Chemistry of Fear

Gareth shuns attention but seeks the affections of Dinah, the donut shop girl. Battling his demons, he strives to overcome his social anxieties lest they control his life. Life in any bustling, modern city takes its toll on people. Gareth is particularly susceptible to those pressures. His body is home to a collection of creatures who present themselves at the most awkward moments. A beetle that lives on his arm causing a fiery itch; a tentacle that seeks to choke him at the most inconvenient of times and a nest of worms, ready to feed a hungry crowd. Gareth can barely muster the courage to engage with people beyond his anonymous online gaming community. His bodily menagerie ensuring he won’t threaten their own existence should he get too confident. Through the encouragement of his online gaming friends, Gareth strives to reach out beyond this faceless group and dare to speak with the girl at the donut shop - Dinah. Running to the shop to make a deadline, he is mortified when a charismatic shop assistant takes Dinah’s place and points out a giant sweat patch that Gareth has acquired. Gareth’s tentacle emerges and wraps around his neck. Storming out confused and embarrassed, he is unexpectedly cornered by Dinah. Gareth is surprised by her friendly demeanour and resists the neck tentacle. However, the worst is yet to come: an invitation to a house party. An environment filled with strangers, all waiting to judge and prey upon the unsuspecting. And it happens. Gareth becomes a feast for these vampires. They eagerly feed off his generous flesh, consuming the worms that spout from his pores. Only it is not real. Gareth leaves before even knocking, not allowing this scenario to ever take place. He hurriedly departs for safety but is confronted by Dinah. Reassuring him and returning to a different party from the one he imagined, she forces him to see the reality of the situation by exposing her own physical flaws to him. He cannot see Dinah’s flaws, a childhood skin condition. Instead of a defect he sees the wings of a swan. Dinah’s act has altered Gareth’s perceptions of himself and the world. A world full of people with the same makeup as himself but who own and control their demons. And so too, Gareth learns to control his.