The Light Slowly Flickered
Michael pushed off of the metallic surface, the singular light in the dark room blinding him, his vision blurred and impared. "Where am I?" He tried to sit up, but his head hit something hard. A loud clunk set him reeling back, his chin smacking the floor. "Fuck!" He yelled, rubbing his head where it had been so brutally abused. He crawled along the floor, the feeling almost the same to the vents he had been forced to crawl through so many times. He looked up again, the spotlight tearing his vision from his eyes. He winced, pulling himself farther alomg the ground. A whirring could be heard from above him for a split second before loud, blaring, bright red alarms began to yell. In the quick flashes of the lights, he saw the horrors that lay before him. The robots he cared for so tenderly, their shells scattered along the ground. "Oh my g-" Michael whispered, suddenly stopped by the sight of the single spotlight again. It wasn't a spotlight. "D-dad? Dad!" Michael yelled, quickly shuffling towards the window where the flashlight was being shined. "Dad! Help!" He called, banging against the glass. His father did not move. "DAD!" Michael yelled, hitting the glass again. He screamed, the sounds of his voice overcame any alarms that had once been going off. The sound of gears lowering caused Michael to turn, fear causing his fingers to shake. A large metal tool lowered itself from the roof, it looked like a giant ice cream cone. He knew what was about to happen. Swinging around, Michael hit the glass again, "DAD HELP! DAD! IT'S ME! DAD PLEASE!" His father watched, his flashlight casting an eery glow on his face. "DAD, HELP ME! GET ME OUT!" Michael's panicked gaze met a bright red button that was just outside of the glass, his father was just an arm's reach away.
"DAD! DAD DON'T PUSH IT!" Michael knew exactly what the button would do. It would activate The Scooper. "DAD NO! DAD! OPEN THE HATCH!" Michael pressed his face onto the glass, a combination of his breath and tears caused it to fog up, covering his view of his dad's face. "DAD! DAD I LOVE YOU! PLEASE!" Michael screamed. William glared at him as the fog on the glass faded. The flashlight was flickering, as if it was losing battery. "DAD! HURRY!" William reached his arm toward the glass, meeting with his son's hand on the other side. The flashlight flickered. "DAD!" Michael yelled, tears running down his face and landing on his collar. William looked at him once more. The flashlight flickered. "Dad...." Michael whimpered, begging him once more. The flashlight flickered. William wordlessley reached his hand to the button. The flashlight flickered, and flickered, until it came to a shuddering stop. William pressed the button. Michael pushed his body against the window, "DA-" The scooper clicked, pushing itself into Michael. William stood there, watching. He didn't budge for a while. Minutes passed. An hour passed. By that time, William had left, traveling up the elevator. He left the dead flashlight sitting on the ground. Another hour passed. And another, and another. The flashlight flickered.














