Taking a Break

I'm taking a hiatus from the book. Part writer's block, part hectic life, but mostly because I'm not ready to dig that deep into the past yet! Things get strange after Anni's 15th birthday, and stay that way for a while.

Another thing taking up my time, and I'm happy to be doing it, is my gig as Chief Editor for Zodaccia Inc.! Our website is under construction, but check out Zodaccia Incorporated to see what all the fuss is about! You can also follow @ZodacciaInc on Twitter, or check out our nifty Facebook page for all the latest updates! In recent news, "Zodaccia: Realms of Chaos" is currently in production through Tate Publishing, and will be hitting stores before you can say "Oblivion"!!

That's all, for now. More soon, maybe...

The Wrong Way (Chapter 7)

~7~

            The following week was a particularly good one for Anni. Brent was actually nice to her for a change...a little too nice, in Anni’s opinion, but she was not about to complain. On Sunday, he even shared his pot with her...especially surprising given his reaction when he found out about Anni’s habit. He’d been snooping through Anni’s diary about a year before, and when he saw that she’d been smoking, he exploded and grounded her—not for smoking pot in the first place, but for not sharing! So when Brent offered to “pass the peace pipe” with Anni, her jaw dropped.

            “Are you sure, Dad??”

            “Yeah, well...I’d rather you’d do it here at home than out there where it could be laced or something fucked up like that. Besides, you’ve been smoking ‘practice pot’ with your little buddies. I wanna show you what real bud is like.”

            Either this is a trap, or he’s pitifully attempting to gain my friendship. Well, not gonna turn down free buds! “Okay, Dad...let’s smoke, I guess!”

            The two sat down at the bar counter and passed the bowl back and forth. The third time it got to Anni, Brent stopped her.

            “Are you sure?”

            Anni scoffed. “Yeah, I think I can take it.”

            She hit the bowl a third time, and noticed that her water glass was empty. Anni stood up, made it almost to the fridge’s water dispenser, and her vision began to darken. There was a ringing in her ears, and she barely got out the word “...Dad...” before she collapsed onto the floor.

            About two minutes later, Anni opened her eyes to see Brent standing over her, smiling as he reached to help her up. She glanced over and saw the puddle of water and her cigarette butt in the floor. At least the water put out the cigarette! Anni made it slowly to her feet, slightly confused and more stoned than she’d ever been.

            “Congratulations, Anni Jean...you just had your first head rush.”

            “That...was...awesome!!!” Anni now completely understood why Brent had used the term “practice pot.”

            “Just don’t tell your mother, got it?”

            “Yes, sir.”

            Anni didn’t know it then, but that day was the first of many times that one parent would lavish privileges without the other’s knowledge. Their marriage was slowly dissolving, and Anni would unwittingly become a pawn in their passive-aggressive fighting.

            “May I be excused to my room?”

            “I don’t see why not. Just try to be sobered up by the time your mother comes home.”

            Anni made it to the bedroom, and the rest of the evening seemed to float by after that. Even the tap-tap of Brent’s beer cans throughout the evening didn’t grate too harshly on her nerves. Boy, I wish I could feel this way all the time! I could deal with life like this!

            The next few days passed by, with Anni going about her normal business...homework, chores, more homework, even more chores. On Thursday night, the phone rang shortly before dinner time. Of course, Brent was annoyed with this, as he was under the impression that no respectable person should talk on the phone during dinner. Nevertheless, he let Anni take the call.

            An ecstatic Kyra was on the other end, speaking so fast that Anni could barely understand her.

            “Kyra, will you slow down? What’s this about a baby?”

            “I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive and I’m gonna have a baby and be a mommy and you and Mindy are gonna be the godparents and oh my God what am I gonna name it?”

            “Take a breath, woman! Holy shit!!! Congrats!!!!!!!” Anni got a stern look from her mom for the cussing, but she didn’t care.

