The First Clatter

A sudden electric shiver surged through my throat. Inside my gaping maw, the row of green cams and metal clippers gave a low, mechanical shudder—and then clicked together with a sharp, delicious SNAP. I blinked my wide paper lashes, staring down at the little white label card pasted on the pedestal right beneath me. I leaned forward just a fraction, letting my mechanical teeth clatter in rhythm against the stillness of the room, vibrating the smooth white stand with my very own pulse.