Thin and Glossy - Inanimate Caption

Thin and Glossy

The Static Boutique. Nobody knows where it got its name, but they do know one thing. It does incredibly well at getting the women who shop there exactly what they need. Not one leaves without an item she feels some deep connection to. A dress, a hair clip, a pair of shoes, whatever it may be, they often became a staple of their owner’s life. For such a widespread rumor, Eric found it odd that there was no mention of men’s deepest desires ever coming true the same way there. Maybe it was because most men wouldn't have any interest in shopping there anyway, but for such a supernaturally skilled staff, surely they could find or do something, right?

Eric didn't enter the store with any idea of what he really wanted, but it wouldn't take long for something to come to mind. As if it had been handed to him, he had a thought. A beautiful woman was browsing through the makeup section. What he would really like, would be to be with her at all times. And as he processed that, everything faded.

As quickly as it all faded away, everything became clear. But something was different… Eric knew what was around him, he could “see” it all but he couldn’t see. Something was incredibly off. Somehow, he knew that even though just a few seconds ago he was standing not too far away, now he was some sort of item on display. He would struggle… if it was at all possible. There wasn’t a thing he could do. It wasn’t like he was trapped in glass, it was like he was glass hard, cold, and unmoving no matter what you do. It didn’t take long before he was being held, “feeling” the first thing he had ever “felt” if the sensation could even be called that, and then he found out what he was.

“How much for this lip gloss?” The girl he was just admiring was now holding him, he was a stick of pink lipgloss, somehow.

“Oh, does it speak to you? Take it!” The clerk didn’t even hesitate to give him away. Did she know? Did she know Eric was trapped in here?

“Oh, great! I’ll wear it out.” Eric felt himself glide across his newfound owner’s lips, and then it felt like a part of him separated from himself, while still being fully aware from both ends. The following days were mentally draining. Eventually he came to terms with the fact that he would never be freed, there wasn’t any way he could call out to… well, he didn’t even know this girl’s name. Although she had surely said it while wearing him, his sense of hearing wasn’t at all consistent. Each word just flew over and across him. Every day was a mixture of both waiting for her to come home so he could feel anything but also being with her at all times.

With each application, a little bit of Eric was skimmed off the top. A piece of him stuck with his owner throughout the day, and the majority of him lost some of his essence as he was smudged or washed off of her, a piece of him was completely disposed of. A memory, a thought, a feeling, something was lost each day, left on her to be thin, and glossy.