The Possessed Aquarium

People, even after they’ve died, are still social animals. They need to hang out. Here at Torres Graveyard #13, I make sure that no one stays lonely. Unless they want to be, I guess. Some people get real hung up on their lifetime relationships. I wish Aurelio would stop complaining about it, honestly. I go through the trouble of setting up all this enrichment for everyone, so just pick something. If you insist on being lonely, be quiet about it.

The thing that’s really interesting about it is...you think you’re bad at socializing? Try doing it when the incident that took you out also nailed your prefrontal cortex. Or if you’ve been stuck here so long that you barely have a sense of self left. The circumstances of your death could also have spooked you enough that you’re too afraid to speak anymore. Sometimes I think about looking up what happened to Hector, but then I look at his eyes and think better of it. Still. You want to be around others, right? You know who knows how to build a simple, but strong community? Fish.

No talking needed. Just swim around, wave hello occasionally, and chill under a sunken ship. Can’t use real fish, though. Those decompose. And fish skeletons don’t have the endurance or attraction needed for something like this. So I made some mechanical fish, based off of minnows, because minnows are cute. I put some magnets on the outside though to keep a repelling field on them. Can’t let there be fighting, you know. I have enough things to worry about without needing to wonder if the fish are getting dismembered. I even made little fish flakes that they can eat that’ll recharge their batteries.

Anyway, these fish are available for any spirit to just pop in and possess. It’s been helpful for those who are restless or just want a cozy place to hang out. Some will sprint around, others will swim around leisurely, and others who can’t quite ever figure it out just float lopsidedly. They start with a small tank, and then when they’re comfortable enough they move to the big tank. It feels way bigger, and you’re able to forget for a moment that you’re stuck for eternity in a dank graveyard. Sometimes when I get bored I’ll add a new species of fish. They like that.