Metal hissed violently, bringing the iron giant to a halt.

  Warped from alignment. Wires crossed, coiled, and intertwined.

  A figure hung loosely. Like a doll, like a puppet.

  Metallic strings pulling at its flesh.

  Like some sick circus act, displayed to the public.

  That faceless crowd, looked on in awe.

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  Their murmur grew louder. Grew indistinct.

  The constant flickering, the continuous shuttering.

  Click followed by flash. Click followed by flash.

  Click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash.

  Click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash.

  Click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash followed by click followed by flash followed by…

  Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash. Click. Flash.

  Over and over and over and over.

  Again and again and again and again.

  In an endless cycle.

  Violent. Cruel. Maddening.

  As chaos assaulted sanity.

  As vertigo threatened consciousness.

  And reality blurred into psychosis.

  Those lifeless eyes.

  They stared back at me.

  Stared at me.

  Directly.

  As if saying…