Chapter 1: Introduction
The shopping mall was a sea of black-clad bodies today, Bree realized, bobbing on the swelling tide. Shuffling between designer denim devotees, white cordless earbuds jailed a mindful calm to their ears—Beats. Yoga pants bared the bottomless hills of bodies smooth, supple, radiant.
She soldiered forth, the sarcastic laugh of the coffeehouse barista still barbed in her ear.
She chided herself. Shoving the impending doom from her grizzly mind she continued her trawl through the cacophony, searching out her holy grail.
As she entered the food court her bladder began shouting louder—waves of nausea accompanied by red-hot cramps. The aromas of spicy Indian cuisine and sizzling hot dogs brewing in their toxic casings combined with the sound of squawking kids and Christmas jingles.
She felt as if she might burst, as her legs prickled with trembles. The longer she searched, the more urgent her bladder became.
Bree weaved through the whirlwind of people, who seemed to be multiplying with each passing second. She was getting closer. Her body throbbed involuntarily, counting down the seconds until the sweet release she craved.
She reached the bathroom door, already fumbling for her keys. The grunts and cries echoing through the walls sent goosebumps across her hot, clammy skin.
Bree squeezed in as the door protested with an earsplitting screech.
With her zipper halfway down, she froze.
A sudden moan billowed from the next stall. Bree unclenched her jaw. A door softly latching sent chills scattering under her skin.
*Thwack*
Followed by the wet, gurgling sounds of lips smacking and skin slapping.
Bree inched her zipper down lower—just enough to relieve the pressure.
Before she could hitch her panties up, a warm gush of liquid drenched her thighs. She froze, her stomach lurched, eyes wide with horror.
"Oh, God, no."
Her mind scrambled for a way to clean herself up, but before she could react, she heard another sound. A heavy, booted footfall, followed by a deep voice rumbling, "Bree?"
Bree was still frozen, as the man continued. "You still here, sweetheart?"
She couldn't believe this was happening to her. How was she going to explain herself, when she was having a hard enough time understanding what was happening herself?
"Y-yes," she stammered, "but I'm a little busy right now. Can I help you with something?"
A pause, and then the man's voice, lighter this time. "I see.