Oil [Full Story]

Prologue

The halls were dark. The lights had been shut off for the night, and Jesse had been the unfortunate one left behind to clean up the remains of the experiment. It was disgusting work, and the hazmat suit that was required hindered the process and slowed his progress. Plus, it was hot. He wished he could take it off, but he valued his life a tad more than a little comfort. The oil was goopy and it constantly caught in his mop. It was gross. The mop was spreading the oil around more than it was actually cleaning, and Jesse wrinkled his nose. At this rate, it'd take all night. He cursed his colleagues to hell and bent to pick up a stray piece of paper they had left behind. He was seconds from throwing it away when something peculiar caught his eye. Spatters of oil had dried on the page, and written in the same oil were the words HELLO.

A shiver shook his spine and he quickly crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash can behind him. He went back to his disgusting work. There was a particularly hard spot, a little area where the oil had dried, and he scrubbed at it in frustration. "God fucking damn it." He grumbled. "Always gotta make me-" He almost missed the echoing voice when it spoke. "Hello." It said. Jesse startled and nearly slipped in the slick oil. He stared in wide eyed surprise at the glass container sitting on the pedestal in the middle of the room. "...Hello?" He asked hesitantly. The goop inside the container quivered with what sounded like laughter. "Do you know what you're doing here?" The goop asks. Jesse swallows and replies, "I'm here to clean your room." He feels a small seed of pride bloom when his voice doesn't shake. It does crack, though, he notes miserably. "My room? Is that what you are calling it?" It asks curiously. Jesse blinks. "Yes. I didn't know you could talk." He says. The goop doesn't reply, and Jesse clears his throat nervously. "Hello?" He asks. The goo doesn't respond again.