w streets of Brooklyn, slicing th

empty sidewalk. The rhythmic clack of her heels against the concrete sounded hollow and

ashing images. Nine years of memor

when she reached for his face, Gregory would always turn his head. He would

a weird psychological quirk from his childhood.

hit her with si

al intimacy pure for Angie. He was using Arianna's

ntense naus

against a cold brick wall and gasped for ai

pocket and pulled out her phone.

s. No texts. Gregory hadn't even notice

d the phone back into her pocket. Her eyes burned

rooklyn. Graffiti covered the metal shutters of closed

read The Abyss. It was a rundown dive bar with peeling

the heavy, pee

into the walls. A blues song played from a crackling speaker, low and mournful. The lighti

ragged her suitcase all the way to the darkest corner and climbed ont

gray-streaked ponytail tossed a damp, greasy men

ed a fifty-dollar bill from her wal

u have," she ordered. Her

y, amber liquid and slid it across the bar

ted her head back and swallow

e swallowing broken glass.

hysical pain of the burn forced the tears out of her eyes. They

tocky, unshaven, wearing a stained flannel shirt.

d, aiming for her shoulder

ward him. Her eyes were d

ious customer. Without a second of hesitation, she

re, glittering shards sc

bottle and pointed the sharp, broke

ooked at her face and saw a woman who

and stumbled backward into the sha

arted wiping up the glass, his face still b

s from her wallet and dropped the

ring," sh

e needed the alcohol to kill the sound of G

r. The blues music faded into a dull roar.

cky wood of the bar. Her fingers traced

stomach viol

She stumbled blindly toward the back hallway, nearly colliding

ad, harsh and unforgiving. The room sm

heaved, her body shaking violently, but her stomach was

. She cupped her hands and splashed it directly

s of the sink and sl

r eyes in dark streaks. Her hair was a tangled mess, escaping from its

he dispenser. She scrubbed her face s

The despair in her chest hardened,

ders back, smoothing down her wrinkled coat

walked out of