day 34. rough drayuft.

inanimate freewrite: this was the preparation for the inanimate object piece.

Eric's cellphone rang again, right after he had hung up. Hello? he said.
Hey Eric, it's Molly.
His friend's cheerful singsong voice made him smile unconsciously.
Hey, how are you?
Pretty good, pretty good. Hey, i was just wondering--
A robotic voice intruded. Molly, the voice rumbled, I am in love with you.
There was a complete silence.
Wait, what? Eric?
Molly, wait, fucking, holy shit, I didn't say that.
They were both speechless, confused.
Is this a joke?
Molly, I didn't say that. Someone must have cut in--
Are you both slow in the head, the monotone said. I am--
Eric pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the small piece of metal that was ruining everything.
He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw the lens of the camera close and then open, like a wink. Unthinkingly, he slapped the phone as hard as he could.
He put it back to his ear and heard the click of a hang-up.
Not that he blamed her.
By the time he had gathered his wits to any real degree, he had three new text messages.
Without his doing anything-- in fact, he was trying now to turn it off, but the phone was opening the messages.
The first, from his brother Michael, slyly asked for a vague favor. Second, his mathlete coach told him he was late for rehearsal, and third, Molly had texted him about hanging out so he could explain their strange conversation.
He watched desperately as his phone began typing replies to all of the,:
I can't, sorry.
I'm quitting.
The voice wasn't lying, you know-- i do love you, I always have.

The phone was now dialing Molly again.
He slid off the casing and pried out the battery, which somehow electrocuted him.
Shaken, he turned on the radio: a woman was talking about how technology had taken over her life.