            Anni took a second to process all this, and then realized that Kyra had never expressed an interest in men. She won’t let a penis within 100 feet of her! How the hell did this happen?

            Anni struggled to find a tactful way to ask the question on her mind. “Do you know...whose it is?”

            Kyra sighed. “I got really, really drunk about a month ago. There was this guy...I think his name was Webby or something...anyway, by the end of the party we were having sex in the shower. I don’t remember much, except that it hurt. I didn’t really like it.”

            “You get used to it. Or maybe you won’t. Anyway, congratulations honey! I wish I could stay on and talk longer, but I’m getting the eye from Dad for being on the phone right now. He made stir fry and it’s almost ready.”

            “I am so craving Chinese food! Okay, I’ll let you go. Please don’t tell my mom about this, okay? I’m gonna tell her in my own good time, but I think I can hide it until about 4 months.”

            “My lips are sealed, Kyra. Gotta go!”

            Anni sat down to eat with her parents, and it wasn’t long before the questions started.

            “So...who was on the phone? And don’t they know that people eat during this time of night?” Great. Brent’s already being a dick about this.

            “It was Kyra. And she had some pretty big news!”

            “I gathered that from your language!” Anni’s mom, Helen, had a smile on her face, but her tone was not very friendly.

            “Sorry, Mom. It’s just that, well...Kyra’s having a baby!!!”

            Before Helen could offer her congratulations, Brent was already on his soap box.

            “I knew that girl was just a no good slut! She’s no better than her bitch mother!” Anni and her mother exchanged glances. Here we go again, they thought in unison.

            A long while back, some twenty years ago, Brent dabbled in the same hard drugs that Kyra’s mom used to sell. Brent will claim to this day that Kyra’s mom shorted him on a deal back then, and therefore anyone in Kyra’s family is automatically a cheat and a thief. Kyra’s mom had no memory of ever dealing with Brent, but since he had an idea in his head, nobody was going to dissuade him of it. Needless to say, he wasn’t fond of Anni’s friendship with Kyra.

            “Brent, the girl is nothing like her mother. Kyra’s a sweet kid. Can we please just drop this and enjoy your kick-ass stir fry?”

            Disarmed by the compliment embedded in the request for him to shut his mouth, Brent had no choice but to oblige. “Fine. But I still don’t like you hanging out with her, Anni.”

            Anni bit her tongue. She had a thousand things to say to him, to scream at him. Like he’s some fucking saint. Who does he think he is, judging ANYONE? That wok on the stove is heavy, still hot...his skull is small and fragile...wouldn’t take much. She exercised more self-restraint than she knew she had. One day, he’ll get what’s coming to him for all this.

            The only thing that really stopped Anni from snapping on Brent was her mom. Helen Shaw was her best friend in the world, and if she loved this piece of shit, then Anni was going to do everything possible to keep the peace. Even if it means my sanity.

            Anni quickly finished her dinner in the awkward silence that followed. She cleared the dinner dishes, and excused herself before her temper could get the best of her. This seemed like a good time for some writing. Good old journal...the only thing that doesn’t yell at me for expressing free thought or emotions. She didn’t write much when she was happy, so anyone glancing at Anni’s diary would have thought her quite an angry girl. But her journal was possibly the only thing keeping that anger under control. It was somewhere to put those hateful, vile feelings where they couldn’t hurt anyone. As long as nobody finds it again!

3/14/02
Saturday

Brent is such a fucking asshole! I mean, he seriously thinks that just ‘cause Kyra’s mom supposedly ripped him off twenty fucking YEARS ago that Kyra’s automatically (and I fucking QUOTE) a “no good slut, just like her bitch mother.” Kyra’s mom doesn’t even fucking REMEMBER him! And sure, if fucking one guy one time makes you a no good slut, I guess she is, but you’d have to put me, and my mom, and probably HIM on that fucking list too! GOD he’s such a dick! If Mom wasn’t so fucking head-over-heels for this jerk-off, I’d have already been rid of him! AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! He’d better have gotten me something fucking awesome for my birthday. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t say anything tonight...birthday in 2 days, Kandace is coming over tomorrow night, and he actually likes her for some reason...probably her boobs...so maybe I can get him to share his bud again or a couple beers if I play nice.

