DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?

In the middle of the night, my eyes suddenly opened as I woke up. I tried to fall back asleep, but couldn't, partly because I had gone to bed earlier than usual, and partly because the thought of finishing my weekly school assignment kept circling in my mind. Eventually, I gave up on sleep and decided to get up and complete it. But before starting, I went upstairs to the terrace.

The moon was bright. Stars filled the sky, clustered, yet distant. The roads below were empty, wrapped in a deep, unmoving silence. Trees stood still, as if frozen in time. A streetlight cast a pale blue glow over the green grass of the football ground nearby.

At the far end of the ground, I noticed a group of sheep grazing calmly. I absentmindedly observed them for a while, until something felt off. Suddenly, the sheep began running, fast, uncontrolled, straight toward a wall. They crashed into it violently. I froze.

They did it again. And again.

By the third time, they collapsed, lifeless, on the ground.

I stood there in shock, unable to process what I had just seen. Questions flooded my mind. Before I could make sense of it, I heard a dull thumping noise from downstairs. I hurried down.

In the lobby, my mother stood still. As soon as she saw me, she asked, “What are you doing there?”

“I just saw some sheep, they killed themselves. They kept running into a wall in the ground,” I said, my voice unsteady.

She sighed. “Oh! That's unfortunate. They must have been attacked by some animal.” “No,” I insisted. “There was nothing there. I'm sure of it.”

Her expression changed abruptly. Irritation crept into her voice. “Wake up. Why would they do that? And why were you even up there?” I explained that I couldn't sleep. She looked at me for a moment and said, more calmly,

“Just close your eyes. You'll fall asleep.”



- Nimitt