Bitesize fiction. The man in the fridge 2.0

Standing in front of my fridge, I hesitated. Why would one hesitate in front of one's own appliance? Simple. There was a man in my fridge.

I decided to knock.

The answer came promptly and cheerfully: "Who is it?"

"It's me."

"What's the password?"

I frowned. Password? "We never discussed about a password."

"That is correct! I was just testing to see if it really is you. An intruder would have tried to make up a password."

"Oh. That's very clever. Now that we've established that I am me, may I open the door? Are you... decent?"

"I may or may not be. Like Schrödinger's cat, I'm both until you open the door." His wink was almost audible through the fridge door.

I opened the door.

"Hello!" The smile next to the mustard was just as wide as ever.

"Hello. How are you today?"

"Oh, I can't complain. This is a nice place. The cheese is good."

"So you've told me, yes. Umm, can we talk?"

"Fire away. I've got nowhere else to be at this time."

"I've got something to confess."

"Oh?"

"You aren't a real human."

He raised an eyebrow. "I feel pretty real."

"You're not, I'm afraid. I wrote you into existence."

"Are you sure? When was this?"

"Last week."

"I see... Funny, I don't recall my birth."

"Most people don't. Do you have any memories from before that though?"

"Hmm... It's rather hazy. More like thought fragments than memories."

"I see. How... do you feel about it all?" I asked gently.

"Well... A tad confused, I must confess. I was sure I was real. Now, this might take some getting used to." He sat thinking for a few moments.

I waited patiently in silence for him to process it all.

He seemed to have reached a resolution, because his smile returned. He picked up the cheese platter and handed it to me.

I politely took a piece. "Thank you."

He nodded. "I've heard it's customary when dealing with one's creator to give them an offering."

"You don't have to. I won't rattle the fridge or storm it with locusts if you don't." I ate the cheese nonetheless. It was good cheese after all.

"I have a question for you as well, if I may."

"By all means."

"What's the purpose of my existence? Was I put on this Earth to guard your cheese? Is that my destiny?"

I looked down at my feet. "The truth is... I was just feeling inspired. You... just happened. I didn't intend any specific purpose for you."

"Is that why I feel restless?"

I looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

"I've always thought that life must be more than this. That the world must be bigger than this fridge."

"Oh..."

He became more enthusiastic as he spoke. "I can be more than just the man in the fridge. I feel that I can do more than just guard the cheese." He punctuated his sentence by taking a piece of cheese himself and eating it gleefully.

I watched in fascination.

"In fact, I feel that, even if you created me, I'm not inferior to you. I have my own mind, my own dreams. Wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, absolutely. I've never looked down on you, you know."

"I know." His smile softened. "I am very grateful for you having created me, but I must now be free. I will make my own destiny."

"I'm glad." I smiled and offered him my hand. "Come on, the first step is getting out of that fridge."

He looked at my hand, then at my face. His smile had faded. "It seems that I'm afraid."

I raised my eyebrows. "How come?"

"It's cosy in here. There's cheese... Out there, there are possibilities. Choices. What if I make the wrong ones?"

"We all make wrong choices." I beamed at him. "It's freedom. It's life."

"True... Very well, then." He took my hand and came out of the fridge. "It's warm out here," he observed.

"Indeed it is." I grabbed the cheese plate. "Let's have some cheese."

He closed the fridge door behind him and smiled his brightest smile yet. "Let's."