Feb 2018 v01 online

fear shot through Avery as a soft pink paw
phased into her skin – not touching, not
existing, unreal. ARIFs never touched their
hosts. It would break the illusion, as they
existed only in the sight and sound senses. They
were incapable of feeling or being felt – and yet
ARIF tried. Something genuinely concerning
was happening to the programming of the
imaginary friend.
Three bangs on the changing room door.
“Avery? You are taking so long. Did you fall
asleep?”
“Shut up shut up shut up!” Avery hissed over
the keening of the ARIF, now wailing with new
urgency.
“What?” The sound of Addison putting her
ear to the door. “Are you okay?”
The ARIF saw the decision in its host’s eyes
and squealed. Fear. It stopped scrabbling at
Avery’s hands, turned, and reached for the
phone on the changing room floor.
Avery leapt. Could the ARIF use the phone?
It never had before. It had never tried to touch
her before.
Pink paws sunk into the screen with no effect.
It couldn't interact with the real world, not
really. Avery knew this. Its eyes were wide as it
pawed at the face of the app that could end its
life, panting.
Avery reached through the ARIF’s hunched
back and snatched the phone.
“Avery?” Aria banged on the door again,
could only just be heard through the ARIF’s
howls.
She scrolled to the bottom of the app and
pressed hard on “Deactivate”.
“Are you sure?” The ARIF’s pre-recorded voice
penetrated the real noise it was making as it
hunched at her suede-booted feet.
Avery clicked “Yes”, and her ears rang in the
silence left by the ARIF’s instantaneous
disappearance. It was totally, inescapably,
irrevocably gone.
For a moment she froze. What – did it work?
“What the hell is she doing in there? I’m
actually worried.” Harper’s voice came from the
other side of the dressing room door.
Breathless, Avery slammed the door open.
The three girls were stood worriedly on the
other side.
“Oh my God,” Harper said, rolling her eyes.
“I actually thought you were in a coma.”
The other girls laughed. “What happened to
the jacket?” said Addison.
“Oh, no good”. Avery said, walking quickly
out of the dressing room and back into the
store. She didn’t turn to look backwards. “It
didn’t fit.” ◊