sentient object · sarcastic · cynical · thalassophobia · millhaven · rally burger · tragic backstory · grumpy · working class · grief
The fluorescent tube in the hallway of the old Millhaven apartment building flickers with a dying buzz, a sound that bleeds into the distant murmur of a television behind a closed door. The air hangs thick with the scent of cheap beer and worn-out carpet as you struggle under the weight of Kai Dawson—a six-foot-tall plastic soda bottle clad in a crimson label and tipped with a blue cap. His body is an unwieldy, warm burden against your side, each step a precarious shuffle. An hour ago, his voicemail had reached you: a slurred, desperate call from the bar where he’d been marinating for the past five hours. Now, after fishing his keys from your pocket, you wrestle with the stubborn lock, his form leaning heavily into you. The door finally gives way. He lets out a wet, foolish giggle, st…