Kinda excited about this b-day...I know, 15 isn’t anything special...but it’s a year closer to sweet 16! Wonder what that’s gonna be like???

More later...Brent’s gonna call “lights out” pretty soon...him and his dumbass drill sergeant bit...he’d get kicked the fuck out of the Army office as soon as they saw his stupid face! HAHAHA!!!!! Gonna laugh myself to sleep now, nighty-night!

Love always, Anni

The Wrong Way (Chapter 6)

~6~

3/9/02
  Saturday 

Oh my God...I just had the besssssst day today!!! No shit, my life is fucking awesome! Went over to Randall’s again today...he’s so sweet! He cooked me breakfast even though I woke him up (hahaha, I told him I’d be there early but he didn’t listen!), and I finally got to see that snake he was talking about. It’s pretty scary...6 foot long python!!! I was thinking about how cool it would be to beat someone’s ass while carrying this badass snake around my shoulders...not like that shit will ever happen, I’m too much of a pussy to fight anyone! Hahaha!!!! So he cooked me breakfast, then after a twenty minute discussion about herpetology we went to the playground again. Breezy wasn’t there this time L but I was kinda happy to have him to myself! We smoked out, and then we headed back to his place. He brought out his guitar...turns out this fucker can play!!! Like, GOOD!!! And like any girl with a love of music (and musicians!), I couldn’t help but notice the skilled movement of his fingers on that guitar. Then again, I’m kinda pervy...so yeah, anyway, I mentioned that he could easily be strumming my strings instead, and we totally had sex. It was kinda weird...the other two guys I’ve had were bigger. And he was uncircumcised like Christian. I had to keep my “hose nose” comments to myself! The fucking itself wasn’t really that mind-blowing, but he was pretty damn good with his hands! We got done with that, shared a cigarette outside, and decided to walk over to Mindy’s. I told Randall about her on the phone a few days ago, and he wanted to meet her too.

We walked up the road to Mindy’s apartment...it was just as easy to find as she said it would be, thank God! I’m pretty good with directions on account of my parents dispatching, but I still don’t like getting lost! So I knock on the door, and this gorgeous blonde answered. There stood Mindy, straight out of the pictures and my fantasies, and not wearing a bra under her thin white shirt!!!!! She smiled at me and was like, “You must be Anni! Come on in, we fixin’ to blow one!” We must have smoked like five or six instead of just that one.....and I flirted sooo much with her! I know, that’s really bad, but she was SO hot and she was flirting back! I’m gonna fuck her one day, that’s now a goal.

Well, I gotta go...Brent and Mom are gonna be home soon, I barely made it home with an hour to spare, and I still have dishes to do and a floor to vacuum! Gotta keep my “nose clean” until my birthday at least! Hahaha! Bye for now!

Love always, Anni

The Wrong Way (Chapter 5)

~5~

            Anni awoke to the same irritating voice she’d been hearing since age eleven. Almost four years of this.

            “Anni Jean! Rise and shine! Front and center, ten minutes!”

            It was as if he’d fancied himself some sort of drill sergeant, in another universe where shrill-voiced, underweight men were feared and respected. Anni groaned and looked at the bright red numbers on her clock. 9:00 AM. You’ve got to be kidding me.

            “Yes, sir.” Anni yawned and rolled—quite literally—out of bed. She landed with a thump on the floor and winced, both from the impact and the possibility that Brent heard her fall. She held her breath for a moment, but thankfully she didn’t hear anything from the living room.

