Page 75 of Drop His Mask

But then something fell onto my bare feet. Several somethings.

When they began to crawl, I wanted to scream, to wriggle, to look and see what was on me.

But I was too scared, afraid that observing whatever they had dropped onto me would only make it worse.

“That is incorrect. Do you wish to see the next set of statements?”

My hands shook at my sides, but I clenched them, steadying myself into the here and now. “Yes.”

I was born outside a Facility.

I am a woman.

I am older than you.

This one I was sure of; my sister was born in our Facility. I had seen the evidence, the pictures.

“I was born outside a Facility.”

This time the whirring was followed by a nauseatingly slippery squelching noise. Whatever fell onto me was slippery and cold. It slithered as it deemed to explore the confined space.

My breath stuttered as anxiety and terror slinked across my bare skin in the form of myspecial guest. It left a trail of uncomfortable goosebumps in its wake. Squeezing my hands into tight fists I attempted to swallow down my terror.

Insects and a…snake? They won’t kill me. They might hurt but I will survive.

“That is incorrect. Do you wish to see the next set of statements?”

My sister isn’t my Sponsor.

The knowledge was soul crushing in a way I couldn’t explain, and it distracted me from my current situation. If they were my friend. If theywere born outside of the Facility. There were only a few people left that they could be.

Jayce’s face flashed across my mind. But itcouldn’tbe him. Surely, he couldn’t be my teammate and my Sponsor. And even if that were possible, there was no way he would betray me like that. I trusted him…but even still, in this dark tomb with creatures trailing across me in fearful ways, paranoia festered. This was where your deepest fears came to light.

“Yes.” A stinging prick on my leg caused me to flinch, but I did my best to ignore it as the last set of statements flashed onto the screen above.

I am your first love.

I am your best friend.

I am the first one you told of your infamous nickname.

Realization struck me.

Even if it breaks my heart, it makes the most sense. It has to be him.

I spoke the statement out loud, and this time, the whirring sound was absent.

Instead, my entire box shifted, jostling me and agitating myspecial guests. But before I could feel any more of their assault on my bare skin, my box was ripped open, and I was tugged out of my coffin.

Chapter 40

Soul Sent From Above

The Host

Eight Months Ago

“He can’t be trusted! Why would you put him out here? Now you’re going to let the Sponsors interview him?” Sharon’s voice was a sharp whine as it filtered through the cracked door.

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