X-ember in the Laboratory
[Author's Note: This was written in December for the Litmas 2005 competition on deviantArt. It did not win. It plays with the idea of X-mas, treating the X like the Roman numeral for 10. That's what the dec- in December is for, after all.] Cell Sixteen in The Laboratory shined with red and green lights, blinking on and off, causing a yellow light to pour into the hallway. Clenoin peeked his head into the door as he walked past. “Someone else decorating for X-ember?” he asked Kakaisha, who was partially obscured by a cabinet. Kakaisha leaned to the side as she stared into a beaker. It glowed faintly with a reddish tint. “What’s that, Clen?” Surrounding her were several shelves of the red, glowing bottles. The computer’s monochrome screen contributed the green. Together they flickered, illuminating the room in a festive manner. Clenoin looked away shyly. “Nothing, Kakaisha.” He shuffled his feet as he tried not to make eye contact with the woman. She resumed her note taking