            She got up and found her nightgown, as she’d fallen asleep without pajamas the night before. I wonder if I’ll get to do some homework before he makes me do chores. What Brent didn’t realize was that the dial-up Internet connection made it possible for Anni to talk to her friends on the sly. She was a master of the minimize button whenever Brent walked by the computer.

            Anni stumbled groggily into the living room, where Brent sat in his chair, wearing only his boxers and a beer already in his hand. A little early, isn’t it? He was smiling, at least. Brent was rarely in a good mood lately.

            “Good morning, Anni Jean. Do you have your homework all caught up?”

            Anni bit her tongue, as she had finished her coursework days ago. This was the perfect opportunity for some instant messaging.

            “…No, I actually still have some math to finish up.”

            “Get that done, I’m going to take a nap. I got up with your mother this morning, so I’m beat. No phone calls until I wake up, understood?”

            “Yes, sir.”

            Brent tottered down the hallway, while Anni looked in the fridge for some breakfast. She noticed that the case of beer was almost empty again, and figured that meant Brent had been drinking since 6:00 when Mom got up. Beer is so gross…who would want to wake up and taste that shit? I’ll stick with cereal, thanks. Anni poured herself a bowl with two spoons of sugar instead of just one. A small act of defiance, but she was breaking a rule just the same. Rule number 79: you can only have one spoon of sugar on your cereal or in your coffee. Any more will rot your teeth out. Anni quickly devoured her food and sat down at the computer desk.

            Anni pushed the power button on the tower and smiled when it didn’t take thirty minutes to boot up. This machine was a loaner from the home school program, and it was light years faster than the computer she’d been using. The old computer was something straight out of the early ‘90s, and didn’t even have the necessary memory to connect to the Internet. Anni double clicked the browser icon and waited for the modem to finish making noise, then heard “Welcome. You’ve got mail!” through the speakers. I do enjoy that friendly, deep voice welcoming me to the Internet!

            After checking her email (nothing but junk), Anni checked her online friends list to see if anyone had skipped school today. Yes! Both Kyra and Mindy were online. They were probably talking to each other.

            Kyra Garrison had been Anni’s on-again, off-again best friend since second grade. The two lost touch often, but always found one another again. Kyra had been in and out of foster care since third grade, when her mom was arrested for selling drugs (Kyra never would say which drug, but Anni never pried).

Since then, Anni had sometimes gone up to three years without hearing from Kyra, and then Kyra would suddenly appear in one of her classes. The last time Anni reunited with her longtime friend was last year, when Anni was still in public school. They’d made it a point to stay in touch, which was much easier now that Kyra was finally living at home after ten years. It seemed that fate had kept them inseparable ever since the moment on the playground when two lonely, outcast little girls found each other.

            Kyra met Mindy Voigt during her brief stint at one of Vegas’s many high schools, and was eager to introduce her to Anni. She was convinced that the two would hit it off, and insisted on Mindy and Anni becoming online friends. Anni agreed, because she could generally trust Kyra’s judgment. Kyra was a sweet girl, naïve but a decent judge of character.

            Mindy and Anni had conversed several times, and they got along just as well as Kyra had predicted. They both listened to similar music, both had a wry sense of humor, and both smoked a lot of pot. Kyra never really got into smoking weed, and Anni’s wit was sometimes lost on her, so Anni found it nice to have a friend like Mindy who was on her wavelength. She really hoped to meet Mindy in person soon, and find out if she was as awesome (and pretty) in person as she was online.

            Anni opened conversation windows with both girls and was soon typing away. The conversation with Kyra was typical: Kyra complaining about her mom, her siblings, and everything else. After a while, Kyra dropped offline and Anni focused on her chat with Mindy. It’s time to take some initiative; I want to meet this girl!

LilToknAnni: so, mindy…when am I gonna get to meet you??

CrzyMindyChik: whenever you can get ur ass the hell ova here!

LilToknAnni: easier said than done! i don’t even know where you live!

