The Candle is Almost Finished

Hyperrealistic macro photograph of a short ivory candle on a bedside table, its melting wax forming a disturbingly lifelike miniature of the homeowner, kneeling with hands covering their face. The flame burns precisely where the figure’s head should be, while long wax fingers grip the candlestick to resist sliding into the molten pool. On the wall, its enormous shadow stands upright with its hands lowered, revealing a wide, waiting grin. Blackened wick, glossy wax, scorched brass, intimate amber illumination surrounded by impenetrable darkness, no text.