The soft scratching sound of pencil against paper. a simple drawing materializes - a rabbit, sketched with careful strokes. A teenage girl named Lorie, lost in her artwork. Her concentration is absolute until a voice cuts through her reverie, initially muffled as if coming from a great distance, then suddenly sharp and clear.

  "Lorie!" Professor Nomed's voice breaks her focus.

  She looks up from her drawing, her expression somewhere between startled and dreamy. "Yes, Mr. Nomed?"

  The professor stands over her desk, his posture suggesting both authority and mild exasperation. "Did you finish the project by chance?"

  "What project?" Lorie asks, genuine confusion crossing her features.

  "You needed to make or fix a machine," he reminds her, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.

  Lorie's brow furrows slightly. "What, like a car?"

  Professor Nomed sighs, shaking his head. "Oh come on, don't be cliche." He gestures broadly, his enthusiasm breaking through his frustration. "Make something new and unique. You have a whole shop at your disposal. Use it."

  As he strides away, Lorie's attention returns to her rabbit drawing. She studies it with newfound intensity, turning the word over in her mind. "Unique..."

  Later Mrs. Churchwell's English class. The teacher's voice fills the room with animated discussion about Frankenstein, but Lorie remains absorbed in her doodling, adding more details to the rabbit that seems to have captured her imagination. The scratch of her pencil nearly drowns out the teacher's words in her own mind.

  The teacher's voice cuts through Lorie's concentration once again. "Now if you had the chance to create life, would you?"

  Lorie doesn't respond, her pencil continuing its dance across the paper. Mrs. Churchwell notices her distraction and fixes her with a pointed look. "Lorie, would you?"

  Starting slightly, Lorie looks up from her drawing. "Would I do what?"

  "Would you create life?" Mrs. Churchwell repeats, her tone carrying both curiosity and mild reproach for Lorie's inattention.

  Lorie's eyes drift back to the rabbit sketched on her paper, something stirring in her mind. "Maybe..." she answers softly, more to herself than to her teacher.

  Mrs. Churchwell's eyebrows rise. "Maybe?" She leans forward, her expression growing serious. "You do realize the cons outweigh the pros, right?"

  A spark of defiance flares in Lorie's eyes. "Well, maybe I'd be smarter than Victor," she counters, referring to Frankenstein's protagonist.

  "And how would you be smarter than him?" Mrs. Churchwell challenges, genuine interest creeping into her voice.

  Lorie straightens in her chair, warming to her argument. "First of all: I wouldn't be afraid of him, I wouldn't run away, and maybe instead of a human brain it would be something else."

  Mrs. Churchwell studies her with a mixture of concern and fascination. "Huh? You are a strange one..."

  The sharp ring of the bell shatters the moment. Students begin gathering their things, the scraping of chairs and rustling of papers filling the room. Mrs. Churchwell raises her voice over the commotion, "Uh, make sure you guys finish reading chapter 8!"

  Lorie slips her drawing into her notebook and joins the exodus into the hallway. At her locker, she's just clicking the door shut when two figures materialize beside her. Freddy and Rico's sudden appearance makes her jump, her hand flying to her chest.

  "Freddy, Rico, you scared me!" she exclaims, trying to calm her racing heart.

  "Sorry..." they respond in unison, looking appropriately sheepish.

  Lorie adjusts the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Is there something I can help you with?"

  Freddy shifts his weight, something hesitant in his manner. "Hey, we just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us after school?"

  "No," Lorie responds quickly, perhaps too quickly. "I'm gonna be busy with stuff."

  Rico's expression softens with understanding. "You know it's not your fault."

  Pain flickers across Lorie's features, raw and familiar. "I miss him so much..."

  Freddy glances between them, discomfort evident in his posture. "Well, gotta go," he says quickly, turning and walking away, his footsteps echoing in the now-emptying hallway.

  Lorie releases a heavy sigh, her shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. When she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper, thick with memories. "It has been 5 years since my brother was killed."

  Rico shifts closer, his voice gentle. "Friday is the anniversary. That's in a few days." He pauses, watching her carefully. "You gonna be there?"

  "I have no choice..." Lorie responds, resignation heavy in her voice.

  "See ya tomorrow in machines class," Rico says softly before walking away, leaving Lorie alone with her thoughts.

  The dim comfort of Lorie's bedroom. She lies on her bed, the blue glow of a screen illuminating her face as she watches videos of her brother. The footage shows only glimpses - a game of catch, their shadows long in the evening light; camping scenes filled with laughter; the two of them huddled together watching a movie, his face always just out of frame, preserved in these partial memories.

  "I wish you were here..." she whispers to the empty room, her words hanging in the darkness.

  The Next Day... The machines classroom, where darkness pervades except for the rectangular shaft of light coming through the window in the door. Professor Nomed pushes it open, leading Lorie into what appears to be a storage room for abandoned projects.

  "Here's all the old projects that nobody finished," he announces, gesturing to the shadowy shapes around them.

