I knew my life was over as soon as I saved that kid. That stupid kid, with his stupid soccer ball, in the stupid road. I almost wish that I had just stood filming it happen at the side of the street like everyone else. But I’m not a monster, so I ran and pushed him out of the way of that car. As his mom sobbed over him and hugged me I felt my heart sink.
A crowd had gathered around us, with everyone praising me for being ‘such a hero’. But their faces all blurred together in my mind. I was too focused on the cameras hovering above them. Every single round lens was pointed at my face, red lights blinking slowly. My face was going to be spread across the web and broadcast onto every screen in the world.
I’d spent my entire life trying to be invisible, and in an instant, I was internet famous.
It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for those cameras. You see after cell phones became obsolete thanks to smartwatches and switched to personal hovering cameras, our world changed. Walking down the street you could hear it all the time. People pausing to grin at their camera and yell out, “Thanks for watching me! Like and Subscribe if you like what you see!”
Some people made entire careers out of it, doing more and more outrageous and dangerous stunts to get viewers and sponsors. Because even if it was your camera, you had no control over what is recorded. If something more interesting came along, it would turn and start filming that instead.
Which was why I had led such a boring life until today. I hate being seen, being noticed. It makes me feel like there are ants crawling up and down my arms every time someone’s eyes are on me. But the cameras make that feeling even worse. You could never escape those dead eyes.
So I made it my personal mission to be as unassuming and boring as possible, and it worked. Even my own camera would focus instead on the scenery around me.
But after that stupid kid with his stupid ball, my life of anonymity was over.
I tried to keep doing boring things, but that only seemed to make them watch me more closely. I was “The Quiet Hero”, a mysterious figure who lived my life like Clark Kent but was really a Superman in disguise. When being boring no longer worked, I tried to live the lie. Be outgoing and courageous long enough that they’d get used to it and stop watching me. But it was exhausting to live that way.
I could feel the cameras tracking my every movement. I tried to run, I tried to hide. But everyone, EVERYONE, knew my face and my name. I thought about moving to some remote cabin in the woods.
But what use would that be if I couldn’t ever escape? The soft hum of my own assigned camera was a constant reminder that I was never truly alone. I didn’t even dare to check what my daily viewership was. Who were these people that spent their every free moment stalking me from their screens?
“I said leave me alone!”
I hadn’t slept in days, unable to fall asleep while that camera with its evil red light stared at me. I admit I may have snapped a little. But anyone would in my position. So when the stupid thing tried to follow me into the shower I had enough. I grabbed a bottle of soap and tried to smash it.
Have I mentioned that they’re shatter-resistant? And apparently, made of sterner stuff than Ocean Breeze body wash? I’ll bet you can guess what the headline of the day was.
And as bad as it was if I’d known what the Department of Media producers would do because of my freak out I never would have done that. I was just trying to get some sunlight in the yard when a new camera showed up and started following me around.
Two. TWO CAMERAS! Two little demons swooping around my head all day long as I tried to hide away from fans and more cameras.
I tried to ignore them again, hoping it was temporary. It wasn’t. I caved and looked to see what was going on. Turns out too many people complained and threatened to cancel their subscriptions to me because they couldn’t watch me attack the first camera. People are nuts.
A week later I attacked them both again. The details are blurry. I wasn’t sleeping well. And even when I did fall asleep that infernal humming from the cameras would jolt me awake. My hands shook the next morning, sure I was about to get a third camera.
I lucked out, the two cameras were able to capture enough of my screaming to keep the leeches happy.
I don’t feel well. My chest hurts and my mind wanders. I just want to be alone. I can’t take the eyes any longer. Those red eyes follow me. Unblinking, never sleeping. I have to get away…
I HAVE TO ESCAPE!
I ran. Out the door and down the street. I didn’t even grab my shoes or put on pants. My dirty pajama bottoms would have to do. I shoved past people on the sidewalk, desperate to get space between me and those eyes. A crowd of people was boarding a bus, I hid in the middle of them.
But everywhere I turned more and more of those things turned to follow me. I spun and leaped through the doors of the bus. Two thumps sound behind me on the doors and as the bus pulls away I breathe a sigh of relief. The red eyes were left behind for now.
“Is that…?”
“Oh, wow! It’s The Quiet Hero!”
My heart stops and I turn to see all eyes on me, startled human and red demon alike.
“No… no no no...” I back away as they crowd around. The bus takes a turn and I almost fall. But I can’t look away to steady myself, the eyes just keep staring! My entire body itches from the staring eyes, I have to get away. I reach the front of the bus and even the driver is more focused on me than on the road, narrowly missing a stop sign as he turns toward the boardwalk. His camera dodges back and forth to get as much of the action as it can.
A sudden resolve fills me and I turn and growl at the driver.
“Get out.” I turn and face all the eyes, “ALL OF YOU! GET OUT! OUT OUT OUT!” The people flinch away from me, but otherwise don’t move. I snap, again.
I grab the driver by his shirt and haul him out of his seat. Without his foot on the pedal, the bus grinds to a halt in the middle of the road, horns from the other vehicles blaring and making my head hurt from the noise. I shove him into the door, making them rattle and crack open. Someone screams.
“I SAID GET OUT! BEFORE I KILL ALL OF YOU!”
This time they listen. The bus empties of bodies, but those damned eyes still hover right where they were, staring, accusing.
A scream of rage and fear rip out of my chest and I slam the doors shut.
“GET OUT GET OUT!” My throat feels raw and I can taste blood. I sit and slam my bare foot on the gas. The bus rumbles back to life and picks up speed. I can only think about getting away. As I pass the boardwalk inspiration hits. I lean into the sharp turn I force the bus into and wood rattles and I race down the pier. If they won’t leave on their own, then I’ll force them to stop watching me.
There’s a moment, a glorious moment, of weightlessness. Then I’m slamming into the windshield as we all hit the dark waters of the bay.
Water pours in as we all sink together and I’m laughing. I can’t stop laughing, not until the cold waves fill the bus and my lungs.
I thrash as I choke, unable to fight against the crushing depths. But as I grow tired I have a moment of pure bliss. At least in this one final moment, I am alone. It’s dark and quiet and I stop fighting and sink against the cracked glass. As my mind starts to go, the last thing I see is the red glow of hellfire surrounding me as a thousand red eyes watch me die.
***
“-earlier today the internet sensation known only as ‘The Quiet Hero’, died after an apparent episode of insanity made him take a bus hostage and drive off pier three.” The news anchor was a lovely young woman with perfectly straight teeth and perfectly blonde dyed hair. Her face was just the right degree of seriousness, without letting a wrinkle mar her forehead.
“Experts are unsure what may have caused this episode in the otherwise healthy young man, but thankfully there were plenty of cameras nearby to capture his final moments. Again, we here at WWTV would like to thank the foresight of the tech companies in designing these marvelous cameras to be watertight and near indestructible. Without them, we could never have gotten the footage from today.” A bright smile and wave of the hand towards her own personal camera made the little thing seem to dance with glee at the compliment.
“In other news, we have an entertaining clip sent in from one of our viewers showing the moment when their tiny kitten sees its reflection for the first time. Stayed tuned to see that after this commercial break! And remember to like and subscribe to continue seeing quality content every day!”
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