text: The phone sat in the middle of the room. Pat had always had it. It did not have a dial. It did not have numbers. It did not ring. It was just a phone. Pat picked it up. "Today, you will feel happy." Pat sometimes listened for a bit longer in case there was more, but that was all. They put the handset down again. The voice had been stating a fact, thus it must be so. Pat felt happy about this clear and logical thought. And then they started their day. The next morning, Pat picked up the phone. "Today, you will feel sad." This was a disappointment, but Pat figured that it was only fair since yesterday had been happy. They put the phone down, and listened to the sound of rain on the way to work. The next day, Pat picked up the phone. "Today, you will feel sad." Well perhaps they had not been sad enough yesterday, and they needed to make up for it. They put down the phone, and took some time to think about some of the things they had lost over the years. It was only right to do so. "Today, you will feel sad." Pat put down the phone, and wished they could be happy. But the voice had said that today was a sad day, and so it must be. They just needed to find out why. Pat went for a walk, but did not enjoy it. The next day, Pat was not sure about picking up the phone. What if today was another sad day? But, on the other hand, it might be a happy day. Pat picked up the phone. "Today, you will feel powerless." Pat put down the phone, and felt resigned. There was something depressing about hearing such things from a phone. But if not the phone, how else would they know how to feel? It was just the way things were. Pat didn't talk much that day. "Today, you will feel happy." Things were picking up again. Clearly better days were ahead, and the phone knew this. Pat made pancakes, and ate them with fruit and honey. "Today, you will feel sad." Pat tried to eat the leftover pancakes, but they weren't actually very nice. The honey was too sugary and bad for them, and the fruit was starting to turn. In the end, Pat threw the rest of the pancakes away. "Today, you will feel sad." Another sad day. Maybe that was the only way to feel at the moment. There was so much on in the world. Feeling joyful would be inconsiderate. "Today, you will feel sad." Why bother going out, it wasn't really worth it. "Today, you will feel sad." Friends wouldn't really miss them, would be easier. "Today, you will feel sad." "Today, you will feel helpless." "Today, you will feel sad." Pat had once not picked up the phone. They had begun their day without the voice. But... how should they have felt? Scared? Happy? Confused? The phone always knew. Pat was not the right person to decide, they might get it wrong. They had spent the whole day terrified that they were not doing it right. Later, they had picked up the phone, but there was no voice. Had it gone forever? They had not slept that night, afraid of being left alone. In the morning, they had picked up the phone. "Today, you will feel happy." And everything was alright again. Other people probably had their phones. Pat had never asked because that would be rude. People should not be asked why they felt that way. They probably did have a phone. How else would they know how to feel? "Today, you will feel scared." "Today, you will feel alone." "Today, you will feel sad." Pat couldn't talk about the phone. Of course others had one. And what if they didn't? Maybe they would think badly of Pat for listening to the voice. Better not to say anything. The phone knows what is best. "Today, you will feel scared." "Today, you will feel despair." "Today, you will feel hopeless." "Today, you will die.