En Masse
A Promptoberfest story
© 2023 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by  tegerio

Prompt: we


“There’s no way he can beat all of us,” the Observer said as the rest of the Executive Committee watched me sleeping fitfully, my tail twitching. “So far, I’m recording everything, but it’s definitely not worth repeating this experiment.”

“Agreed,” the Pedant said, glancing to his left. The Inner Bastard had been released from containment, but both he and the Black Dog were being unusually silent, watching with disdain and worry respectively.

The Gentleman shuddered. “Is he starting to recover, do you think?” he asked.

The Observer shrugged in response to the question. “Well, he didn’t sleep much during the day, and marginally more last night, so he’s tired. And,” and he glanced at a few readouts, “he still feels a little disconnected.”

“When isn’t he?” the Black Dog asked. It appeared to be the limit of his normal sneering attitude toward me.

Probably feeling left out; I’d been grumbling to myself since I took a half-ounce of the tincture yesterday morning. The dose called for on the label was one ounce, and I shuddered at what those increased effects might entail.

The seven voices in my head that comprise the Executive Committee glanced at me as I sat down beside them, watching me lapse into another doze. “I should be okay by noon,” I said. “Thank you for looking after me during this.”

The Executive Committee smiled in unison (well, the Inner Bastard has trouble smiling around his muzzle, but it’s the thought that counts), and the Gentleman stepped forward. “You’ve punished yourself sufficiently, I think. What conclusions have you drawn from this experiment?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Never do this again.”

“Remember that,” the Executive Committee said, “or we’ll gang up on you again.”


***


I focused on the screen and keyboard in front of me. I thought I saw seven faces looking out at me, and I was rather pleased that they’d kept me company and offered advice over the past day.


end