Page 26 of What Goes Around

I stepped back out onto the street, the bell above the door chiming behind me.

By the third rejection that day, my throat felt tight. The scars on my cheek itched under the cheap foundation. Every store window I passed caught my reflection and made my stomach twist.

I stopped at a corner store for water, just to have a reason to stand still for a moment, to breathe.

That’s when a gray sedan slowed beside me.

The man inside looked harmless. Mid-thirties. Clean shirt. Warm smile.

The kind of man who blended into every crowd.

“Hey,” he called. “You’re looking for work, right?”

I hesitated. “Uh… yeah.”

“My boss owns a small bakery. We’re desperate for help.” He nodded down the road. “It’s just a few blocks. I can take you.”

Hope flickered weakly in my chest. But I hesitated, unsure.

He caught it immediately, the flicker of doubt on my face, and leaned a little closer with an easy smile.

“Come on,” he said. “I promise it’s legit. You’ll love it there.”

My phone battery was dying. The thought of going home to my mother’s disappointed look made my stomach churn.

So I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I opened the door and got in.

The car smelled faintly sweet, something chemical beneath the air freshener. I barely had time to register it before he started talking again.

“See, it’s just up ahead,” he said, nodding toward the street.

I turned my head instinctively, following where he pointed.

“Right there—”

Something sharp bit into my arm.

I gasped, jerking back, but it was already too late.

I caught a glimpse of his hand, a syringe, before my vision blurred.

“What—” My voice slurred, my body suddenly heavy, unresponsive.

Panic surged, but it slipped through my fingers just as quickly.

Darkness swallowed everything.

And then everything went black.

When I woke, I was in a room I didn’t recognize.

Bars covered the windows, and heavy shutters sealed them from the outside, blocking even the idea of escape.

I pushed myself up too fast, dizziness crashing over me, and staggered to the door.

I pressed against it, but it was locked.