Afternoon sunlight filtered in through sheer, white, curtains in the high-rise apartment. A stream of gold struck a crystal pendant hanging from a hook, carefully placed. The textured torus with a fine silver chain looped through the hole sent fractals of prismatic light playing across every surface. They moved and danced to and fro as the gentle breeze of the air conditioner caused the pendant to sway.
CLICK
Along a buried wall, pairs of bookshelves hold a beloved collection. On one shelf: Classic games neatly organized alphabetically into rows. A refurbished Nintendo Switch resting next to a gap like a missing tooth in a smile. The missing game case lay open, empty except for the manual, on the shelf below, “Super Mario Odyssey.” On its sibling: Books. Fantasy and adventure. Sci-fi. Collections of Manga ordered by series and genre. Among them, Magical Girl, Romance, Shōnen, Isekai.
CLICK
Nearby a well used standing desk waits patiently. The LG keyboard with its W, A, and D keys worn off canted just the way its user likes, a little to the left and off center. The wired mouse centered on a Sailor Moon mouse pad, colors faded with use. The custom-built PC is mounted to one side. Layers of stickers plastered along every surface not containing a port, and those that are sporting carefully cut holes to artfully make a mouth or winking eye. Covered in eternally flickering RGB strip-lights, its fans humming away in their constant fight against the inevitable march of entropy. It sleeps now, an instant away from springing to life at the lightest touch of mouse or button.
CLICK
Near the door, a vanity dresser of faux wood. A stray beam of light sneaking out past the side of the curtain gets caught by the mirror and tossed carelessly back out into the room to make motes of drifting dust shimmer in their ponderous path along endless eddies. Around the mirror hang pictures of friends and family. Cherished memories. The surface of the dresser covered front to back, end to end, in a chaotic array of jewelry, makeup, and hair care products. The scent of perfume still lingering in the air, hints of lilac draped over every surface from years of use.
CLICK
A twin sized bed tucked under the window. Red sheets that were neat this morning, now rumpled from the weight of the trio of objects resting there. A hot-pink VR headset. A winking, glittery, Hello Kitty sticker on the side to mark it as its owners, as if the color wasn’t enough. The glitter has worn off in places, and the colors run where water stains mar the warped surface. A phone, its screen lit up by icons. 32 missed calls, 16 texts, 99+ messages. The screen flickers, “Alice,” the silent call waits. In a second it automatically goes through to voicemail. Flicker. 33 missed calls, Voicemail full.
TAK
Detective Vincent Davies frowns in surprise at his Colt Peacemaker. “The fuck…” His rough voice, tired after the longest week of his life, fades as the natural dampening of the room absorbs his whispered complaint. Absently he reaches up and brushes a lock of fiery red hair from his eyes with his free hand.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK… TAK.
Practiced, calloused, hands flip the release and check the cylinder. “A dud…” He glances sapphire blues up at the ceiling before popping the bullet out of the cylinder. “Nobody asked for your opinion.” Standing up he holsters his gun. Sniffling, he wipes his eyes and nose on his sleeve before clearing his throat. “HA HEM! Ok. Time for another night…” He gets two steps to the door before he stops and turns around. Coming back he picks up the phone and pockets it without even a glance at the screen. After the briefest hesitation he reaches over to touch a release on the back of the headset. A small chip slides out and falls into his palm. On the face a neat hand had written TERRASPHERE in black sharpie over the label. He slides the memory card next to the bullet, fingering the outside of the pocket as he makes his way out.
CLICK
Along a buried wall, pairs of bookshelves hold a beloved collection. On one shelf: Classic games neatly organized alphabetically into rows. A refurbished Nintendo Switch resting next to a gap like a missing tooth in a smile. The missing game case lay open, empty except for the manual, on the shelf below, “Super Mario Odyssey.” On its sibling: Books. Fantasy and adventure. Sci-fi. Collections of Manga ordered by series and genre. Among them, Magical Girl, Romance, Shōnen, Isekai.
CLICK
Nearby a well used standing desk waits patiently. The LG keyboard with its W, A, and D keys worn off canted just the way its user likes, a little to the left and off center. The wired mouse centered on a Sailor Moon mouse pad, colors faded with use. The custom-built PC is mounted to one side. Layers of stickers plastered along every surface not containing a port, and those that are sporting carefully cut holes to artfully make a mouth or winking eye. Covered in eternally flickering RGB strip-lights, its fans humming away in their constant fight against the inevitable march of entropy. It sleeps now, an instant away from springing to life at the lightest touch of mouse or button.
CLICK
Near the door, a vanity dresser of faux wood. A stray beam of light sneaking out past the side of the curtain gets caught by the mirror and tossed carelessly back out into the room to make motes of drifting dust shimmer in their ponderous path along endless eddies. Around the mirror hang pictures of friends and family. Cherished memories. The surface of the dresser covered front to back, end to end, in a chaotic array of jewelry, makeup, and hair care products. The scent of perfume still lingering in the air, hints of lilac draped over every surface from years of use.
CLICK
A twin sized bed tucked under the window. Red sheets that were neat this morning, now rumpled from the weight of the trio of objects resting there. A hot-pink VR headset. A winking, glittery, Hello Kitty sticker on the side to mark it as its owners, as if the color wasn’t enough. The glitter has worn off in places, and the colors run where water stains mar the warped surface. A phone, its screen lit up by icons. 32 missed calls, 16 texts, 99+ messages. The screen flickers, “Alice,” the silent call waits. In a second it automatically goes through to voicemail. Flicker. 33 missed calls, Voicemail full.
TAK
Detective Vincent Davies frowns in surprise at his Colt Peacemaker. “The fuck…” His rough voice, tired after the longest week of his life, fades as the natural dampening of the room absorbs his whispered complaint. Absently he reaches up and brushes a lock of fiery red hair from his eyes with his free hand.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK… TAK.
Practiced, calloused, hands flip the release and check the cylinder. “A dud…” He glances sapphire blues up at the ceiling before popping the bullet out of the cylinder. “Nobody asked for your opinion.” Standing up he holsters his gun. Sniffling, he wipes his eyes and nose on his sleeve before clearing his throat. “HA HEM! Ok. Time for another night…” He gets two steps to the door before he stops and turns around. Coming back he picks up the phone and pockets it without even a glance at the screen. After the briefest hesitation he reaches over to touch a release on the back of the headset. A small chip slides out and falls into his palm. On the face a neat hand had written TERRASPHERE in black sharpie over the label. He slides the memory card next to the bullet, fingering the outside of the pocket as he makes his way out.