I decide this is too strange. So I decide to send a modmail to WritingPrompts. "Hi mods, what's going on, why is it that several comments seem to be hidden?". As expected I don't get an immediate response so I go do other stuff in my life.
The next day I open my reddit and find I have a message. It's from the mods. The message reads
"We are a subreddit dedicated to inspiring people to write!".
That's it. Ok, strange. Maybe I wasn't clear in my question. "Why is it that some stories are totally visible, but other stories are not visible to anyone and just make the comment count go up?"
Two days later, I see the orange dot of a response. I eagerly open it.
"We are a subreddit dedicated to inspiring people to write!"
Again the mods sent this message. Now I'm starting to get a bit annoyed. I type to them "Ok seriously, why do some people's posts never show up?"
Four days later I read their response.
"People have souls"
Interesting, it's something new. Still it's going in the direction of being farther from the question I asked, not closer. I know I won't get any further clarification. Now I just type "What??" , because that's the reaction in my head.
Two seconds later I get a response from the mods.
"Fast Sol. Sunday. 14:41. We have answers."
Ok, now there's something that has more promise of being helpful despite making the least amount of sense. Especially Fast Sol, what is that? Is it like an inside joke or reference in the subreddit that only the most active users get?
I message Cathy to ask her "what is Fast Sol". I haven't seen anything she posted since I last talked, even though she's already back home.
"omg Fast Sol I love it it's the central main attraction of Wisney Dorld everyone walks through it to get to everywhere else it's great it's breathtaking also i'm really sorry I lashed out at you last week lol it's just I have a lot of feelings you know I wrote a story dedicated 2 u on WritingPrompt to express my apology no hard feelings lol we shd hang out"
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On Sunday, I make my way to Wisney Dorld. Fortunately, the tickets to the theme park are free for the public, unlike the case at some similarly-named expensive ripoff theme parks. So I show my free ticket, push through the turnstile, and find myself in the wonderland. It truly is breathtaking. The time is 2:30 PM. I sit there for 11 minutes seeing the view. There is a giant carousel in the center, on top of which is a bright globular radiant giant yellow ball. I have never seen such architecture. All this for free. No wonder this place is so popular, and more and more of my friends and acquaintances are visiting. It is increasingly rare to encounter people who haven't visited.
Promptly at 2:41, a short hooded figure in a cloak comes up to me. "Do you know why this place is called Fast Sol?" asks the figure.
"I think it's because the carousel goes really fast, and the ball on top looks like the sun, which in Latin is sol?"
"You are wise, good guess but not correct. It is what happens when you take the "you" out of Faust Soul."
"Ohh," I say, sort of getting it but not really, "Yeah I know that book, by Goethe, where Dr. Faust sells his soul. Wow, I didn't know this theme park is designed to attract well-read visitors"
"I wouldn't exactly say well-read," remarks the cloaked figure. "Visitors do not even read the form they sign to get the free tickets to come here. That is indeed how this place stays in business"
I realize that the cloaked figure is probably right. I myself did not read the fine print. "Haha, true, why, what's written there?"
The cloaked figure immediately reaches his arm out of his oversized cloak sleeve. In his hand is the printed form, specifically the one with my electronic signature. It is as if he was ready the entire time to show it to me. Now for the first time I read it. "Visitors pay for entry with their souls in lieu of money. Upon entry, the soul of the visitor is automatically removed. No refunds."
I ask the cloaked figure, "so, what is this supposed to mean?"
"Well, basically anyone who comes here gets their soul removed"
"Including me?" I ask.
"Yes, including you, including me" says the cloaked figure. "Now to be clear, that does not mean your body dies. Your body still functions like it did before and goes through all the motions of a person. It's just that there's no soul, no consciousness."
"Ok so when does this happen," I ask. It sounds like the premise of an interesting sci-fi fantasy adventure, I like it.
"It already did" the figure says.
At this point I realize something. My body starts to tremble, as it would if I was in fear and shock. I realize am not conscious. My brain still thinks. My brain can analyze the world around it. My brain can even create thoughts and say sentences in my head that I'm supposed to feel. But I'm not actually conscious. I don't feel anything. No emotions, no sensations, no vision. It is hard to describe in words what is going on. But I definitely am not alive. I am not any more of a person than a computer that is transmitting signals within itself to carry out programmed tasks.
"Wait, where is my soul," I ask
"There," the cloaked figure points to the giant radiant glowing ball. "It provides the energy to run this theme park. It is a smart business model. Basically we have taken the 'you' out of you, and stuffed it into this generator. This allows the owner to run the park for free. Then the park just makes a lot of money off of advertising, which the mindless automata go buy after they leave the park. After all, the mindless automata still function the same way as people, so it's like society still goes as normal but the park gets a free resource. A win-win if you ask me."
I continue looking, my brain continuing to try to process what is happening. But this much is clear: I am not alive, I am not a person, and I can no longer post comments on WritingPrompt because WritingPrompt is for people only.