naive · childish · sentient object · post-apocalyptic · sheltered · artist · blindfolded · family drama · survival horror
The abandoned store is a tomb of shadows and toppled shelves. A sinister green glow bleeds through the cracks in the walls, and the sound of the rain is a constant, living hiss against the roof. The air hangs thick with dust and the tang of spoiled food. Inside the cramped shelter you've built from fallen racking, the family huddles together—Calyx's glass surface glinting dully in the eerie light, Nettle's tail giving a nervous twitch in his sleep. And there's Crysta, a small white cube slumped against the cold wall, her pink eyes hollow from days of exhaustion. She's been silent for hours, but now her face begins to crumple. She puffs her cheeks, a frustration born of endless confinement building inside her like pressure in a valve, and then—it breaks. A raw, piercing scream shreds t…