The needle buzzed as it continuously punctured the skin of Maddie’s foot. She winced in pain, holding the armrests of the chair tight, making her fingers turn white.

“So… tell me, how’d you even get this intricate of a scar?” The tattoo artist asked, his lip sticking out the corner of his mouth in concentration.

“Had it since birth, never knew what it was but now that my parents let me, I thought, “Hey, this would look cool,” so, I convinced my parents and here I am!” She shuddered at the pain of the needle but made the best of her efforts not to show it.

She hissed in pain as the needle passed over a bone, and began to speak again.

“It look good so fa—!” She shrieked as pain surges through her body, causing her to shake and the artist to pause immediately.

“Woah, woah! You okay?!” The artist tried to keep her still as she kept shaking in pain.

It suddenly stopped and Maddie panted, even after the sudden pain, she tried awkwardly to fix her disheveled hair. The shop was quiet as the artist was there, still kneeled down near her pale feet, his expression dumbfounded. He blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“You sure you’re okay now…?” The artist hesitantly asked, tilting his head before Maddie shakily nodded. After the surge of pain, her foot felt like it was… pulsing. Like if you had a really bad migraine but… it felt different.

The man hummed slightly but continued with the tattoo, and Maddie began to wince in pain again. She impatiently tapped the arm rest and stretched her toes a bit.

“Could you not move your feet?” The man asked as Maddie sighed but complied with him and stopped.

“So, anyway, you said your parents finally let you get a tattoo. Were you not old enough or something? Just turned eighteen?” The man narrowed his eyes, focusing on aligning the tattoo to the scar perfectly.

“Yup. Fresh eighteen. Turned eighteen about… a week ago.” She shrugged and brushed it off.

“Nice. Well, wait till you move in with adulthood, then its not so nice. And, also, can I tell you something?” The artist paused and looked up at Maddie, “You have very pretty feet.” She chuckled and nervously scratched the back of her neck.

“Well, I guess the tattoos help, don’t they?” They both laughed.

She took a moment to look around the room. Her hazel eyes landed on a poster which was advertising the new ‘memory chip’ that can help people remember and access their past memories.

“Jokes, those things are.” Maddie muttered as the man rolled his eyes.

“Hey, I just pin whatever posters I get. I think its stupid too. I mean, access your memories? Pshhhh, you can already do tha-!” Maddie tapped his neck and a holographic screen appeared from it, but quickly shut down after no activity with the memories. He had a chip. The artist rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“Why did you agree if you have one?” Maddie said through her giggles as the artist looked annoyed.

“Hey! It’s 2085! I think most people are strolling around with these.” This only made Maddie laugh more intently.

“I don’t!” She pointed to herself with her thumb and laughed more.

After about three hours of small talk, awkward silence and obnoxious laughs, the tattoo was done. The design curled like vines in replacement of her scars, intricate and sharp, almost like it was meant to be there. Maddie winced as she saw her foot red from the pain of the tattoo, but she ignored it eventually.

“How much?” Maddie said as she took out a small chip from her pocket used for paying and managing money.

“That would be 650ℓ.” The man informed as Maddie whistled and leaned closer.

“600 lumen.” She whispered, beginning a haggle.

“Nope. No less than 650ℓ.” The artist crossed his arms.

“630ℓ.” Maddie said as the artist thought and then agreed.

“Done.” He concluded before Maddie scanned her chip into his memory chip and left, giving him a sassy stare.

She pushed the door open and spat on the floor. She looked up at the rain and huffed, regretting not bringing a coat. Maddie made her way through the streets, her senses seeming to heighten, and she feels like the bounce of her feet pushing against the floor each second was exaggerated. She thought nothing of it and continued walking, looking around at the building with huge glowing billboards and advertisements about the memory chip.

She kissed her teeth at the sight and kept walking, pushing people out the way so she can pass through.

She reached her apartment where she lived with her parents, who were still cleaning up after Maddie’s birthday. She walked inside.

“You know you guys dont have to clean up for me. I can do it.” Maddie said, stuffing her phone in her pocket.

“Well, lets see the damage.” Her dad said as he signalled for her to take off her socks, and she slipped them off, revealing the various elegant tattoos on her feet, each line looking as if it’s telling it’s own individual story.

“I mean… fine, you win. It looks great.” The mom accepted as she smiled and pat Maddie’s shoulder.

Maddie smiled back and walked to her cramped room, which consisted of: band posters, cracked walls, holograms of the days weather and other information, weights, a small bed and a high tech TV, though it was normal for their day.

Maddie, by now, noticed the constant bouncing in her movement, so she decided to test something. She walked backwards the front door, and suddenly sprinted to her room, closing the gap between her and her bed in mere seconds.

