Clockwork

A surreal, horror story-poem.

I couldn’t get the AI to make them different ethnicities but I like that they all look goth. Dall-E 3 Prompt: many creepy photo realistic surreal human sized ventriloquist dummies different ethnicities and genders, standing in pairs facing each other and having conversations and holding tea cups. Two black lines outline their chins like that of a ventriloquist dummy. surrounded by creepy warped clocks. Created by the author.

Tick…tick…tick…tick…tick…tick…tick.
The sounds in the room are of a constant ticking like a sea of clocks but there aren’t any clocks in here. There are only masses of people in a circular room so big I can’t see the other side.

They look like mannequins made of flesh: perfect skin, perfect bodies, and perfect symmetrical features. Like giant, fleshy dolls, their stiff bodies are all standing in pairs facing each other and having conversations.

Their eyes don’t smile but their mouths do. What gives it away are their chins. Two black lines outline their chins like that of a ventriloquist dummy. I sneeze and they all move their eyes to look at me in unison. I feel them all notice that I do not have those lines on my chin.

I hear their eyes click as they all move them in my direction.
Their heads do not move, just their eyes. The loud click when all their eyes point at me is louder than I think it should be.

Their eyes are too loud!

Every time they blink or move their eyes, there’s a devastating click. Between the ticks of the invisible clock, they respond by blinking together in one loud…CLICK!

They pause to look at me for too long. Slender hands in mid-air, holding small…