“Very good. Signing and then refusing to follow through always causes such issues.” He spoke like he’d experienced it before, and it wasn’t pleasant. “Please proceed,” he flourished his hand to the right, indicating the changing booth. “If the cat has a collar, or anything of that nature, please remove it as well.”
Sure, the homeless woman had splurged on a fancy collar.
Initially, I smirked at the possibility Josie would have her own collar. I sobered after a moment though. The first thing I was going to do when I got the cash was go to a pet store, pick the prettiest collar I could find, and engrave Josie a name tag. And then I’d buy her the best cat food. I took Josie out of the bag first, handing it over to Beta Love. He tried to hide his disgust when he daintily snagged the strap with two fingers andawkwardly carried it over to the incinerator. I didn’t look when he opened the door and threw the bag inside. I couldn’t look.
Josie meowed in my arms as I carried her to the booth, her soft fur brushing against my skin. Her meow was ambiguous, leaving me to wonder whether it was an expression of amusement or agreement with the absurdity of our situation. I tugged the thick curtain shut behind us, its fabric heavy and slightly musty, and let out a deep, weary sigh that seemed to echo in the enclosed space. One hundred dollars. Maybe more. Cat food. A voucher... for something. I had to keep reminding myself of the reward that awaited us at the end of this peculiar endeavor.
I didn’t like the look of the booth door, with its large, windowed section of frosted glass, but I turned the handle anyway and slipped inside as soon as I could fit through the opening. I closed the door softly behind me. It clicked into place gently. When I turned around, I realized that the frosted glass only revealed outlines on the other side. Beta Love’s silhouette paced the room in front of the incinerator.
Placing Josie down on a sleek, built-in bench, I began peeling off my clothes.
It felt so strange to abandon perfectly good clothes that had so much life left in them. Still, I pulled my legs from the jeans. I folded them carefully, deliberately, and then set them on the bench next to Josie. The panties next, likewise neatly folded. They were the good ones. For some reason, I’d decided to wear them that day at the shelter instead of the old. I was glad of that now; at least they got some use before they were burned. Then the jacket, which made me feel terrible. I shouldn’t have taken it from the dead guy. Someone else could have used it, and for longer. It had been selfish. I’d not been chilly. I’d just seen it and knew how useful it might be later. The long sleeve shirt I’d torn holes in so my thumbs could stick through and anchor the material was off a few seconds later. The arms were a little too short; I’d gotten tired of them riding up. My shitty bra was last. I’d kept it after the wires had popped, until it barely fastened anymore and was so stretched out it provided no support. But it was a layer, one that kept prying eyes from hard nipples when it was cold, or my heat was setting in.
“Are you alright in there, Miss Fortune?” Beta Love’s tone said what his words hadn’t—it’s time to move on.
From the clothes… and what else?
I unhooked the robe hanging nearby. It wasn’t something plush, like from a nice hotel. It was thinner with a pale blue background dotted with small flowers. A hospital type gown. I put it on and tied it tightly. After, I bent down and offered my arms to Josie. She stood up on the bench, stretched lazily, and then leaped into my arms. When I opened the booth door, Beta Love had his signature smile plastered. His gaze flicked down to Josie and then past us to where my clothes were neatly folded.
“Ah, let me handle those for you!” He scooted past me, and I noticed he wore clear gloves this time. I supposed he’d learned his lesson handling my bag. He made quick work of scooping everything up and then marching to the incinerator. I choked up a bit watching him toss the rest of my things inside. The bag, the hairbrush missing half its bristles, the frayed toothbrush… all gone.
The robe had a strange, medicinal smell. Josie sniffed several times, looking up at me disgruntled.
“Yeah, it stinks,” I whispered down at her.
“What was that?” Beta Love quipped, his full focus on me.
“Nothing. What now?” I stuck out my chin a little, trying not to look terrified. Though I was.
Scared.
Basically naked.
Definitely feeling like I’d made a giant freaking mistake.
“This way.” He smiled, leading the way again. The next door required a security pass just like the last, only this door had a large bulb above it which was currently flashing red. When Beta Love slid his ID, the light turned a solid green. “Ah, it’s vacant and ready for you. Please enter, with your cat. It will feel warm inside. When the machine turns on, you may feel a slight tingle.”
He opened the door, stepping aside to let me through.
“I assure you it’s perfectly safe,” he added, seeing my reluctance.
“And after this?” I stared into the area behind the door. It was small,barely six by six feet. The walls were padded in jarringly bright-white material, and when I leaned forward to look at the ceiling, I saw endless holes set into its steel surface.
“You’ll exit on the other side and be met by one of our lab technician Betas. I promise when you are done, I’ll be at your disposal once more. With,” held up one finger dramatically, “a beautiful, brand-new bag in hand.”
He didn’t push me, but he did begin to crowd me. He held the door open while also stretching his body so that he was nearly behind me, making it clear that I needed to move into the space ahead. I wanted to resist. This Beta wasn’t big. He was probably not that strong.Neither are you, idiot.My brain reminded me harshly.
I moved like molasses, shuffling into the fear-inducing snow-hued room. It wasn’t actually padded, I quickly realized once I was fully inside. It was just… made to look like that. I didn’t know who thought it was a good idea to make it look like a cell at an insane asylum.
“Good luck!” Beta Love said cheerfully, just as he clicked the door closed. I heard a deadbolt slide into place automatically.
I’m locked inside.
9
TESSA
4 DAYS AGO... THE CUPID COMPANY LAB
