Walking by a blank screen for one of those new vending stations and resting against it while you wait for a friend. As you put your back on the screen you feel it warm up as you think you just activated it. With a flash, you feel like someone pulled the screen away from your back as you fall into something almost like slime but more viscous. Looking back you see the blank screen buckle as fall into it, the pulling sensation of hands covering the parts of you long absorbed and to your amazement, no one seems to notice this happening to you almost like you were a part of the stand. In no more than a minute, you're gone and the only thing left is your bag and phone now smashed on the ground.
The screen hums softly and starts to flicker with pixels and colors as shapes and letters build on the screen. Words like "WELCOME!" and "CASH OR CARD? WE TAKE BOTH!" scrolling along the top and bottom as the flickers of pixels and colors move towards the center. Lines and dots flashing in and out as distorted shapes takes place on the screen twisting around a simple circle. After what feels like 5 minutes, the shape wobbles as it stabilizes. What appears now is your face, a large excited smile staring out at customers passing by.
You try to call out to people, get their attention, hell you even try to make a different expression to get someone's attention but it's no use. Your face is stuck, glitching there with that goofy smile, a mascot for Vend-co machines. Starting to lose hope of getting help when you hear familiar voices. "Didn't they say they'd be waiting here for us?" says one of your friends now appearing around the corner. "Yeah... you sure this is the right machine? They said it was blank..." They both stare at you with a look of confusion. "Yeah you're right. This machine has a goofy face on it." your friend says pointing at you, chuckling a bit. "Come on, let's look around the corner, I remember seeing more nearby so we must have gotten lost."
They turn and begin to walk but you hear a shout as one of them trips and falls on your bag at your base. "Ah what did I- Hey, isn't this their bag?" A spark of hope flashes on your screen. Yes, they found your bag that must mean they can help! "Yeah it is. Maybe they're nearby after all." You keep trying to get their attention, get them to notice the odd screen and take a closer look at you but they turn away looking off in the distance instead. "Huh, the theater isn't far from here. Maybe they got tired of waiting and just went without us?" They both look around once more. "Without texting us? Sounds like them alright." They laugh and sling your bag over their shoulder "Must have forgotten their stuff in a rush. Let's hurry and bring it back to them before the movie starts" they say as the race off down the street.
Your CPU sinks as they disappear from sight. Without so much of a second thought they left. You'd cry if you could but your large smile masks your actual feelings from the world. In your sorrow you feel a finger on you as someone presses on your face. In a flash, you disappear as a menu of food items takes its place and your voice excitedly says "Welcome to Vend-co's finest machine! Make a selection and insert your credits for a fantastic treat~!" repeating the same things for everyone who stop by to use you…