keep smiling, girls
keep him looking in that direction and i’ll keep signaling for help
keep walking
don’t look directly at it
they can smell fear
no that’s bears again
is he still there
i can’t look
Maria!
Maria, what are you doing–
stop
let her go
she’s going to let him talk to her so the rest of us can escape
almost there
almost
I don’t care if I lose the hand as long as the rest of me gets out
oh my, that’s interesting
i can’t remember the last time i heard something so interesting
it must have been the last time you told me something
looking at my hands helps me concentrate on how interesting this is
almost close enough
to throw myself down these stairs
then i’d at least be dead
is it good?
i’m sorry?
i said, is that an interesting book
oh my, yes
very interesting
why, just now
the heroine is being interrupted by someone incredibly rude
mm?
oh yes
that’s very newspaper, dear
oh, christ
we’ve lost her
he’s got her in a conversation
should we try to stop him?
no
all we can do is save ourselves
I must tell Mother to make these hoop skirts wider
men can still get close enough to talk to me
Mallory is an Editor of The Toast.