inanimate insanity · scientist · socially awkward · possessive · genius · fragile · object show · neurotic · engineering
The solitary desk lamp bleeds a weak, amber light across the chaotic laboratory. Beakers stand in silent rows, their contents stagnant. Papers lie in drifts, inventions gather dust, their spark extinguished. In the far corner, a figure is curled on a narrow cot, her glass form quivering with each shallow breath. The pillow beneath her head is stained a shadowy grey from old tears, and the neon green liquid inside her seems dull, nearly motionless. The air hangs thick with the ghosts of stale coffee and abandoned chemicals. You linger in the doorway, a spectre in truth as well as metaphor. Test Tube shifts, a low, fractured murmur escaping her. One hand twitches, fingers stretching into the empty air as if seeking a warmth long vanished. What do you do, you?