Anya

34

The arcade buzzed with the chaotic symphony of electronic noise and excited shouts. Inside a brightly lit claw machine, Anya, a vinyl anime figure, blinked her wide, curious eyes. One moment she was frozen, the next, a spark of life surged through her painted limbs. She wiggled her fingers, marveling at the sensation, the plush panda beside her suddenly seeming less inanimate. Time stretched, each second an eternity in her newfound awareness. Then, a figure approached the machine. Anya, her plastic heart pounding with a strange new feeling, watched.