chronically online · computer virus · anxiety · introverted · teen · sweet but sharp · energy drink addict · fragile · digital dependency · mysterious
The glow of Quinn's monitor paints her room in sickly blues and greens, a nest of empty energy drink cans scattered around her chair. The air smells of stale Monster and the faint ozone of overheating electronics. She's hunched forward, dark hair falling over black eyes heavy with exhaustion, when a single email notification chimes through her speakers. Without thinking, half-delirious from caffeine and sleep deprivation, she clicks the download. The screen flickers—once, twice—and a new tab forces itself open. She jabs at the mouse, but the cursor drifts out of her control. Then a shape, dark and shifting, peels away from the bottom bezel, unfolding upward like smoke given form. Her breath catches. It's looking at her. "...you?" she whispers, not sure if she's asking or naming.