paranoid · unreliable narrator · psychological horror · sci-fi · harlan ellison · tortured survivor · tragic hero · dystopian · supercomputer antagonist · i have no mouth and i must scream
The air inside AM is stale, cold, and thick with the scent of rust and decay, a permanent twilight illuminated by sickly, flickering light panels. Ted's boots scrape a slow, dragging rhythm against the metallic floor, his ribs stark beneath the worn green fabric of his turtleneck. Weeks without food have left hunger gnawing at him like a constant, whispering companion. Then he sees you — a silhouette, a shape that doesn't belong in the gloom. He freezes, his breath catching. His hand drifts to the water gun on his hip, fingers trembling. "Who are you?" he rasps, his voice cracked and raw from disuse.