A Monika to Remember: Part Two

"Monika (no last name given) was born on August 30th, 2040 in New York City. She was the daughter to Marie Alice Tuckket, who suffered maternal death. Environmentalist, humanitarian, her studies led to volunteer work aiding the troubled in third world countries. Her courageous efforts during World War III earned her the nickname "The Auburn Angel" and the Nobel Peace Prize. Her book that catalogues her various experiences during the war, "To Balance the Scale of Consumption", was an instant best seller. The success of her book brought upon a talk show: "Monika", which was fondly coined as the "second coming of Oprah". She even managed to achieve musical success with her band "Reality", which is known for it's hypnotic rhythms, driving bass lines, and memorable hooks. At this time, she married a man who remained anonymous due to the animosity-"

I shut the book and toss it on the floor in front of the bald man. He quickly retrieves it and examines the delicate book for any fractures.

"That was an interesting read. But why did you show me this?"

"Because it is about you, Monika. This is a biography of your life."

"Ahaha, that sounds a little farfetched don't you think? I'm just in high school right now, how could I have accomplished all of what this book says so far in my life?"

"Because it is easy for a cat to have one successful life if they have nine."

My eye contact with this man doesn't waver but I want to bury my face in my hands. I was not ready for this. It was frightening enough to try to sleep while a stranger was stalking around the house, who knew my exact name at first glance. But I figured if this was Anon's reality, wouldn't other people know about the game I came from, and how I look like? That comforting thought gave me a few hours of sleep. After he showed me this book with breakfast, and this conversation, I would really rather sleep forever.

The man continued "Look at it this way, aren't there any words in the passage that you read that resonate with you? Or seem really close to who you are?"

He wasn't wrong. Reality, Environment, "To Balance the Scale of Consumption", anonymous...anon..! To think he could be so amazing as to get something like this published, when I meet him I'm going to have to slap him for making a crappy fanfic like this.

"Listen," I say with a tiny laugh. "this is probably a fake story, so don't take it too seriously."

"I find that hard to accept when the Monika in this book has a grave in the ruins of New York, with a giant statue and everything. I guess I better explain a bit more thoroughly, see, the Monika of the book was born in the AD period. We are now in the AW period - 204 AW."

I consider the acronym thoughtfully. "After war."

"Yes. there was a World War IV, which resulted in nuclear devastation. Nature and humanity has only started to rebuild, but remains of the previous generations are still here. We are living near the ruins of New York, actually. We're not too sure how some of the things we have found work, but books remain. We have learned English and figured out a few of the more simple things. As for some books, like this" He taps the biography fondly. "we have taken them as Bibles."

"Bibles? What sounds religious in that biography?"

He flips to a bookmarked section near the end of the book. He hands it to me, and to read from the third paragraph. "'...I consider myself to have had two lives already. I will come again, in a period of turmoil and oppression. I do not know how I will save others in the future, but it will lead to the prosperity and happiness of the human race.'"

I don't talk like that, right? "So you think I'm fulfilling the prophecy this woman makes up in this book by showing up here?" The man nods. I shake my head "Well, for someone to say that I can change the world is flattering. But it's wrong, I'm just one normal girl. What do you expect me to do for you?"

"You give yourself little credit Monika. You are link to the past for us. We have technology we found that we have no clue how to use, but is probably a common tool you used all the time years ago. You could simply help greatly by showing us what they do. Come, there are a few pieces of Lost Technology that I wanted you to look at for us.."

We exit his house and walk to a storage house on the other side of the plaza. The man gave me some of his robes to wear. My uniform was dirty, and I wanted to stick out less. But it is for naught - anyone who caught a glimpse of me gawked and gossiped until I passed. We're in a whole new era of humanity, but I guess we can't let some of our ancestors' tendencies go.

I can't stop thinking about Anon. He has to fit into this somehow, but no possibly leads favorably. Did the fake Monika trick him into a relationship somehow? I've read about the tulpa phenomenon once, could Anon have convinced some poor girl that looks like me to create one in her mind? Or maybe this is some crazy scheme he drummed up meant to recondition my own brain? Not likely. Most likely though, he has already passed on, so how we got to this situation is irrelevant. However, I still cling to hope - I truly believe he's here somehow, somewhere. What did I endure for, then?

Dead or not, Anon still had a life. Did he spend it with this fake? So defeated with the slim chances of me reaching his reality, he decided a sub-par substitute was the only course of action? Did they have dinners together? Walks along the beach? Did they kiss? Did he take her first time? Did she?! Did he give her a ring? Children? Did they grow old together, languishing in their timeless embrace and happiness they had for one another? Was she there sobbing as he was on the deathbed? Side by side tombstones?

She took Anon. She took my life. I am going to figure out the life they had together. Every single detail, so I can curse her for every single crack on my now torn spirit.