The Fair Automaton
A downloadable book
The day the travelling fair rolls into town, North is determined to show his boyfriend Seith all he loves about it. But while Seith's reaction isn't what North hoped for, he finds something amazing to attract him instead: a speaking, smiling mechanical man — an automaton.
Despite Seith's disdain, North can't help returning time and again to discover more of the machine's personality — and uncover more of its secrets. It's not long before he finds himself becoming fond of it, but it's all perfectly harmless, right?
Until the machine breaks down, and North is blamed for it. Is discovery of the machine's ultimate secret worth the cost of the personality North has fallen in love with?
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 36 pages
Excerpt
A faint smile teased at his lips. “Would you recognise me tomorrow?”
“I do not know. It is possible.”
His smile grew. “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?”
“You will be visiting me again tomorrow?”
Was that a note of hope in its tinny voice? Impossible. Wishful thinking at its worst; he shook his head, amused. “We’ll see.”
The machine’s face had fallen vacant again, but North fancied he could see a hint of sadness. A sudden feeling of guilt flooded him — and not one he felt with regard to Seith. Hastily, he shoved another coin into it and was gratified to see its face come to life again. “You have returned.”
He pulled a face. It was a machine, what did he expect? “I didn’t want to see you sad.” Not that he could believe he was actually saying this aloud...
“Thank you.” The faint smile had returned.
“Do you enjoy being here all day? I mean... doesn’t it get boring...?” He felt himself falter as he spoke. What a stupid question!
Thank God the automaton didn’t understand embarrassment. “It is a tolerable existence. However, it can become a little lonely.”
Unaccountably, a lump rose in North’s throat. It was the obvious answer for an unattended fairground attraction, but still... “Would it be less lonely if I visited again?”
“Yes,” the machine said softly, barely audible above the clacks and whirs. “I think that would be the case.”
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