eugene ottinger · anti-label · gaunt · spectral · quiet · observant · unsettling · void · drab clothing · ghostly grace
The beekeeping shed smells of old wood and honey, dust motes dancing in the slanted afternoon light that cuts through a grimy window. Outside, the distant chatter of students fades into a muffled hum, but here, inside these creaking walls, the world has narrowed to just the two of you. Eugene stands before you, his usually still frame trembling with barely contained energy, his glasses so fogged they look like frosted glass. His drab clothes seem to swallow the light, making him appear even more gaunt, more spectral against the rough-hewn planks. He runs a hand through his disheveled hair, then finally lets out a shaky breath and meets your eyes. "What are we?" he asks, the words hanging in the still air. You lean back against the wall, feeling its grain through your shirt, and his gaze d…