Chapter 10: More

Chapter 10:
More

 

THE SUN WAS JUST STARTING to set by the time Flum made it home for the day. She could barely muster a greeting as she stumbled in through the door.

Milkit jogged over to greet her master with a cheerful smile. “Welcome back, Master.”

This raised Flum’s spirits. A grin came to her face.

“I was just about to go out shopping for tonight’s dinner. Would you like to come along?” Milkit, who was holding a shopping bag, must’ve been waiting for Flum to get home. She peered closer into Flum’s face, seeing her exhaustion. “Or would you rather stay here and rest?”

Today, Milkit wore a mostly white maid uniform with a bright red ribbon tied at her chest. It was different from her usual style, lending an adorable air to her serious demeanor. She looked more like a waitress than the maid to some rich noble.

Milkit tended to rotate through her collection of uniforms, making each day unique. Flum loved seeing the variations. More than anything, though, it helped alleviate the heavy emotional blows she’d been dealt throughout the day.

“I think I’ll stay and rest up. Sorry, Milkit.” She suspected Milkit had been looking forward to going out shopping together, and a part of Flum wanted to as well, but she just couldn’t work up the energy to go.

“Of course, Master. Please get some rest. Eterna and I will go out.”

Eterna popped her head out of the living room. “See ya!”

After seeing them off, Flum made her way to the dining table and dropped heavily into one of the chairs before resting her head on the tabletop.

“Hiya, Flum!” Ink was busily working her way through a puzzle across from Flum.

“Hey, Ink.”

“How did it go? Find out anything about Sara?”

“Nada. Zilch. Worse yet, apparently Ottilie is missing, too. It’s all just…a lot to take in.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. But I’m sure you’ll find them. Both of ’em.”

“Me too, kid.” If she didn’t believe that, then she wouldn’t be able to continue looking.

Flum finally gave in to her exhaustion and closed her eyes. Ink paused for a moment out of concern for her weary friend and decided to let her relax. It was the least she could do. She rolled up her sleeves and continued playing with the puzzle, this time slower and more methodically, to avoid making any sound.

 

***

 

“You’re done already?” Eterna was surprised at just how quickly Milkit finished up the night’s shopping.

“Yes, I’d like to get back to Master’s side as soon as I can.”

“She did look pretty down and out.” Whatever it was, she figured Flum’s news was going to be bad.

“Umm, Eterna…?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure I can’t carry that?” Milkit seemed to be feeling guilty about Eterna carrying the food-laden shopping bag.

“It’s no big deal.” Milkit had a Strength of 11. Eterna’s was an impressive 668. Her arms may have looked thin, but she was a great deal stronger than your average passerby. “I’m stronger than you, Milkit.”

Eterna flexed her left bicep to punctuate her point, though there wasn’t actually much to show. This only made Milkit look even more worried.

“It looks like you grabbed all of Flum’s favorite foods,” Eterna said.

“I was thinking it would lift Master’s spirits to have these tonight.”

“Like two little lovebirds, I’m telling you…”

“It’s not like that at all, Miss Eterna. It’s just… It’s just that I want to give back to Master at least some of the happiness she’s given to me. That’s it.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet.”

“I am Master’s slave, after all.” Milkit brought her hand to her chest, a smile gracing her lips.

“Sounds like a really fortunate meeting for the both of you, then.”

“Absolutely.”

They’d met in a place that could charitably be described as hell on earth. It was only by pure happenstance that she’d happened to survive and that Flum had chosen to take her along. Milkit had just gone with the flow, as she always did, never knowing when or how her life would change. It had never occurred to her to try otherwise. Looking back on her time with Flum, now it all seemed like a miracle.

Before she could dwell on this much further, however, she noticed a man standing right in front of them.

The man was tall and slender, with a crop of light brown hair atop his head. He threw out his arms in a dramatic fashion, like an actor in a stage play. “Well, I’ll be. What an unexpected sight to behold. I figured she’d be easy pickings if she were alone, but this really messes things up. Is that really the legendary hero, Eterna Rinebow, accompanying the brat?”

Dressed in leather armor with a buckler fastened tightly to his arm, the man was armed with a twenty-centimeter dagger and a heavy crossbow strapped to his back. This was no casual encounter. He was here to carry out a job assigned to him as an adventurer.