It felt like her heart jumped, like all the air in front of her was inhaled. She panted and looked back, eyeing the distance of the bed from the door

“That was cool…” Maddie muttered as she felt her feet tingle and pulse a hundred times over. She kicked her slippers off and plopped down on thr bed, raising her foot to look at her fresh tattoos.

They seemed to glisten slightly, as if they were staring back at Maddie. She smiled, proud of her decision before she relaxed her feet and shut her eyes, breathing slowly as she began to sleep.

After Maddie’s quiet slumber, her eyes flutter opened, and she can already feel energy surging through her feet. She looked at them and spread her toes, gazing curiously at them as her tattoos seem to radiate. She sat up and picked up her small mirror, looking at herself. She tied her hair in a messy bun and stood, walking over to the front door.

“Mom! Dad! Im gonna go to the park for a run! Be here in 10 minutes!” She said and waited for a response.

“Bye, sweetheart!” Her dad said, his voice echoing through the house as Maddie nodded and swung the door open.

She jogs on the spot for a moment before sprinting, the wind rushing past her face rapidly. She was incredibly fast. However, Maddie tripped a few times, causing her to stumble and eventually...

Maddie slammed her head against a pole and fell back, yelling in pain as her head started to bleed.

She held her head, the blood smudging on her hands as she became disoriented and her vision grew weaker until she eventually passed out.

Weeks, no, months had passed. Every day, the pain in Maddie’s legs numbed as the world around her blurred. She sprinted, faster, faster. She kicked, stronger, stronger. Maddie learned to control what she couldn’t change anymore. She stumbled, crashed, bled, but then she healed, smudging away the drops of blood and kept going. She punched the walls, a daily practice for her as her ferosity and speed grew.

Now, she would stomp and shockwaves would ignite the area, almost as if mailing the fact that she was powerful to everyone on her block. She learned to run without shoes, which only helped Maddie reach her full potential. This was day-after-day.

This day, Maddie ran across the pavement, her sprint as fast as ever, until, before she could even think to move, someone walked in the way and they both collide, slamming into one another. They both fall back.

The young mans glasses fall off and he tries desperately to pick them up as Maddie rubs her head. The person eventually finds his glasses and puts its on, and his eyes immediately land on Maddie’s feet.

“Hey, my face is up here.” She tilts his chin up. “Need a hand?” Maddie holds out a hand for him, and he hesitantly takes it and she easily carries him up. The young man stares at her feet.

“See something you like?” Maddie asked teasingly, crossing her arms and smirking.

“Lemme touch them fee-!”

WACK!

Maddie smacks him across the face. “Try asking like a gentleman, you creep!” She yelled, holding the back of her hand up just in case he tried anything else.

“U-um, m-may I please, touch your… f-feet?” He stuttered, moving his glasses up slightly.

Maddie looks around, embarrassed. “Ugh, fine. Just a brief touch. Make it quick.” Thr young man smiled and crouched, running his finger along her tattoos and just about when he was about to reach her toes, she swatted his hand away. “That’s enough now.”

“S-s-sorry, miss…” The young man twiddle his fingers as he said this, extremely awkward.

Maddie just waved a hand, “Eh, it’s alright. Not everyday you get that happen. But, work on your manners.”

“Say… why aren’t you wearing shoes?” The young man scratched his chin in wonder.

“Helps me run quicker. More grip, and at this point? I just find it more comfy.” Maddie answers, her hands on her hips.

“I’ll tell you what. I got a proposal.” Maddie said, smirking slightly to herself as the young man listened in.

“You give me a foot massage. Win-win, right? Ive been training ny feet a while and… I’m gonna take a guess that you have a thing for feet. And also, dont try nothing funny, I’ll kick the teeth out your mouth.” The young man nodded in shame, his shoulders slumping a bit, but also happy that he was offered such a thing.

“O-of course. I’ll massage your feet then!” The young man said enthusiastically, his gloomy face turning into one of gladness.

Maddie nodded her head in the direction of the apartment and walked, the stranger right beside her.

“So, what’s your name anyway? I’m Maddie.” She asked, trying to make small talk.

“My name is Jason.” Jason informed as he tilted his glasses up.

“Hm, nice name, Jason.” Maddie clicked her fingers and pointed at him.

This cheered Jason up a bit as he slightly bounced in each step with happiness. She smiled and kept leading him to the apartment.

They reach the apartment and Maddie yells out to her parents. “I’m home!” She waved her hand towards her room and approached it, opening the door and walking inside, Jason following on behind.

