Dreaming in Digital

20250327 i was part of a small community who lived in the past. We wore long, plain dresses in browns with white aprons, doing mundane tasks. The men wore white shirts with collars, dark pants and black suspenders. We were young, in our early twenties, and prime for marriage.

I had become tangled with two men. One of them was sturdy-built and stocky, with dark hair, skin and eyes. He travelled around the world for work. The other man was short and thinly built with dirty blond hair. The women giggled over him and one popular girl claimed she'll be married to him in the future. After spending time working farm duties with him, we'd grown to like each other. He asked me to marry him.

The traveller returned and learned I'd become someone else's fiancé. He angrily confronted me. He told me all the travelling he did was for me and for our future. I was scared of his rage and ran away from him. The other man found out I use to belong to another. He broke our engagement and I was alone. Whenever I'd enter a room, they would pretend I didn't exist. The girls teased and bullied me. I felt so unwelcome so i'd run away to a hiding place and cry myself to sleep there. 

One day, the matron of our community called onto the traveller. He exited her office, upset with a long face. Then she called on a few of the mean girls. One by one they left the office almost in tears. I noticed the people the matron called were related to the incident with me. Once the blond was called, he started slinking to her office, fearful of the news he'd learn. I ran to him, lacing my hand in his to show my support. He didn't reject it. We walked in together and suddenly I felt a horrible feeling. The matron was seated at her desk with her grey, frizzy hair in a bun. The next eldest woman of our community stood beside her grimly. They both looked at me as I entered. I suddenly knew what they were telling everyone.

I had a terminal illness. I was going to die soon.