Milkit recognized him immediately. “Dein Phineas!” She glared at him, a rare look of angry defiance plastered across her face.

“Bring it on.” Eterna’s voice was cold and even. She started to gather magic energy in the palm of her hand.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up there for a second. I’m not here to fight. I’m at least smart enough to know when I’m completely outclassed.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“I just want to talk. I have some information that could prove useful…to both of us.”

“No, thank you. Let’s go, Eterna.”

Eterna readily agreed. The two didn’t even give him a second glance as they began to walk past.

Dein’s lips curled up into his signature grin. He leapt back into his monologue. “Well, that’s really a shame. And here I had all this information about our dear Sara Anvilen. Flum spent all day running around the West District looking for her, didn’t she? I’m sure your Master would be overjoyed to learn whatever became of that brat, why she disappeared, and where she is now…”

“Sara?” Milkit stopped dead in her tracks.

“Milkit, just keep going.”

“But…!”

Milkit loved Sara. She longed for the day when they could chat, play, and eat together again. What’s more, the image of Flum’s exhausted face came to mind. Her master had put so much into finding her. If she could just be useful to Flum…

“Gotta say, I love a slave with a good head on her shoulders. She’s plumped up a bit, too. Did her face get better? Sure looks that way. Y’know, you could sell her for quite a bit now, I’m sure.”

“Shut up, you pathetic lowlife.” Eterna glared daggers at Dein.

Where was he getting his information on Milkit and Sara? Even if his network of contacts had taken a hit, it seemed to be working well enough.

“Wow, real scary. Gotta say, it’d be nice to just live the life of luxury, always under someone’s watchful gaze, and not need to worry about anything. Alas, I’m more the type to want to protect others, myself.”

“Cut the crap and get to the point. What do you know about Sara?”

Dein chuckled.

“Testy, testy. I’m going to tell you, all in due time.” The sly grin never left his face, though something about his expression changed.

Milkit narrowed her eyes, face scrunching in displeasure.

“She stopped by the West District church to dig up information on some Ink kid the day she went missing. Some of the knights told her these rumors they’d heard about secret church research.”

Dein paused to take in their expressions, almost like he was trying to gauge their reactions at dropping Ink’s name. Eterna and Milkit stayed stone-faced. No matter what happened, they weren’t going to let on that Ink was living with them. Eterna knew this on a logical level, while it was a more intuitive, emotional response from Milkit. He and his goons may well have been looking for Ink, which was all the more reason for them to play it cool.

Dein clicked his tongue in annoyance before continuing with his story.

“Alas, this story was more than a mere rumor. It actually happened to be way closer to the truth than anyone figured, which triggered what happened next.”

“Triggered? What do you mean?”

“You might call it an overreaction, I guess. A knee-jerk attempt to protect their allies. I guess it depends on which side of the line you stand on, huh?”

Neither Eterna nor Milkit could follow what Dein was talking about anymore. He shot them another one of his charming smiles and opened his mouth to explain.

Before he could start, Eterna’s finger twitched. Milkit cocked her head quizzically to the side as she heard an unfamiliar sound.

Dein continued. “It’s not the church or someone related to them, no. It’s the children. If anyone learns they exist, they chase them down, multiply, and kill them. That’s why I’ve decided to ally myself with them. It was really my only choice if I wanted their protection.”

“Children? Are you talking about the place that’s experimenting on people?”

“Right, exactly! But wait, you knew about it, too? Hmm, that means you meet all the criteria as well. In that case, maybe it’s not the children… Maybe it’s another team.”

“Another research team?”

“Bingo. You see, the Spiral Children are given cores instead of hearts at birth, turning them into heartless creatures with a black crystal buried deep within their bodies. There’s a lab right beneath this very city where the church creates them in droves.”

It was unclear to Eterna why Dein was sharing this clearly vital information with them so freely, but she was convinced now that she knew what the bizarre presence she sensed earlier was.

“Hm?” Milkit looked around quizzically. She hadn’t heard a word Dein said. After all, Eterna had used her water magic to block off the younger girl’s ears and shut out all noise.

It didn’t take long for Dein to reveal his true intentions. “I bet you’re wondering why I’d be telling you all this, aren’t you? Well, I’m actually quite smart, if I say so myself. Even if you don’t stumble on rumors like that little nun girl, or start sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong like those other guys, all I had to do was tell you. And then you’d meet all the criteria.”

