ley
left only the rhythmic, blood-red blinkin
ed to reach inward toward that quiet, dormant pla
annel reserved for urgent pack communications, a psychic frequency t
my consciousness outward, trying to bridge the
ng ha
the impenetrable void of being a wolfless that blocked
let out a dry, self
mind-link to work for me was like expe
nto were digging mercilessly into my heels, the stiff synth
y straps, and yanked the shoes off m
all, dark crimson stains on the pr
shoes by their straps, a tiny glint of light i
the acoustic paneling, a microscopic, high-definitio
d lens inside the glass housing quie
straight onto my bloody feet
actively sitting behind a console somewhere, manual
he build
ing to see if I had br
ed this tower, amusing himself with the spectacl
left me stranded out here, treating
lass, to weep, to get down on my k
s of my chest, completely burning away the fear a
ulders back as I looked directly into t
hem the satisfactio
usting the tangled neckline of my gown, brushing the loose strands o
hand, curled my lip into a cold, defiant smi
rather sleep on a plastic chair in the emergency breakroom at S
wool runner as I marched straight toward the
nsely heavy, as if the very air was ho
brushed-steel call button, the metallic surfa
the digital indicator showing the cab slowly ris
o sixty-eight, a sharp, heavy mechani
oors disengaged in rapid succession, a deep cla
outward by two inches, leaving a narrow, inviti
y slamming up as I watched the reinforced
dreaded, a wave of sickeningly sweet, synthetic floral perfume
l musk, the kind of scent meant to mask the me
ls pushed the door fully open, revealing a slende
-thigh, her bleached-blonde curls tumbling messily over her bare sho
, sweeping over my dirty, torn wedding dress a
" she drawled, her voice high-pitched and laced with arrogant mocke
, dismissive scoff. "Showing up in a rag like that?
ed heels in my left hand as I looked at
manded, keeping my
flip her curls with the rim of her wine glass. "I'
g the entryway with an exagg
rred, her eyes glittering with malicious triumph. "And he explicitly
enomous sneer. "Especially defe
e her away, and I caught the slight tremor i
forward until I was only a foot away from her, "tell me
a flash of panicked embarrassment cross
are to interrogate me?" she shr
ing my voice. "You don't even know the master passcode to this d
her face turning purple as she slammed her
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