  Lorie begins to respond, "Wow so-" but her words cut off as her eyes land on something in the gloom. There, amid the forgotten projects, stands a robot in the shape of a rabbit. An eerie metallic hum seems to emanate from it, filling the space with an otherworldly presence.

  "What's that?" she asks, unable to look away.

  Professor Nomed's voice takes on an odd tone. "That's been there for a long time now. It came from a restaurant. But when the place shut down, because of a erm incident in 2001, the owners sent it to us." He pauses, something unspoken hanging in the air. "But... it's never been touched since."

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  Lorie steps closer to the robot, curiosity blazing in her eyes. "Wow. How much of its innards are intact?"

  "Err um," Professor Nomed hesitates. "Most of its electronics are still there."

  A moment of silence passes before Lorie speaks, determination hardening her voice: "I'll do it."

  Soon Lorie is already deep in her work, the rabbit's metallic hand isolated on her workbench while its body sits off to the side. The concentrated silence is broken by Rico's arrival.

  "Yo! What is that?" he calls out, peering at her project.

  Without looking up from her work, Lorie responds matter-of-factly, "It's a robot."

  "I know that! But why?" Rico's voice carries a note of concern beneath his curiosity.

  A small smile plays at the corners of Lorie's mouth. "Don't worry, it'll blow you away once you see it."

  "I'm sure it will..." Rico replies, his tone uncertain as he walks away.

  In the silence that follows his departure, Lorie places a pop can in the mechanical hand. The fingers close around it with precise movement, crushing the aluminum with effortless strength. The bell's sharp ring interrupts her moment of triumph, and she gathers her things to leave. the hand, still clutching its crushed prize, as the lights dim to darkness.

  "THE NEXT DAY." Lorie strides in with purpose, her eyes bright with determination.

  "Alrighty, time to work on the head," she announces to the empty room.

  Time accelerates, through hours of Lorie's meticulous work until, Professor Nomed appears just as she's making final adjustments.

  "You're working on the head, I see," he observes.

  "Si," Lorie confirms, reaching for a switch. The head comes to life, its eyes glowing an ethereal white.

  The Rabbit's voice emerges, mechanical and stuttering: "H-H-Hap-py BIRTHD-DAY!"

  The light in its eyes dims as quickly as it had appeared.

  Professor Nomed's disappointment is evident. "That's all it can do?"

  "Yeah, for now..." Lorie replies, already planning her next steps.

  "Good luck..." Professor Nomed says as he walks away, leaving Lorie to her work.

  She turns back to the robot, determination written across her features. "You work on a neural network," she mutters, more to herself than the silent machine.

  The bell's ring pulls her away once again, forcing her to leave her creation behind as she heads to English class.

  In Mrs. Churchwell's English class, the final words of a story hang in the air as she closes her book with a gentle thud. "And the end..." she announces, looking up at her students. "What did you all think?"

  Freddy speaks up from his desk, his tone cautious. "It was pretty... okay!"

  Mrs. Churchwell's eyes widen in disbelief. "Okay?! What do you mean OKAY?!?!"

  "Okay, hear me out," Freddy begins, sitting up straighter. "It's overrated, very cliche, and very dumb."

  "You're overrated," Mrs. Churchwell retorts, causing a ripple of surprised amusement through the class.

  Undeterred, Freddy continues, "Well first of all, I feel like they should make a new version of it because it doesn't make much sense on how Victor could make a monster."

  The bell interrupts any further literary debate, and Lorie slips out quickly, her mind already back in the machine shop.

  The next day dawns with renewed purpose. Lorie practically runs into the metals shop, making a beeline for her robot head. Rico follows in her wake, trying to catch her attention.

  "Morning Lorie!" he calls out.

  She barely acknowledges him, immediately immersing herself in her work.

  "Lorie..." he tries again.

  Without looking up, she responds with a distracted, "Si?"

  "It's Friday," Rico says meaningfully.

  "And?" Lorie continues working, her movements precise and focused.

  "Did you forget your brother?"

  Her hands pause for just a moment. "I'm kinda busy, Rico."

  "Lorie, please come to the speech," he pleads.

  She turns to face him finally, something fierce burning in her eyes. "I'm on the verge of doing something here, Rico. Something... exciting."

  With deliberate movements, she reaches for a cloth and drapes it over the rabbit's face. "It's ready."

  Her finger finds the button on the back of its head. The moment she pushes it, the room comes alive with electricity. The head's eyes glow white, then begin flickering an eerie blue. The lights in the room surge and flicker, growing brighter and brighter until suddenly, everything plunges into darkness.

  "What just happened?!" Professor Nomed's voice cuts through the darkness.

  "Sorry!" Lorie calls out.

  "Good job!" Rico's sarcasm is clear even in the dark.

  "Shut it!" Lorie snaps back.

  "Lorie!" Professor Nomed's warning tone fills the room.

  The lights flicker back to life, and in that same moment, the haunting melody of "POP GOES THE WEASEL" begins playing from the rabbit's head. All three of them turn to stare at the creation, tension building in the air.

