Squeak, squeak, squeak. That’s the only sound I hear echoing through the gym. It’s Nadine’s signature sound, the one I hear when she walks down The Hallway to Nowhere at The Retreat, but Nadine isn’t making any sound; she’s barely breathing. She’s sitting in the bleachers, her body and face like white stone, one hand gripping the metal seat, the other placed on her belly as protection from this intruder. But why does she need protection? And who is this Vera? Is she the fulfillment of some sort of prophecy, or is she just the next phase of this curse? When I finally see her, I feel like an idiot; she isn’t either. The squeaking is gone; I’m not entirely sure it was ever there in the first place. Could’ve just been my imagination because I’m like a Pavlovian Girl; I’ve been trained that whenever I’m frightened my thoughts immediately go to Luba and Nadine. Now that I’m a little less scared, a little more in control of my emotions, I can only hear the sound of strong, confident strides.
