“Baby,please—”
“Ha!” Lex gasps, turning to hold up his fucking computer. Beaming like the precious perfect morsel he is. “I fuckingtoldyou I’d find it.”
Chuckling out of relief, I purse my lips. “You’re a genius, baby. We all know that.” Lex is shimmying, instantly glued to his device. “Now what?”
“Oh, you just wait, sweet flame…”
A familiar voice cuts into his determination. “W-what…”
Lex and I jump and turn toward the doorway.
Byron…
Holy, oh my God…
It’s… Byron!
I guess I hadn’t allowed myself to process how much I missed him, how worried I’ve been about him. It’s easy to push things out of your mind when you’re deliriously happy and in love, but those vacant places inside are still there. Empty spots in the shape of whatever, or whoever, is missing.
But finally, we’re back together.
All my holes are being filled by my friends right now.
Seriously, though. No more doubt, or worry, or fear.
We made the right call.
Watch out, Warden. The Pen Boys are coming for ya.
Now…
Pitch black.
The darkest dark I’ve ever been enveloped in.
All power is out. Backup generators?Nope.
Noelectricity to speak of. It’s… unnerving
Something is going on here…
Adifferentkind of storm.
And all I can do is remember thelast timethe power went out on this island…
“Power’s out…”I hear myself saying in my mind, from within a dank cell in solitary confinement. To a pathological liar with blue eyes, chained to a bed.
The night everything changed.
I swear on my life, if any of them are responsible for this, I won’t just end their lives, I willwipethem from existence.
I’m in no mood right now.
More than ever, I just want to get to the aviary. But Ican’t. There’s too much going on here, making it even more reminiscent of that night.
How can I be expected to run things when I know he’s nearby, in the dark. Waiting for me…
“Sir, we should get to the panic room,” Kent rumbles, nothing but flashlights guiding our way through the garden.