  "What is it doing?" Rico's voice wavers slightly.

  "I have no idea!" Lorie responds, her eyes wide as she watches her creation.

  The music cuts off abruptly, replaced by an ear-splitting mechanical screech that makes everyone jump back.

  "What the!!??" Professor Nomed and Rico shout in unison.

  Lorie steps forward, wonder mixing with concern on her face. "Is it alive?"

  Another screech tears through the room, even louder than before.

  "What?" Lorie whispers, moving closer despite the horrific sound.

  "What's wrong with it?" Rico asks, keeping his distance.

  "I do not know," Lorie admits, studying the rabbit's face intently.

  A third screech, more piercing than the others, fills the room.

  "Turn it OFF!" Professor Nomed demands, his hands covering his ears.

  "Si..." Lorie agrees reluctantly.

  Once silence returns, Professor Nomed approaches. "Alright, what's wrong with it?"

  Lorie carefully opens the rabbit's mouth, examining its internal components. "Its voice box is cracked."

  "Just take it out and move on," Professor Nomed says, his tone suddenly shifting to excitement. "Because this is worth so much."

  "Can I help!?" Rico interjects eagerly.

  "NO!" both Lorie and Nomed shout together.

  "Fine!" Rico storms off, his footsteps echoing his frustration.

  Professor Nomed turns to Lorie, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Do you realize how much money we can get from this?"

  "No?" Lorie responds uncertainly.

  "Thousands and millions of money!" His voice rises with excitement.

  "I..." Lorie begins, but he cuts her off.

  "I'm gonna be rich!!!"

  "But I fixed it!" Lorie protests.

  Professor Nomed's voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. "We can't let anyone know, otherwise the owners are going to want it back."

  "But I thought-"

  "You're going to keep working on it. You got that!?" His tone leaves no room for argument.

  "I guess..." Lorie concedes.

  "How long will it take to fix the body?"

  "Maybe a week?"

  "Okay..." Professor Nomed nods. "Get working then!"

  English class, where Freddy leans toward Lorie with barely contained excitement.

  "You created a robot!" he whispers urgently.

  Lorie shakes her head, correcting him. "Nein, I fixed one..."

  Freddy's eyes light up with enthusiasm. "Lorie! This is a breakthrough! You made life!"

  She slumps slightly in her chair, her voice tinged with frustration. "Yeah... except that Nomed is going to use it to make money."

  "You're worried about Nomed?" Freddy scoffs. "You should be worried about Rico!"

  Lorie turns to him, confusion crossing her features. "Why?"

  "He's being jealous about the whole thing."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well..." Freddy begins, but Mrs. Churchwell's cheerful voice interrupts their conversation as she approaches with papers in hand.

  "Here's your quiz!" she announces, distributing the sheets.

  Freddy studies her unusually bright demeanor. "You're really joyful today?"

  Mrs. Churchwell beams at them. "You wouldn't believe it!... I got a raise!"

  "Amazing," Lorie responds absently, her mind clearly elsewhere.

  As Mrs. Churchwell moves on to other students, Freddy turns back to Lorie. "Can I see it?"

  "Yeah?... during lunch," she agrees after a moment's hesitation.

  The dimmer atmosphere of the machine room. Freddy and Lorie enter together, approaching the deactivated rabbit. The mechanical figure sits motionless, its presence somehow both fascinating and unsettling.

  "He's creepy..." Freddy observes, hanging back slightly.

  Lorie smirks at his reaction. "What, you afraid of it now?"

  "I was expecting it to be more... cute," he admits.

  "Are you ready?" Lorie asks, her hand hovering over the activation switch.

  "Yeah," Freddy responds, though his voice betrays his nervousness.

  With purposeful movements, Lorie activates the rabbit. The machine whirs to life, its mechanical eyes illuminating the dim room.

  "Hello," the rabbit speaks, its voice now clearer than before.

  "Hello?!" Freddy responds, a mixture of awe and apprehension in his voice.

  Pride radiates from Lorie as she explains, "State of the art intelligence. It's always evolving and learning. But since it doesn't have any memories, it's a clean slate."

  She moves to the workbench, picking up the mechanical hand. "And plus," she continues, connecting the hand to the head with practiced precision, "It can control its hand now."

  The hand moves smoothly, demonstrating its functionality, but the moment is shattered by Professor Nomed's sudden entrance.

  "Lorie, what are you doing here!?" his voice booms through the room.

  "I was just showing Fred!" Lorie protests.

  "Why did you turn it on?" Anger edges into his voice.

  "To show him!"

  "Turn it off and leave," he commands.

  Something in Lorie snaps. "It's my creation!"

  "I own it!" Professor Nomed bellows. "WHY did you reattach the hand?"

  He reaches for the mechanical hand, but in a moment that seems to stretch into eternity, the robot's fingers close around his hand, crushing it in their grip. Professor Nomed's face contorts in pain.

  "Turn it off!" he screams.

  "Stop it!" Lorie shouts, but whether to the professor or the robot, it was unclear.