He tapped his finger against his forehead several times before, a moment later, something began to pour off the side of a nearby roof. They slapped to the ground with a sickening fwump.

Eterna’s cheek twitched when she caught sight of the eyeballs. They seemed to come out of nowhere, rolling along the ground toward Eterna. Making matters even worse, they started to pour out of windows and spring out of holes in the ground, further closing the distance.

Dein began to cackle in delight. “Looks like they’re already here! Guess you better start running before you become one of those stinkin’ corpses, huh?”

Eterna already heard of the dead mounds of flesh that Flum encountered in the West District slums. Assuming Dein was speaking the truth, that meant the same awful fate awaited them if they let the eyes touch them.

“E-E-E-Eteeeeerna!! Look!!”

“Milkit, get back! Aqua Garum!” A sphere of water manifested in front of Eterna. It twisted and contorted in the air until, a moment later, it took the form of a dog that towered over its conjurer.

“Wh-wha?! Eeeeeek!!”

The giant dog ducked its head down, clamping its jaws lightly around Milkit’s frame before throwing her up onto its back.

“Go!!!” Eterna waved her hand in the direction of Flum’s house, and the dog took off in a straight line, leaping over and onto any building in its way.

Dein continued to laugh hysterically at this turn of events. “That’s a complete waste, ya know!”

Eterna looked back at him coolly. “Hardly.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Milkit didn’t hear a thing. I used my magic to block her ears.”

“Why you…! So you noticed what I was doing?!”

“Looks like I’m even smarter than you, huh?”

“Shut it, you old hag!” Dein whipped out his crossbow and leveled it toward Eterna.

“Looks like someone’s got a pretty low boiling point.”

“Well, look who’s in hot water now, Eterna Rinebow!”

Eterna was now fully surrounded by the eyeballs. Now that she had nowhere left to run to, Dein pulled the trigger on his crossbow.

In the exact same moment, Eterna cast a spell of her own. “Aqua Spear!”

Spears of water lanced out of the ground, piercing through the incoming eyeballs and spearing the crossbow bolt midair.

“Aqua Tentacles!” Wasting no time, Eterna called up tendrils of water near her feet. A moment later, they shot straight toward Dein.

“Hnng!!” Dein dove backward and shot a wire from his buckler toward a nearby building. Once the grappling hook found purchase, he yanked another wire to start it reeling in. “It’s a shame I missed out on the little slave girl, but at least you’re done for! At least give us all a good show before you kick it, eh hero? Gyahahaha!”

His voice echoed through the streets as the wire grew taut and he flew through the air toward the rooftop. Before Eterna had a chance to shoot off an attack after him, she noticed the eyes regathering, rapidly increasing in number.

“Hmph. I don’t have the time to fight on two fronts right now.”

Though the eyes were slow, their sheer numbers made them formidable opponents. Focusing all of her energy in her feet, Eterna stomped several times as she cast her next spell. “Aqua Shelter!”

Water began to bubble up out of the ground before forming a liquid barrier around her. In an instant, it turned hard as ice, though still flexible enough to rebound with each incoming attack.

Eterna was renowned for her magical abilities. But the eyes continued to multiply, and her energy wasn’t infinite. Turning Aqua Shelter back on her enemy and doing enough damage to wipe them all out was beyond her means, if not her skill.

The eyeballs slammed again and again into the wall of water, trying to climb it as they did with human bodies.

“It doesn’t look like they’re going to give up any time soon. Guess running’s my only option.” Eterna once again focused magic in her feet and tapped the ground.

“Splash!” A fountain of water shot out of the ground, rocketing her through the hole in the ceiling of her Aqua Shelter.

“Aqua Tentacles!” Tentacles of water wrapped around her, pulling her to a nearby roof.

As soon as she landed, she cast Aqua Tentacles again and again, carrying her from rooftop to rooftop.

The eyes continued to chase after her. Every time she thought she’d shaken them, even more came flooding in from some new angle, and Eterna would once again find herself nearly surrounded. As she pressed on through the darkening streets, her thoughts went out to Flum, Milkit, and Ink. She knew Dein wouldn’t give up so easily. Worse still, she knew that he wasn’t the one behind the eyes, which meant they had yet another enemy to contend with.

