guarding the west side of the skyline. I stuck to the back streets, feet sticking to the ground, trying to blend in with the walls. Getting caught wasn't an option, it meant death, or worse. I've seen people after the surgery, they're not the same. They always look the same to me and respond to the same name, but something about them is off. Dad hasn’t smiled since he got it, his face twitches like the rest of them. It's like looking at a painting, you want to look away, but no matter how far away you get, their empty expression follows. He said the money would be worth the risk, that was a year ago. No amount of money can replace what they took.

A guard walked on the building above me, I pressed my back as far as I could, my breath hitching. I was only one sidewalk away from the tower, I could make this. I walked on slowly. Every silhouette, every tint of silver jolted me; I wasn’t confident like my mom, or manly like my dad. I had to focus, one foot in front of the other. The corner provided me solace, no guards in sight. I could see the tower. In a moment of bravery, or maybe stupidity, I ran for it. My feet slapped the ground, not stopping until I hit the stairway leading up to her.

I climbed the stairs, looking around every few seconds; nothing but quiet air. I reached the top and touched the cool railing with a shivering hand. We were high enough up that we could sit and not be spotted, but any movement was risky. It all had to be coordinated, one wrong step and our lives would be stripped of their substance.

My thoughts dissipated when I saw her sitting there. She looked up at me and her smile lit up the night, she is worth this.

Her voice joined the empty air, “Hi.”

I smiled, “I’ve never been happier to see you, did you get here okay?”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” A small chuckle escaping her lips. I sat as close to her as I could get, enveloping her hand in mine. My head found her shoulder, a sigh of relief escaping softly.

“I have something for you,” I whispered.

“El! You didn’t have to do that, what could you have gotten me that would be allowed anyway?” The excitement in her voice overtook any fear her words gave away.

“It’s not legal- but I think it’ll help; you know with everything going on tomorrow." My voice wavered at the end. She looked down. I dug into my pocket, the silver chain hitting my palm softly. I placed it face up in her hand, the necklace stared at us expectedly.

Lily’s breath shook, “I don’t think I can take this,” voice barely above a whisper.

“Please, you have to,” I begged, “I can’t lose you, maybe this will keep you here. You know that some people don’t make it out of that room… and if they do, it's not them that come out." She nodded, looking at me like I held the world in my hands.

“You realize this is only a necklace, right? It can’t save me if something goes wrong,” her eyes narrowed, her voice, usually a melody, sounded flat, desperate.

“No, but when you come out,” I pointedly squeezed her hand, “you’ll have something to remember me by.”

“Where did you get it El?” The curiosity in Lily’s voice adamant.

“It was my mom’s,” I said quietly, my fingers fiddling with hers.

“I’ll hold onto it forever, don’t worry, I’m never going to forget you,” her voice hummed in my ear. There was a moment when the world stopped, it was ours, if only for a moment.

It was ripped away as quickly as it came. A light flashed on us, suddenly the quiet night was too loud, catastrophically loud. “Up on the tower! Code three!” A voice screeched, echoing across the stars. Lily and I looked at each other, there was no way out. Footsteps clanged on the stairs, the ground was too far, the water behind us too cold. It all passed in a blur, Lily pocketed the necklace, just as the shape of blue and silver reached the top. He pulled out a weapon that I didn't recognize and pointed it in our direction, then it was black.

I woke up at home. My head pounding in a way I didn’t know was possible. My dad stood in the doorway; eyes empty.

"Elliot, you're lucky I work with the Skyline, they wanted to detain you,” his rough voice only adding to the pain.

"Thanks, Dad, it won't happen again," I said, voice quavering.

“Good, you’re being requested at the office, I would get there now, they’re not happy about last night,” he said slowly, emotionlessly.

I got up, every bone aching. I don’t know what they hit me with, but its effects weren’t something to be taken lightly. I didn’t bother changing, I had a feeling whatever awaited me was beyond that. I hit the doorway and looked back at my dad, he nodded slightly then continued staring forward. I left without another word. The sunlight was glaring, the shuffling of feet around me was almost unbearable. I walked toward the Block, it's what we call the main building in the skyline. It's where the surgeries get held.

As I got close, I saw Lily sitting outside. My heart skipped a beat.

"Lily!" I called, all the pain washing away. She was alive, she was here, and she was alive. It didn't matter what happened to me now, but as I grew closer, I saw something was off.

She didn’t respond. Her face was different, it was rigid.

“Lily?” I got closer. I went to grab her hand and she jerked away.

“Who are you?” Her voice even sounded different. She backed away from me. I didn’t know what to say, how could she not remember me?

She spoke again, “Leave me alone, I don’t know who you are, and I would not like to.” She walked quickly away, not even bothering to look back. Everything about her was different. I stood silently for a moment, waiting for a reaction. I felt my world crash beneath me, without Lily there was nothing.

I took a step forward and heard a faint snap. Looking down, I saw a glint of silver, and felt everything fall away. There on the ground was Mom's locket, crushed and broken.

I looked for Lily again, frantically, desperately, but she was gone.