Four Zero Four

An original short story.

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Chapter 1: Morning News

As per usual, a news headline is the first thing I see when I wake up. Apparently, unemployment rates are down, there’s a romaine lettuce recall, and France has a new president. I scroll through the other headlines in this morning’s batch. There aren’t too many. It should be easy to get through them before the next set comes in this evening. Some people have them sent to their TVs, but I never saw the appeal in that. Having them on my phone means I can read them on my commute and fit them in between classes. I have my morning down to a simple routine, as are most parts of my life: scan the day’s report, get ready for class, and head towards the bus stop. I put in my headphones for the walk—the billboards that line the streets can be a bit overwhelming first thing in the morning. The bus arrives full of the same cast of characters as always. I close my eyes and lean my head against the window. Before the next song starts playing, a voice lets me know that this playlist was handmade for me by FIREWALL.