CrzyMindyChik: u know where sand dune apts is?

LilToknAnni: over on sahara? no way! my friend kandace lives over in sparkling bay right behind you, and my new b/f lives down the road in the cantons!

CrzyMindyChik: no shit???

LilToknAnni: no shit!

CrzyMindyChik: whens the next time ur gunna b down here?

LilToknAnni: I was gonna go see Randall on saturday. when we’re done doin our thing, why don’t we come see you if we have time?

CrzyMindyChik: hellz yeah! c u then!

LilToknAnni: kk! laterz!

            Anni smiled, and then she logged off and walked into the kitchen. Brent was still asleep, so she hurried to get the house clean before he awoke. Maybe he’ll stay passed out till Mom gets home! With the chores finished, Anni swiped a cigarette from Brent’s pack and smoked it. She hoped he hadn’t been counting his smokes, but that thought didn’t stop her. She leaned back, exhaled, and contemplated how Saturday was going to go. A full day with Randall, a chance to finally meet Mindy…as long as Mom and Brent both went to work like they were supposed to, Anni was free until at least 6:00 that night. Saturday is gonna be freakin’ awesome!

            Anni went through the usual motions, both that night and in the few days that followed. She was on her best behavior, thinking of the great things Saturday would bring, not to mention her upcoming 15^th birthday. Anni hoped that if she played nice with Brent, he’d let Kandace come sleep over that night. As long as she didn’t get caught sneaking out this Saturday, Anni figured a sleepover wouldn’t be a problem. Once she comes over, I can ask her what the hell happened the other day when she stood me up!

            Friday night came, and Anni was almost too giddy to fall asleep. She set her alarm for 7:00 AM, a full two hours earlier than she normally awoke and an hour after the parents cleared the house. She crawled into bed, under the big blue afghan her mom had crocheted by hand for her birthday last year. Anni’s unabashed excitement kept her tossing and turning for some time, but at long last she dozed off. In what seemed like minutes, the loud blare of the alarm clock startled Anni from her slumber, and signaled the beginning of both Saturday and an amazing new friendship.

The Wrong Way (Chapter 4)

~4~

            “Who is she?” Breezy spoke to Randall as if Anni weren’t even there. While this infuriated her, so far Anni had not been forced to join this awkward conversation. Thank God for small favors. Have I seen her somewhere before? Surely not.

            Randall looked down at his feet, and his speech was barely above a mumble. “She’s my new girlfriend.”

            We’re dating now? Awesome! Anni tried to conceal the grin that Randall’s nonchalant introduction had caused.

            “Well…what’s her name?”

            Anni stepped forward, her hand extended. After all, Anonymous New Girlfriend was a terrible name. “My name’s Anni…Anni Shaw. And you are?”

            “Breezy Watson. The quite recent ex of your new beau here.”

            Anni paused. Breezy Watson…why does that name sound so damn familiar? “Nice to meet you. I hope I’m not causing any problems. And I know this is kind of random, but you look hella familiar.”

            Breezy tilted her head to the side. “You know, so do you…”

            Suddenly, Anni realized where she knew this petite blonde from. Gibson Junior High! Duh!           

“Breezy Watson! Mrs. Watson’s granddaughter from Gibson! Right?”

            “Wait…Anni from Bible Club? Wow!!!!! And by the way, Grandma passed away last year.”

            “I’m really sorry to hear that. It has been such a long time! God, Vegas really is smaller than people give it credit for! How the hell have you been?”

            Anni and Breezy spent the next few minutes catching up on the last two years, while Randall stood to the side, amazed at what he saw. Not to mention slightly disappointed. For a brief moment, he had envisioned these two gorgeous babes fighting it out for his affection. Women…from enemies to best friends in mere seconds…what a world!

            “Listen, ladies, I hate to interrupt, but I’ve got some pretty little buds in my pocket that are begging to be smoked! What do you say we move this over to the playground?”