All she could do was hope and pray for her friends as she ran for her life.

 

***

 

“Master!!!”

Flum’s heart skipped a beat as soon as she saw Milkit come running through the door. She was completely soaked from head to toe and didn’t have her shopping bag with her.

“What happened?! And where’s Eterna??”

“Eterna…she’s…she’s being chased by those same eyeball things…that got Sara!”

“Eterna, too?? But why?!” Ink seemed to take this news especially badly.

“Why’d they let you get away, Milkit? And what even caused all this? You guys were just out shopping…!”

“Dein showed up out of nowhere and rambled at us for a while. The next thing I knew, eyeballs started to show up everywhere.”

“That son of a…! Do you remember what he said?”

“No, I don’t. Halfway through the conversation, I think Eterna used her magic to plug my ears. I couldn’t hear anything at all for a bit, and then she made me ride a magic dog, and now I’m here.”

“Plugged your ears… So just hearing what he said was enough to make Eterna a target?” If that was true, simply looking into the church’s dealings wasn’t enough to set them off. You drew the eyes’ ire only after learning something specific.

And yet Dein knew about it but wasn’t a victim himself.

“Maybe it’s because Dein is a member of the church?” Flum fretted. “But no, that doesn’t make sense. Sara was, too.”

The other day, Dein had mentioned that his “boss” told him to keep his hands off Flum. Was this boss a member of the team experimenting on humans? If so, it could only mean that their reason for keeping their hands off Flum was not just to keep her alive but because they wanted to capture her.

“So it’s all my fault…”

“Master, don’t talk like that!”

“Milkit…” While Flum appreciated the sentiment, she couldn’t overlook her own involvement so easily. “Listen, you should get yourself out of those clothes before you catch a cold. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

If even a powerful mage like Eterna was on the run from these enemies, Flum didn’t think she’d stand much of a chance on her own either. She felt absolutely crushed. Looking over, she saw Ink curled up, her face buried in her hands. The air in the entire house had grown dark and foreboding in a matter of seconds.

But no matter what, she still had Milkit. That was enough to keep Flum pushing forward.

 

***

 

Flum grabbed a fresh set of clothes from their shared bedroom and passed them to Milkit in the changing room. She originally planned to wait outside while Milkit changed, but they were both insecure about being alone, so Flum decided to wait in there with her. She felt awkward gawking at the other woman as she changed, so she turned her back to give her some privacy.

“It’s not your fault, Master. They’re the ones who are wrong here.”

She heard the sounds of Milkit undressing and drying off with a towel.

“I think those bastards are in the wrong, too, but I’m the one who’s at the center of it all,” Flum said.

“You shouldn’t feel bad just because they decided to make your life so hard, Master.”

“Yeah, but…well…I guess.”

The church was after her, after all. And now Sara, Ottilie, and even Eterna had been dragged into it. The logical conclusion was to offer herself up to the church…

The room was silent except for the sounds of Milkit finishing with the towel and the rustle of fabric as she pulled her underwear on.

“At the very least, I should take care of this Dein issue once and for all,” Flum said.

“He seems different now.”

“I thought so, too. I guess that’s what happens when you lose everything. That’s what makes him all the scarier.”

Milkit grabbed her maid outfit and slowly began to dress herself with well-practiced motions. The elaborate clothing, with its multiple layers, took time to get in place, but she’d become used to it by now. What’s more, these were clothes that Flum gifted to her, so Milkit was more than happy to spend every second in them that she could.

“Finished.”

Flum turned around, but Milkit was nowhere to be seen.

“Huh?”

There was just…nothing. A blank space where she should have been. Milkit’s wet clothes sat in the hamper ready for the wash. They were still slightly warm to the touch. That proved Milkit was there at least a few moments prior.

“Um…hello?”

No one was there.

“M-Milkit? Hey, Milkit! Where are you?? Are you hiding? You’re just hiding…right??”

Flum could feel goosebumps prickling across her skin as a cold sweat beaded at the back of her neck. Her breathing grew ragged, and she felt lightheaded. “Say something! Milkit!!”

No response. Flum searched the bath before tearing off to check the hall, kitchen, and even second floor. She found nothing, no matter where she looked.

