Water Memory
Written & Illustrated by Elizabeth Gu, Mentored by Bee Grandinetti
Water Memory is a web story and digital exploration of a young scientist who aims to create bioluminescent light in a sunless, dystopian world. On the day her rigorous experiments succeed, her entire life's work is suddenly terminated by nameless bureaucratic administrators. The lab is swept clean, leaving no trace of her precious light specimens. With her lab and position eliminated, she grows increasingly uneasy and hopeless, waiting weeks on end to be reassigned to a new occupation.
As she wades through the uncertainty of meaningless days, she becomes drawn to the ocean and is swept up in a massive wave that leaves her marooned on a small, peculiar island. There she encounters mythical beings that challenge her ideals of personal choice, self-preservation, and what she ultimately must fight for in order to reclaim her agency.
Illustrations:
Early concept art:
Early Thumbnails (downward scrolling):
