Page 8 of Tyrant

“Nope.” Naya shuts me off. “It’s not that at all. We consent to everything. All the time. Now, follow us. It’s late and we’re tired.”

“Yeah, who did you piss off to get picked up and brought here this late?” Lia asks.

“Evil stepmother issues,” I say.

“Say no more,” Naya says. “They can be rotten cunts, no?”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

I want to say something else but I see Olivia standing not too far from us.

“That her?” Lia asks.

“No. Hell no. That’s Olivia. She’s basically a slave to mymother. Can I say goodbye to her?”

“Sure,” Lia says.

The three of us walk toward Olivia. She looks sad. She looks filled with regret.

“Please don’t be afraid to leave her,” I tell Olivia. “I’m not kidding. She’s evil. She’ll use you up. Look what she did to me.”

“Oh, Sera,” Olivia says. She touches my face. “I wish there was another timeline where you were my daughter. And we lived in a small town. I work as a waitress and you’re an artist. And we’re just happy.”

“I don’t think happiness is real,” I say.

Olivia hugs me. Tight. I can feel her shaking.

“I should have stopped you that night,” Olivia whispers. “You kept talking about burning things. I played into it. I’m such a fool.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” I whisper back. “Now go. You have a ride back?”

“Yes,” Olivia says.

Our hug breaks and I’m hit with an overwhelming sense of sadness. I’m losing Olivia. The only good part of my life.

“Time to go,” Naya says. “Acesare watching us.”

I look around and I don’t see anything at first. It’s like they appear the longer you stare though. A figure not far away. All dressed in black. These guys are wearing black masks. They blend into the night. It’s scary as fuck.

“What will they do to me?” I whisper.

“Anything they fucking want,” Lia says. “But you’re far from ready. Come on, I don’t feel like getting punished because of you.”

I’m taken to one of the old looking buildings only to realize it’s basically an apartment building. Four stories tall, old brick, old windows, and the hallways have thatoldsmell to them. It’s not dirty or moldy or anything. Just old. It almost feels ghostly. The steps and walls are echoey.

Lia and Naya take me to the third floor. Door number three.

Hey, third floor, third room, third roommate. Triple threes. That has to be a good sign, right?

Nothing can save me right now. Not the universe. Not numerology. Not even God himself.

There’s nothing fancy about the apartment. Living room, dining room, very small kitchen area. It’s got a womanly vibe to it though. It smells clean, looks clean.

My bedroom is right next to the bathroom. Lia and Naya’s rooms are more down the hallway and they share a bathroom. I’m like an outcast…I am an outcast.

My bag is already on the bed. I notice it looks a little unzipped. I pull at my bag like I’m opening potato chips and I freeze in place when I see a pair of my panties right on top. Bright pink panties with a laced edge.

It’s not just that though. There’s something else… somethinginmy panties… I take a few deep breaths.

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