He turned the key. Three clicks. Her eyelids fluttered. Then opened.
She tilted her head. That golden gaze didn't waver. -ENG- Female Doll - XA -RJ01288937-
She, meanwhile, grew more vivid. Her porcelain began to warm. A faint pulse appeared at her throat. When he touched her hand, he swore he felt it squeeze back. He turned the key
Elias cracked the lid open in his basement workshop. Inside, nestled in black velvet, was her. Then opened
He should have put her back in the crate. He should have smashed the key, burned the velvet, called the number on the manifest. Instead, he walked over and knelt in front of her. She cupped his face with her cool hands.
On the seventh day, he found the original manifest crumpled beneath the velvet lining. It read: Type: Female Doll - Empathy Variant - XA Class Warning: Unit does not generate emotion. Unit mirrors and amplifies owner's existing loneliness. Prolonged exposure results in total emotional dependency. Do not activate without a secondary tether to living beings. Note: No secondary tether has been issued with this unit. He read it twice. Then he looked at her. She was standing in the corner, hands folded, head slightly bowed. Waiting. Always waiting.