~Prologue~
I watch the fan on my ceiling spin like it’s trying to hypnotize me.
The blades blur into a soft whirl like a time-lapse of my thoughts
fast, noisy, and heading absolutely nowhere.
Just another Tuesday.
Or it could be a Wednesday.
It is hard to tell these days.
I check my phone
Same chaos, different day-
Missed alarms
Delete.
A missed call from my mother.
Delete.
Messages from a group chat I swear I never joined.
Delete.
And a spam email shouting in all caps:
“REMOTE WORK—NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!”
Delete.
My browser still has the same tab open since last night.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
A one-time medical trial.
Compensation:(an amount of money)
Procedure: Controlled cardiac arrest and revival.
Duration: 15-minute orientation. 3-minute experiment.
Risks: Minimal. Monitored by licensed professionals.
Contact us.
I don’t even remember how I got to this page.
Maybe I was doom-scrolling.
Maybe I typed something desperate into the search bar.
Maybe this just found itself to me.
I don’t know.
But I read it again.
And then I read it once more.
And then again—
And before I know it,
I find myself outside of the building.
No sign.
No noise.
Just a bare door.
