Page 96 - DeepRestFlipFinal

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
Liam. The Wilderness. The Call.
Liam lurched through the dense woods, his ankle
throbbing, his lungs burning. He had been running for
hours, guided only by hope and his internal compass.
He needed to find civilization. He needed to find a
phone.
He finally emerged from the tree line onto a
narrow, unpaved road. It was deserted. No cars. No
houses. Just endless trees.
Despair threatened to overwhelm him. He was
lost. Exhausted. And Evelyn was in their hands.
Then, in the distance a glow. A light.
He limped towards it, his heart pounding with
renewed hope. It was a small, dilapidated gas station,
its neon sign flickering erratically. An old, rotary
payphone stood outside, a relic from another era.
Liam sagged against the phone booth, fumbling
for change. He had a few loose dollars in his pocket.
Enough for a call.
He remembered Cassandra Thorne’s number. He
had memorized it years ago, a strange quirk of his
architect’s mind. He punched in the numbers, his
fingers awkward on the worn buttons.
The phone rang. Once. Twice.
Then, a crisp voice answered. "Thorne. What do
you want?"
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