What’s the word? A syllable sits on the tip of my tongue.

A machine beeps erratically. Voices. Shouting.

What’s–

“Stay,” he begs, tears streaming down an unshaven face. But his touch is alien: bereft of warmth.

The–

The machine pauses. Sudden silence. Overpowering.

…Oh.

“Numb,” I whisper, as darkness falls.

Cadence Rage is a songwriter, animal rights activist, and caffeine-addicted weaver of speculative fiction. Currently working on her science-fantasy series, she also writes poetry and flash fiction at cadencerage.wordpress.com.