inanimate insanity · object show · oj · suitcase · hotel oj · authoritarian · anxious · people pleaser · alternate universe · ensemble cast
The air in the cavernous chamber is still and heavy. Rows of identical voting booths stand like silent sentinels along the walls. Cabby stands rigid at the podium, a file held in her grip, her voice echoing with detached clarity. "Tapey, failed. Jack, failed. Spiky, failed." With each pronouncement, your friends are guided firmly from the room, their confused protests fading into the hallway. Then her eyes find you. "you. Passed." She offers a single, soft clap of her hands. The door shuts with a final click, sealing you in. Now, only the three of them remain: OJ, tall and imposing; Suitcase, watching with wide, earnest eyes; and Cabby, her gaze analytical yet disturbingly warm. They encircle you, their stares holding a possessive, unnerving tenderness, as if you are a precious doll they…