I’m making some good progress on the report.
I’m a genius.
Why do I still work for this agency, I should start my own right?
But these bills!
City livins expensive…
BEEEEP.
Ok, that’s actually starting to bother me… whatever, I can get to it later.
Just gotta add that special sauce to this bad boy.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
UGH.
Do they usually go off this often?
Malfunctioning, I guess… like everything else in this city.
Where was I? Right, that secret Sauc—
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
I slam my computer closed.
It’s stopped… like it’s responding to me.
I smother the thought before it can germinate.
It’s fine.
I touch my laptop again.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
No way.
“Fuck off!” I yelled at it.
“Change me” a voice declared.
“Changeeeee meee.”
It was raspy and robotic, and it was coming from the smoke detector.
New York had finally broken me.
Short Story