Prompt during my writing group!

“Write down bullet-point facts about a room, or setting, or whatnot. This is for you as the writer to know. Then, after you’ve written all the details down, write it from the perspective of a character. This character may not notice everything, so take that into consideration.”

Aris opened her eyes to the darkness of the apartment.

“Jade, do we—” Aris rolled over and peered to the unmade bed where Jade should lay. She should be snoring, drooling out of the corner of her mouth, scratching at her sleeping armor. She did that sometimes.

But Jade wasn’t there now. She was gone. Aris didn’t know where she was.

Aris sighed and sat up, the smell of unwashed clothes and old food hitting her nose. There were a few clicks to her right where Spidey crawled around Jade’s sheets. Aris smile a weak, broken smile.

“I miss her too, Spidey.” She swung the legs over the bed and the edge of a broken mug snagged her toe and drew blood. She momentarily closed her eyes.

“It’s getting pretty bad in here, huh, Jade?” she whispered. Spidey clamped his pincers together a few times. Aris stood, her feet hidden underneath the layer of dishes and clothes.

“Keep the lights off again today, Spidey. I’m just going to order food.” Spidey clicked in response. Aris frowned. “No. I don’t think I’m ready to go out yet. Thanks, though.”

On the nightstand, between the two beds, her communicator lit up and rang. Spidey scrambled to it and snapped his jaws together over and over. Aris rubbed her eyes.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

Spidey drummed his feet against the table. The comm. kept ringing. Cha-ting, cha-ting!

“Not now.” Aris leaned over and fished around in the pockets of discarded jeans for some coins. Spidey scratched the nightstand. Cha-ting, cha-ting!

“I said not now!” Aris hissed. The comm. stopped ringing. Spidey started clicking his mandibles together without halt. He started tapping his feet against the table. Click-click-click-cl-click!

Aris groaned and walked over to him. She cast him an agitated glare and grabbed the communicator. The device was circular, meant to be worn around the wrist. It felt cold in her hands. She had ignored all calls for days, after the search for Jade had come to a halt. She figured the last time she used it was weeks ago, when she had tried to call Jade.

She pressed her thumb against the faint blue screen. Recent calls flickered up onto the screen. Spidey lowered himself close to the table. Click. Click.

Aris eyes went wide. Her hands started to shake.

“No.” she whispered. “Jade!”