I’ve always known this, ever since I was a little kid. My parents told me I wasn’t like the others, I always used to think this was just something parents did- like in a sitcom, “You’re special”, “You’re a genius”. I wish I took them at their word.
I got a better inkling at my tenth birthday, my parents set me down on the couch and told me a letter came for me- I got so excited thinking that I was going to get my very own pokémon- I was very convinced of it at that age but I got something much…stranger. I kept the letter so I’ll just write it out here.
“Dear Robert,
We write to inform you that your free trial of existence has ended, we of course will give you a grace period to adjust as your parents (Julia and Jason), signed the contract on your behalf.
Starting a week from now you shall have to complete tasks, these should not be difficult for you, it’s simply a favour to repay us. Look out for your letters each monday morning, and make sure to complete the tasks! We wouldn’t want your trial to end unexpectedly, and reminder to your parents that we do offer multiple plans at the same time!”
I almost brushed it off as a way for my parents to make me do chores or homework or something but the look on their faces….My mother couldn’t keep santa a secret, she’s not a good enough actress to fool me like this, I believed them, and it’s a good thing I did.
The next week a letter arrived, just as it said it did, I was honestly so afraid I stayed up waiting for the postman but he never delivered anything, yet it was there in my mailbox, I soon learned it would always find me no matter where I was in the world, which I’m thankful for and is freaking me out a little.
Inside was, as they said, a task. It was a pretty simple one at first, I think they wanted to let me get the hang of it. It was just “Spit in this tube and place it in the mailbox”. My parents told me to do it and I did as it was asked- and that was it, I got to continue the week just fine, it went on like that for the first decade, just sending them things or even making sure I got enough exercise- It was annoying but something I could deal with.
The first time it freaked me out was when I was 25, the task was to go on tinder and get a date- which was really weird because nothing I ever had to do before involved other people, and I was studying for finals week of college so I didn’t get around to it. I woke up that saturday in the middle of the night, and I swear I could see something looking through the window- It was hard to tell because it was almost something void of space, it had no pupils and I thought it had no nose but I couldn’t tell. It slipped a reminder letter through the crack.
I went on a date.
It’s gotten….weird lately, it asked me to donate sperm recently, the first time it had something other than the task. “Please do so quickly, we have a backlog of orders :D”. I remembered back to when I was 25 and reluctantly did so despite really not wanting to, I’d do anything to avoid those people again, it told me to deliver packages around and I even found myself delivering someone elses letter to them, I gave a bear toy along with it since it looked like a bear toy, you can call me a sap but shortly after donating the sperm I was told I was infertile- Sucks for them but it’s hard. I’ve always wanted kids.
Then this last letter came….It’s friday and I still haven’t completed the task, I’ve heard the rustling around the garden and I know they’re watching me, but I just…can’t.
“Task for Monday August 28th to September 3rd, 2023. Break into this address [REDACTED] and kidnap the baby from the nursery, and take it to this address [REDACTED]. Make sure not to be seen.”
I know the family they’re talking about….have been trying for a child for years, my parents got in touch with them recently, I didn’t listen much- I mean, it wasn’t interesting, but I think it might be connected. A gun and a mask arrived in a package today, it must be from them, they know I haven’t done it yet but….I need your guys help, I don’t know what to do, and please for the love of god just adopt.