We acquired this story from C.D. Hermelin, a young man who sits in the park and writes stories for a fee using his old school typewriter. The internet, labeling him a “fucking hipster” with his “analogue nonsense”, turned him into a meme, but couldn’t break him. After seeing Roving Typist, the film that was made about him, we wired him some US Dollars and asked if he could write a story for us about digital rights.This is what we received a few weeks later, hand typed and in a beautiful envelop.

Stolen
Nala had just gotten comfortable and cozy with a cup of steaming hot tea on her armrest, the perfect blanket covering her lap, and an 1,200 page russian novel which was staying open without her holding it, which was very satisfying, when her phone buzzed from across the room. She ignored it, but it didn’t seem to notice her pointed ignorance, so it kept buzzing.

Sighing deeply, she went to check it. She had texts, calls, and e-mails — apparently someone was posing as her online. Emailing strange missions to her friends, posting on her casually updated blog, filling in Twitter posts and Facebook statuses. Her heart started racing — her identity had been stolen! The idyll of the day now crumbled into nothingness as she logged onto her computer.

She checked Facebook first, to find her ID thief holding a philosophical debate with her Mom and two elementary school mates who she hadn’t spoken to in 20 years. It was fascinating. The Twitter posts were funny and witty as well. The blog posts were thought-provoking stances on street art. Nala got up from her computer and grabbed her blanket. Then she logged on to her bank account to see that all was fine, monetarily.

So she was being stolen for some reason that was difficult to discern. Nala watched as the ID thief stole the life she had made and then started to do more with it. She grabbed her hot mug of tea and settled in to see what she would say next.