Francis & Amilia - Part 2

What has happened so far: Thanks to the sale of his self-developed digital currency, in which he has a share of the turnover, Francis lives a financially carefree life. Because he only sporadically continues to work on his product, he has a lot of time for other things, most of which he spends in virtual reality. Absorbed by it, it has become his everyday world. In it, he has just begun to re-enact the one varying dream that haunts him frequently and fragmentarily at night, and to continue staging it with missing parts until he understands its essence. So taken over by his project, the virtual world, that Malte and Fiete fear Francis will lose himself in it, he can understand his friends' concern and therefore appreciates their attempt to increasingly win him back for the real world. But he sees another way back for himself, and connected to this, he is primarily concerned with another fear, with which he confides in Amilia.

"Dear Amilia," Francis begins the letter. "Fiete and Malte have just been to see me," he continues, "and asked me how I was. I thought I could fob them off by saying I was managing to leave the house more often. But delighted with the progress, they now, contrary to expectations, wanted to know more. I was now walking five times a week instead of three. Not that I lied to them, but I did not tell them that I was going out for a shorter time each time. For their sake, I stay outside, but I prefer to unravel my recurring dream in virtual reality and to come back to myself in this way to the extent necessary to stand firmly in the real world again. In connection with this, I fear that I would lose myself if the project failed, rather than because the virtual world, in which I could succeed, would take over too much of me.

I wish, Amilia, that you would stand by me in all this. But you disappeared in one moment without ever being heard from again. Just before you broke off your relationship with me, you said that you were a constant in my life, that I could count on you. Vice versa, I assured you. Poof, you were gone. Mostly I am worried about you, hope nothing bad has happened to you. Besides, I also feel anger, and something tells me, rightly so. That's why I want to know that you are well, but I don't want to see you turn up as if nothing had happened. One sentence is enough, one sentence from you that you are fine. Write back to me, please."

This is how Francis' third letter to Amilia ends. Like the others, he gives Fiete this one for the postbox, which he passes on his way home. He makes his way home accompanied by Malte, but instead of posting the letter, they go around the corner, sit down on a bench and read it intently. It will never reach Amilia, no letter will ever ...

Part 3 follows in 2 weeks

Link to part 1