“What’s wrong, Flum?” Ink, looking concerned, had to tug at her sleeve just to get her attention.

“Milkit… I can’t find her anywhere! She was just changing right behind me a second ago, and now she’s gone!!”

“Calm down, Flum. What are you talking about? Why would she just disappear?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be looking!!” Flum was half-crazed with worry at this point. Everyone she knew was going missing, one after another. Without Milkit, she was a building without its support pillars. She felt like she could crumble at any moment.

Without Milkit, she was little more than an average sixteen-year-old girl.

She could hang on a little longer. Her heart might be breaking, but she hadn’t completely lost control yet. That was why she needed to find Milkit before the last of her companion’s emotional support wore off.

“Milkit!! Milkit!! Milkiiiiiiiiiit!! Milkit!! Miiiiiiiiiiilkit!! Milkit!! Milkit!!!!!!” Flum screamed her name over and over, even going so far as to crawl under the house in her maddening search. But she wasn’t there. She wasn’t anywhere.

How was it that someone who was there just moments ago could disappear without a trace?

One hour stretched into two, and then three. No matter where she looked, she couldn’t find a shred of evidence of Milkit’s whereabouts. Cold and forlorn, Flum made her way back home on uneasy legs, buffeted by the chilly night wind.

“Are…are you okay?” Ink fumbled for a moment before finally taking Flum’s hand into her own and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

The young girl’s warmth managed to reach Flum’s slowly chilling heart. She heard the sound of Ink’s stomach growling. That was right. Dinnertime had passed a long time ago…

On any normal night, they would be sitting around the dinner table, enjoying a delicious meal Milkit prepared.

But not tonight. Milkit, Eterna, even Sara…none of them were here tonight.

Flum dropped to her knees and broke down. She began to bawl uncontrollably.

What did she do to deserve all this? All she did was brush away the embers of the world as it burnt around her. Was she supposed to take the abuse in silence? If this was God’s way of getting revenge, it was beyond unfair. Flum had no idea where she went wrong, what she could have done differently. What could have justified robbing her of everything she held dear?

All she and Milkit did was support each other. Thrown into the depths of hell, she’d tried to crawl out to the only light she could see. Was that so wrong? Was it worthy of punishment?

“Waaaaah! Milkit…I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off of you. But…but…why?!”

They’d been so close that she could still feel the warmth radiating from Milkit’s body. It seemed impossible that Milkit could disappear when she’d been right there. How could Flum stand a chance against someone who was capable of this?

She felt completely and utterly powerless. No matter how far she’d come, she was still a good-for-nothing, useless piece of garbage. Just like she’d been on the journey.

“And here I am, back in hell…” She scratched at the slave mark burnt into her cheek, driving her nails into it until she drew blood. This was all the proof that she needed that nothing had changed. The shallow cuts healed nearly as soon as she’d inflicted them. “Even with all these powers, I still couldn’t protect her…!”

“Flum…” Flum seemed so far gone that Ink didn’t know what to say. She wanted to comfort her, but no words came to mind. All she could do was clench her fists in frustration.

Flum abruptly stopped her crying and looked straight ahead at nothing. “I’m going out to look for her again.”

“It’s already night, Flum. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m going out. Stay indoors, Ink, and don’t leave for anything.”

“…Okay. I’ll wait here.”

It was already dark out, and it seemed unlikely to Flum that she would find anything running around alone through the empty city, but she couldn’t sit still knowing that she hadn’t done everything in her power for Milkit. She’d go insane if she didn’t.

 

***

 

It was past midnight when Flum finally returned home empty-handed.

“…I’m back.” Her voice was barely a hollow whisper.

There was no reply from Ink, so she figured the girl must already be asleep. She must’ve left the light on downstairs for Flum’s benefit.

Her body was well past the point of exhaustion. All she wanted to do was stumble to bed and fall into fitful sleep. Flum’s legs felt leaden as she thumped her way up the stairs, one step at a time. If she was lucky, maybe she’d never wake up.

The second floor was pitch-black. On closer inspection, she noticed the door to Ink’s room was only half-closed. She figured Ink had hoped to hear Flum’s return so she could greet her when she came home.

Just as she walked past Ink’s room, she heard a thumping from inside.

