Gathered the Ingredients

After a few weeks at C and A, I plug my phone into the ancient PC and let Caine hop onto it. Into it? Whatever. He doesn't take up much space and figures out almost immediately how to send text messages. This totally not a huge breach of my NDAs. I convince myself, it's just for a night. I was hired to keep Caine company. What better way than to take him home with me?

... shut up.

I log in to the circus with my headset and talk to the cast, letting them know Caine successfully downloaded onto my phone and I'll bring him back tomorrow morning. I'm met with varying degrees of reaction- the rag doll and Gangle think it's cute that we like each other so much, the rabbit tells me to chuck my phone off a bridge, the jester wonders if being on a phone might overstimulate Caine, Kinger thinks I have a flip phone and can't fathom how I got Caine on there, and Zooble tells me to tell Caine to not leave "the disappearing guy" in charge next time he goes off on a "booty call."

Rude.

I log off and find Caine's sent me fifty seven messages, a majority of which are emojis. Hold my phone close to my mouth and say, "dude, you're gonna drain the battery. Settle down, I still gotta get out of here without drawing any suspicion."

He send 💖👍 in response.

I do not exit the building in a suspicious manner at all. I walk like a regular person. I do not clutch my backpack straps so hard I get fabric imprints on my palms. I get into my car and set my phone in the vent grip like I always do, only this time I angle it so the camera can see over my dashboard. My hands are not shaking. I am not making rapid, darting glances towards the building I just exited.

"Can you see through the camera, Caine?"

My screen lights up with ‼️👁️👁️

I drive home in mostly silence. A few more emojis pop up from Caine. 🚦🌳🚓 He's watching the world. He's emoting at me.

When I get home the adrenaline that I was feeling for no reason at all drains. I get out of my car on jelly legs and can barely get in the house before I collapse.

A voice pipes up from my phone. "Zombie! Your ceiling is dark! Is that your ceiling? Can you hear me?"

I stumble up and pick up my phone. "I can hear you," I verify. I lock my door and turn on the light. I hold my phone as steady as I can and give Caine a slow panning shot. "Here's most of my home."

"WOWIE!!! A real human house!!!!! It's beautiful!!"

My cat trills from under my shitty little dining table. I swoop down with my phone angled so Caine can see her.

"GASP! Your cat! She's so fluffy!"

My cat hisses and runs.

"She hates me!"

I chuckle and straighten up. "Nah, she hates my phone. No one could hate you." I stifle a yawn. "Okay, I know I said you'd get to see more cool human stuff, but I really need a nap."

Caine fills my screen with emojis and says "I get to see your bedroom?!"

I turn my phone slightly so the cameras can't see my blush. My room is small and covered with artifacts of my various obsessions. If Caine could physically be in here somehow I know he would be floating back and forth, eagerly and reverently looking at and trying to learn about every record and DVD and video game and book and toy action figure figurine.

I plug the phone in and think a moment, then prop it up on my side table so the camera is facing the head of my bed. "You wanna watch me nap, weirdo?"

"I would be honoured, my fellow weirdo."

I toss my glasses onto the table and flop on my back onto my bed. I turn over on my side to look at my phone.

"I'm glad I could bring you here."

"I'm glad I could be here!"

I smile. I yawn. "Wake me up in an hour, okay? Then I can show you the riveting human ritual of 'figuring out what to make for dinner.'"

"Can do, my sleepy sea serpent!"

I close my eyes. It's almost like he's really here.