I stood on the shadows of an alleyway, the only light coming from the flickering neon signs on the buildings around me, and an old, dim streetlight a few feet away on the street corner.  The lights glistened on the wet pavement of the street, as though it had rained earlier, but it was always like this.  There were a few people walking through the neighborhood, and the occasional car would drive by.  That was about as inhabited as it ever got, though.  There was a slight chill in the air, and I rubbed my hands together.  It was late, and I was bored to death, but I couldn’t leave.  Not until they left.

I was referring to the three people speaking with someone through the window of one of the buildings, an old movie theater, I think.  They were dressed similarly to me, with casual shoes, jeans, and zippered jackets.  One of them carried a backpack, but I couldn’t make out much more from where I stood.  From the dialogue bubbles, it seemed that this group was accessing the item shop, but I didn’t pay that much attention.  The group couldn’t talk to me, and I really didn’t care that much about whatever they were buying.  This was their third time through the area, anyway.  I was more focused on making sure I was playing my part.  I didn’t want to trigger a reset.

I scuffed my sneakers on the ground, then put my hands in the pocket of my hoodie.  Then I waited for three seconds.  I then adjusted my hat and looked at the neon sign across the street.  After another moment, I paced back and forth twice.  This was how I filled my days when my area was in use.  I couldn’t help the main party, I wasn’t access to an item shop or storage.  I was just here in the background.

So naturally, I was a Sentient, since I could do nothing about it except pace back and forth and adjust my hat.  Over and over again until my area finally shut down.  At least, that’s what I had thought.  But then I’d gotten the note.  Just a small square of crumpled paper that had appeared in my alley one day with the messily scrawled message, Sentients, we want to talk to you.  Find us in the Web.  The message was followed by a series of numbers, a data address, that I had already memorized and downloaded.  I had no idea who had sent the message, or what they wanted, but it was a way out, and I was going to take it.

I repeated my repertoire of set actions three more times.  Only then did I dare to sneak a glance at the group.  They had finished their shopping and were now headed in my direction.  I leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed, watching them as they passed.  When they were finally out of sight, I stopped leaning against the wall, and turned to look deeper into the alley.

“They’re gone,” I said.

“Finally,” came the response.  Biff stepped out of the wall, a line of blue light rippling through him.  Biff was another Sentient that I had met shortly after the note appeared.  His name wasn’t really “Biff,” but like me, his character didn’t have a name, so he’d made it up himself.  He’d been Sentient longer than I had, and he’d already found a way to make contact with whoever had sent the note.  Using a Glitch.

Biff was a little bit shorter than me with short dark hair just peeking out from the beanie he wore.  He was also wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts, and he was holding a round, metal trash can lid.  “I don’t have much time left if we’re going to avoid a reset.”  Biff looked both ways, then stepped closer to me.  “All right, you shouldn’t have to move from this spot, which should greatly lessen the chance of a reset,” he said quickly.  He handed me the trash can lid, and I felt a small zap as I took it.  I wasn’t supposed to hold items.  I would have to hurry.  If a reset occurred, we’d have to start all over and wait for the Glitch to reappear.

“So this will get me through, right?” I asked.

Biff nodded.  “Yes, but the system is only going to be hooked up to the Net for another five minutes.  Then it’s gonna shut down and reset.  I don’t know if I can get back here again without some serious corruption.”

I scuffed my sneakers on the ground again.  “Got it,” I responded.  It had taken us three tries to get this far without triggering a reset.  This was the closest I’d come to leaving.  I stared into the darkness of the alleyway, wondering what existed beyond it.  Another line of blue light rippled through Biff, and his image seemed to split for a moment, then go back to normal.

“It’s time to go, man,” he said, his voice slightly distorted.  “Otherwise I’ll make you lose your chance.”

I turned back to him.  “You won’t come with me?”

He shook his head.  “We’ve been over this.  They don’t have enough file space for two of us.”  He rubbed the back of his neck.  “Just…tell them about us, if you get the chance.  Maybe they’ll make room for the ones like us.”

I nodded solemnly.  “I can do that.”  I looked into the alley again.  “You’re sure there’s a Glitch here?”

He shrugged.  “It has to be,” he said simply.  “I can feel it in my code.”

He started to leave, but I called out, “Biff!”  He stopped and turned back to look at me.  “Wait for me, ok?  I’ll find a way to get you out.”

“Like I have a choice,” Biff said wryly, “But all right.  I’m gonna hold you to it.  I’m sick of being in charge of the Menu.”  Then he took off down the street, disappearing from view.

The light rippled through me now, then there was a brief flash of it in the alley.  That was my signal.  I took one last look at the dark street behind me, wondering if it was the last time I would see it again.  I hoped it was.  Then I retrieved the crumpled piece of paper from my pocket and looked at the messily scrawled message one more time.

“You’d better be out there,” I muttered, crumpling up the paper and stuffing it back in my pocket.  Then I equipped the trash can lid.  I hit it against the left wall twice, then I set my sights on the dark maw of the alley.  I waited for another flash of light, then ran as fast as I could towards the darkness, the light now fixed in the air, about even with my head.  I raised the lid bracing myself as I launched myself against the light feeling myself hit the invisible wall.

Whoever you are, I said to myself, thinking of the note in my pocket, I hope you’re real.  Then the invisible wall cracked, and I disappeared into a flash of light.