k on the lounge door

woman' s voice called from the

h my despair. Someone was o

pure poison. She put a finger to her lips in a gesture of

posed herself in an instan

m with her body. Two other assistants, both younger w

, her tone back to its usual

said, peering past Ginger, trying to see insi

ely fabricated sound. "A problem

to see me, a pathetic heap on the flo

sympathy in their eyes. Just a cold, di

rst one said.

me," Ginger said with a roll of her eyes. "They

rp nose, chimed in. "Did you see her sho

ey. My hope died as quickly as it had been born. Thes

she noticed the phone lying on the floo

someone?" she hissed, stepping back in

ling with the cracked screen. I had to cal

rgency call button just as Ging

ing pain shot up my arm. The

t up. She looke

what? That you were trespassing and

d sticker of a sunflower, one Alia had put there years ago. I

rrowed. "Where d

," I choked out, crad

ower tattooed on his wrist. I' ve seen it. Are you trying

was in memory of our mother. He

ped on it, once, twice, a third time with a sickening crunch of plastic

on to the outsid

, breathing heavily

en its leash. She grabbed a handful

spat, her face inches from mine. "You come into m

back against the wall, my head s

more permanent remi

landing on a pot of coffee left on a

aid with a malicious gri

ot. It was still half full. St

widened

lease,

nts, who had slipped into the room behind her, just stood by the door and watched, their faces a m

erceived stalker anymore. This was cruelt