The setting in this pasta is exactly one year ago, just to clear up some confusion. You'll understand once you read on.
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In exactly two weeks I'm going to be a freshman. And like any other teen whose going into high school, I'm filled with excitement and anticipation, with anxiety on the side. And since I'm going into high school, a key object for studying and what not is a laptop and I need one, BAD.
I've never really been an intelligent teenager, I'm lucky that I passed Math with a C average. But unlike the preppy brainiacs at my school, I would rather spend the free time on the weekends by getting high with my friends.
I've done things that I regret. I don't consider myself a good kid, but just because I smoke weed doesn't mean I'm bad either.
If you get to know me I'm actually a really laid back and nice guy. Back to the topic though, laptop right. It's a warm Tuesday afternoon and I woke up with a gut feeling that said if I go rummaging at yard sales today, MAYBE I'll have some luck with a decent and working laptop. Any laptop would be fine for me, as long as it works.
Right down the corner of a street about three blocks down from my house, I find a somewhat decent looking house, compared to the other houses considering I'm in the ghetto. And I pull my bike up to the driveway and I let out a calm "Hello?" I then notice a young man, maybe around his early twenties walk out of the front door.
"What can I do for ya?"
"Umm, school is starting soon, and I was-"
"Yeah, yeah, school is starting, I know. Get to the point."
His stubbornness threw me off so I just stand there and stare at my feet, when I look up, he impatiently gestures me to continue. Before I open my mouth my to speak, I spot a laptop sitting on a table in the corner.
"How much for that laptop?"
The man quickly whips his head to look at it and then slowly looks back at me. He then forms a large grin on his face.
"Free."
"What? Really?!"
"Yes, really! Now take it and go!"
He grabs my arm and drags me towards the laptop.
"Take the damned thing and go! GO!"
"Hey let go of me man! Just let me grab it!"
"Grab it and GO! GET IT OUT OF HERE!"
I snatch it then quickly hop back on my bike, as I pedal off of the driveway he continues to shout "GO!" and "DON'T COME BACK WITH THAT FUCKING LAPTOP!"
Once I open the front door that leads into my living room, I run into my moms room to tell her the news.
"Mom! Mom! LOOK!"
"Where'd you get that laptop...?"
"A rummage sale! I just pointed it out and the man basically begged me take it! This is EXACTLY what I need for school mom!"
"I'm glad you're happy son. Now stop jumping on my bed."
"Oh yeah, sorry mom!"
Excited out of my mind, I pounce off of the bed, run upstairs to my room and open the laptop so quick that I swear it almost broke in half. Pressing the power button was like a gift from God. I swear I almost cried from the intensity of my joy, and I was even MORE hysterical to stare at the Windows 7 logo pop up on the screen. I see that there is only one user account on there, "Dan" Hmm... I'm guessing that young mans name was Dan.
The wallpaper caught me off guard though, pretty damn odd if you ask me. It was just static that filled up the entire screen, and a date at the bottom right corner. 8/25/11. "Huh. That's a coincidence..." I thought, because today was the twenty-fifth.. 2011... And there were no programs, no icons, just the static wallpaper and the date. No mouse at all either.
"This laptop is a piece of shit!"
I grinded my teeth together as I sit there filled with rage towards the man who gave me this laptop. Maybe this is why he wanted to get rid of it so bad. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. Clicking over and over again, hoping that at least Internet Explorer will pop up, my rage gets the best of me and I punch the screen as hard as I could. But the moment I punched the screen, a powerful sharp jolt of pain shot up my arm, down to my whole body and my vision begins to blur.
I screamed in pain as I hunched my shoulders up next to my cheeks, clenched my fists, shot my legs out straight out forward and feeling the intensity of pain that a woman would feel experiencing a contraction. As the level of pain begins to increase, my eyesight begins to come back, better than ever actually. And right in front of me is the laptop, with the static actually making a deafening static noise, with the numbers in the date changing frequently.
I feel the knuckles in my fists cracking due to clenching them too hard from the pain, and I can feel blood trickling down my nose. I can't move my head, my arms, legs, nothing, all I see is that fucking laptop. I'm beginning to see things erect from the monitor, as if a static hand was reaching out to me, about to cover my whole face and strangle me. But whenever it gets close enough it flickers and disappears.
Everything is turning to static now, the walls slowly form to static, the floor, the ceiling, and all I can see is that fucking laptop and all I can hear is the sound of static. The sound is so loud that I believe my ear drums exploded because I can feel a warm liquid run down the sides of my face from where my ears would be.
With my teeth clenched as powerful as possible I manage to whisper out, "Sssss- ssstop..." But nothing happens. As the walls of static begin to surround my body, I can feel hands, poking me, shocking me with their electrifying touch. And as they slowly make their way to my neck, I can feel my limbs go limp, and I black out.
...
I awake in my room, able to move my limbs and think clearly. And as I look on the floor, all I can see is that fucking laptop, looking as brand new as I got it from the garage sale. I jump off my egg chair, snatch the laptop, and run to the front door. With intentions of destroying it. But as soon as I open the front door, I'm greeted by my friend.
"Hey man, I was wondering if I could borrow your laptop and everything, considering I don't have internet at MY house but I'm stayin at Logans for the night and he has wifi, I'm just going to go on the school website and see what I need for school. Is that okay with you?"
I slowly turn my head to look at the laptop that I currently hold in my right hand, and I quickly shove it into his chest.
"Take it. Take it and go."