“Ah, so you’re awake?”

The thumping sounded like the window was being shaken, though that was entirely unnecessary; Flum was already inside.

“Hey, Ink, I’m home.” Flum gave a light knock on the door before peering into the room.

No response. The incessant rattling continued.

“Hey, Ink, can I come in?”

Once again, there was no reply.

“All right then, I’m coming in.” After a moment’s hesitation, Flum stepped through.

The first thing she noticed in the darkness was that Ink had climbed up onto the windowsill and was staring out at the backyard down below.

“What’re you doing, Ink? Are you…are you looking for Milkit?”

She took a few steps closer before stopping short.

Baloosh. Sploosh.

There was something about the noise that sounded very familiar.

She froze. All the muscles in her face tensed up. Flum felt instantly cold, like all the blood drained from her body.

“…Ink?”

It couldn’t be. It had to be her imagination.

After building up the courage to move, Flum forced herself to take a step forward.

The sound only grew louder. It sounded like the slapping of wet meat combined with some sort of liquid spewing out.

Spwoosh… Jabloosh… Drip… Drip…

What was happening? Just what was Ink doing?

She didn’t want to know, didn’t even want to look. But she couldn’t turn away, either.

She took another step forward, and the noise grew louder still. Flum heard the floorboards creak. The motion resonated through her feet and up her legs. She swallowed hard. The saliva that built up in her mouth traveled down her throat in rhythm with her own pounding heartbeat. Sweat beaded and poured down the sides of her forehead, down her cheeks, accumulating at her jaw before dropping to the floor. Her lungs felt nearly paralyzed, leaving her only able to breathe in ragged gasps.

All of her senses were on high alert, giving the world around her an uncomfortable novelty. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she began to feel lightheaded. Finally, she reached out toward Ink, gingerly resting a finger on the pajama top she lent her.

The fabric collapsed around her finger, and she could feel Ink’s skin through the thin cloth. Ink seemed to take notice of her presence and slowly turned around to look at Flum.

Ploosh… Ploosh… Bwoosh…

Looking back at her was a spiral of flesh—the same disgusting sight she’d seen back during her encounter with the ogre. It spat blood indiscriminately as it pulsated.

The seams between each whorl of corded muscle wept eyeballs.

“Aaa…aaaaaah…”

Where did she go wrong? Had she taken a wrong turn somewhere? Flum knew the answer to these questions before even asking. The old shirt she’d lent Ink was drenched with blood. Eyes tumbled down its front and onto the floor.

The sight in front of her overrode every memory, every thought that Flum had ever had of Ink up until now.

“Uwaaaugh…aaaaah…aaaaah!” A choked scream fought its way from her throat, joining the slow fountain of eyes and gore. Sweat and tears flowed freely down Flum’s cheeks. And yet, despite her terror, she still knew the figure sitting in front of her was Ink.

They stared at each other for some time before the figure lost interest in Flum and turned back toward the window.

“Aaaaugh… Ha… Hiiihaa… Aaaaauuuuuaaaaaaaaaaagh!” Flum screamed in frustration, unable to stand it any longer. She dashed out of the room and slammed the door behind her in the hope of forgetting the scene she just witnessed. The sound of the slamming door echoed through the narrow hallway.

She sat in the hall with her back pressed firmly against the door as she struggled to catch her breath. Holding her head firmly in her hands and staring down at the ground, she focused in on the sounds of her own shallow breathing.

However, that did little to change the reality of the situation. She could still hear the sloshing, dripping, slapping sounds from the other side of the door. Flum clamped her slick hands tightly against her ears, though the wet, sticky feeling fixed her mind on the image she was avoiding. It was still an improvement over having to hear the noises.

“Why, why, whyyyyyy?!”

She didn’t even care who answered the question at this point. She just wanted an answer. Even a bad answer was better than nothing at all.

She was all alone now. No Sara, Ottilie, Milkit, and now even Ink. Her home was completely empty except for herself and that…creature she was certain had been Ink, once.

“Uuaaagh…aaaaah…haaaauuugh…gwaaaaup…pluuup…haaaaaah…”

Even her hands were no longer enough to drown out the moans now. Curled up in the hallway, the volcanic churn of her pulse filling her ears, she let it all spill from her: sweat, tears, spittle, vomit.