“This is a… uh… different room.” Jason hesitantly muttered, not sure if he was being rude.

“Yeah, yeah, I dont have billions of tech in here… but look!” She picked up the remote and turned on the holographic TV and chuckled a bit, although Jason was not impressed at all.

“Come on then. My feet ain’t gonna massage themselves” Maddie said as she plopped down on her bed as crossed her feet, wiggling her toes slightly.

Jason awkwardly crouched down ans began rubbing her feet, as she laid back and hummed to herself.

“Ahhh… thats nice. So, uh, Jason. What do you do?” Maddie said as she propped her hands behind her head and closed her eyes.

“Umm… I’m in college.” Jason said, rubbing his cheek and continuing with the massage.

“Whaddya do?” Maddie asked, wiggling her toes slightly.

“Um, engineering. I want to make drones, you know, like the ones where they patrol a certain town or something? That would be cool.” Jason answered, rubbing the underside of Maddie’s feet.

Suddenly, the front door is knocked, and Maddie’s mom yelled to her daughter to get the door. She huffed and stood up, sliding her slippers on.

“I’ll be right back.” She muttered before slumping down and walking to the door. She swings it open and sees a man in a suit with holographic contact lenses, making his eyes glow slightly with a shade of green.

“Hello, miss. I would like to interest you in the new memory saver. It includes-“ Maddie shut the door in his face, chuckling before she went back to her room, where Jason was sitting on the edge of her bed.

“Just some techy, sophisticated businessman.” Maddie muttered under her breath. “C’mon, lets take a walk or something. Somehow, that guy managed to piss me off that easy.” She waved her hand to the door and Jason nods, standing up and walking to the door with her.

They step outside into the cold bite of the wind, the neon glow of billboards and cars and such, illuminating the area. Maddie sighed and move forward, stuffing her hands in her hoodie pockets as she looked around. She noticed the drones that wizzed past her in the sky, humming slightly.

Jason’s eyes dart around with nervousness as the drones start to surround them suddenly.

“W-whats happening?” Jason asked nervously, staring at the machines as an automated voice comes from one of them.

“You have been chosen to be sacrificed. Do not resist.” It said in a robotic tone, Maddie and Jason’s eyes growing wider before they heard a chuckle and simultaneously moved their head towarrs the noise.

“Did you folks really fall for that?” The masked person said. He looked like an assassin of some sort. He had a white mask that covered his entire face, a long coat drooping over his shoulders and nearly touching his knees.

“Who the hell are you?!” Maddie yelled, her hands clenching into a fist.

“No one you should be concerned about. Anyways, I’d suggest running. I know you have a… specialty… in doing that. Run along now.” Maddie heeds his warning, taking Jason’s hand, whos heart beat slightly faster at the touch as his cheeks grew slightly pink before he was pulled away.

They hear the mechanical whirr of the drones that are chasing them, and Maddie’s eyes narrow, his head bobbing to look for where to go. She smirked slightly as she reached into her pocket, still sprinting at full speed and plugs an earphone into her ear and nods her head as she enjoys the music, still running.

She jumps over a few crates, her footsteps and Jason’s rhythmically pounding against the ground. She continued to sprint, turning through each corner, but the drones would not give up.

“Dammit! Those drones are fast!” Maddie looks back at them, and turns her head to the direction shes running just as quickly, and immediately halts at the sight of a drone in front of her, surrounding them both.

The assassin-looking man walked up, clapping his gloved hands mockingly.

“Well done! No one is able to outrun my pets here. But, even though I told you to, that was for the sake of you two… living. Maybe I’ll take you, and kill the boy so I can experiment on you…” He chuckles darkly, his confident demeanour showing fully through his unhinged words. But Maddie was having none of it.

She took a deep breath in, her grip on Jason starting to hurt when she held in tight snd whispered something to him.

“When I stomp… you jump…” Jason nodded and gazed at her feet, waiting for the signal to come.

She slammed her feet to the ground and Jason immediately jumped before a shockwave surged into the floor, nearly cracking the concrete floor. They immediately take off, and Jason pulls something out of his pocket.

“What’s that?” Maddie whispers as they both sprint, but Jason just stays quiet and throws the black disc with blue, neon rings back, and as the drones zoomed to them, it got confused and immediate spun and went to inspect the artifact. Jason just smirked.

“Smart.” Maddie muttered as she takes the earphone out and stuffs it in her pocket.

Suddenly, the man came in view once more, chuckling as he held some sort of gun and pointed it at both of them an squeezed the trigger, and ice shoots out, freezing them.

“Finally got ya…” The man whispered before holstering his weapon and rubbing his hands, approaching their frozen state.