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  You’re in Nicole’s car again, driving toward your destination. The ‘good’ news is you’re making good time. The bad news is you can barely breathe in this thing she calls a dress. It’s way too short, and way too tight, but according to her, that’s a ‘killer’ combination.   You think you might agree with her, only the person who might end up dying here is you and not the men she thinks will be ogling you because of it.   You shift in your seat again, adjusting the… Читать далее

  About twenty-fives minutes later, you’re on the other side of the city and a ways away from campus, pulling into a bound parking lot. You take a quick scan of the apartment complex through your slightly foggy window. It looks really nice; clean and fairly quiet, with great lighting from tall street lamps generously scattered all over the sidewalks.   The engine dies and its motoring sound is replaced by those of screaming crickets, croaking frogs, and other typical nightlife as you reluctantly embrace the cold air once again…. Читать далее

  The curtains rise slowly, revealing your ensemble of violinists and vocalists to an incredibly large, seated audience.   The enormous stage lights are bright and feel hot against your face and neck, perfectly illuminating your musical assembly from high above your heads. The auditorium is packed, just as you expected it to be—as you all expected it to be.   The annual Weitzman performance is one of the events that always gets sold out quickly. Last year, you were seated in the audience, far behind on the other side… Читать далее

  Five Days Later…   You’re all gathered backstage. You fumble with the large buttons at the collar of your blouse, flicking them between your thumb and forefinger in an effort to relieve some of the tension you feel.   You’re super fidgety and you hate how much it shows. You do a few breathing and posture exercises as you mentally prepare yourself for tonight. For all of tonight.   The week has breezed by and it’s already Saturday. The day of the big performance is finally here.   There… Читать далее

You slip into the office space quietly, and suddenly, you’re even more anxious than you were before. Your heart is pounding hard in your chest, and you’re finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden.   You’re immediately greeted by complete silence that is punctuated only by the soft rustling of paper. You notice the wispy sounds are coming from a woman seated at a desk just a few feet away, her face slightly obscured by the desktop monitor in front of her.   Her head is slightly bowed,… Читать далее

  The Next Day…     You look through your window and your eyes drift upward to the seven-story building. You look back at your GPS for the fifth or sixth time, making sure you’re at the right place.   Again.   You don’t know why you keep re-checking. Nicole already told you it would be a seven-story building when she gave you the address. The thing is, what you’re looking at right now looks absolutely nothing like the headquarters of a high-end escort service. At least not from the… Читать далее

  Just then, you see Gran coming through the back door from the corner of your eye. You turn toward her. She looks worried, distressed almost, but as soon as she meets your eyes, she quickly changes her expression and offers up a smile. You frown slightly, wondering why she looked so distraught just a second ago. She’s trying to hide something from you. You know it. But you also know, that as stubborn and headstrong as she is, she won’t tell you what it is. As she walks up… Читать далее

  Okay, you’re pretty sure your eyebrows just jumped off your face and into your hairline—kind of like how Liam’s wanted to just moments earlier.   Your feet are immediately frozen in place, almost as if they’ve been physically cemented to the floor. Your legs feel foreign, like a pair of oversized ice blocks, their weight suddenly too heavy for the rest of your body.   A surge of ice shoots through them and flares throughout the rest of your body, making an especially notable impact as it slithers through… Читать далее

  Rambunctious laughter erupts from the living room, and you immediately recognize the boisterous sound; Karl Vallemosso, grandpa’s life-long best friend. A moment later, you hear Gran’s hearty laugh as well. You take a peek in their direction from the corridor and you can’t help but smile in gratitude.   You’re glad she has so many good people around her who love and support her. You’re also glad to finally see a genuinely happy smile on her face after so long. You haven’t seen or heard her smile and laugh… Читать далее

  You’d managed to beat the worst of the impending snowstorm last night, but not by much. Thankfully, the forecasts don’t expect any more snowstorms for the rest of the weekend. The memorial service doesn’t start for another two hours, but you’re already showered and dressed so you figure you’ll set the table for later.   You grab a bunch of paper plates from Gran’s pantry, and you can’t help but notice how they’re vibrating, but only because the hands that are holding them are trembling. Truth be told, you… Читать далее