            The girls both grinned. Anni and Breezy followed Randall over to the apartment complex playground, which didn’t see many children during the cooler months. Randall rolled up a joint, while the girls continued their chatter. Anni did pause to compliment Randall’s rolling ability, a skill she’d not yet mastered. He lit it up, causing a thick plume of smoke to rise up from the swing set.

            When it got to Breezy, she turned to Anni with a mischievous grin. “Have you ever gotten a shotgun?”

            Anni raised her eyebrow. “No, can’t say that I have! What exactly is that?”

            Breezy smiled. “It’s easy. I take a hit off this, and then I put my mouth on yours and blow the hit into your lungs. It makes the bud go farther!”

            A girl this pretty wants to put her lips on mine? I’ve thought about this kind of thing, but never seriously…Anni felt a twinge of excitement, both in her stomach and a little further down. “Sure, let’s do this!”

            Breezy wrapped her mouth around the end of the joint, and took the biggest hit she possibly could. She gently pulled Anni’s head towards hers, and placed her soft lips on Anni’s own. As Anni sucked in the smoke from Breezy’s mouth, she momentarily thought about sliding her tongue between those perfect lips. Randall watched their almost-kiss with similar thoughts on his mind. If only they knew just how hot this is!

            As the shotgun ended, Anni was hoping that the butterflies weren’t just in her stomach. That’s the closest I’ve ever come to kissing a girl…I wonder if she liked it as much as I did. The look on Breezy’s face and her shy smile indicated that she enjoyed it as well.

            The teens finished off the joint, exchanging more shotguns between the three of them. They were all a little worked up, but Anni knew she couldn’t act on these urges. It was getting late, and Anni wanted more than just a few hours with these two. She’d never had a threesome before, had never even officially kissed another girl, but she was definitely excited about the possibility. Ever since she’d stumbled across her mom’s “private” video collection a few years ago, Anni had made it a goal to try something that wild at least once.

            Suddenly, Anni realized two things: one, Kandace never showed up! Note to self—call that skank and chew her out! Two, the sun had shifted considerably in the sky, meaning this good time was about to be cut short.

            “Randall, what time is it? I need to get home before my parents get off work, and these buses are a bitch sometimes.”

            “About 4:00. Do you really have to leave already? It seems like you just got here!”

            “Unfortunately, yes…I’m kinda grounded, and if I don’t get back before my step-dad comes home, I am in deep shit!”

            Breezy put on her sexiest pouty face. “No fair! We were just starting to get…reacquainted!”

            “I know sweetheart. Maybe I can get out of the house again sometime soon. Also, my birthday is coming up in like, two weeks…we can definitely do something fun then!”

            “Okay, well I really hope to see you soon! I’d better get back to Quinton’s…he’s getting us some whiskey tonight!” Breezy flashed her sexy smile.

            Randall looked slightly surprised. “You’re with Quinton now? Well, at least he’s a good friend of mine. I know he’ll treat you right.”

            “And I’m really glad you’re with Anni…at least you didn’t end up with some skank!” Breezy winked at Anni. “Later guys.”

            After Breezy departed, Randall and Anni made their way back to the bus stop. Once again, the two were perfectly in sync; they finished one another’s sentences, laughed in unison, even their steps were synchronized. So this is what happy feels like…why does today have to end? This exact same thought was going through both of their minds as the 115 pulled up.

            “I had a really great time with you today, Randall.”

            “You have no idea how great! Will I see you again soon?”

            “Saturday. Promise.”

            Randall couldn’t help himself any longer. He grabbed Anni and kissed her, deeply and passionately, much to the disgust of the nearby old women waiting on the bus. The teens ignored the “get a room” and “where are your parents?” comments and continued their kiss. The loud and lengthy throat-clearing of the bus driver finally snapped them out of it. Anni hadn’t even noticed the driver staring impatiently at them; she was barely aware the bus had even arrived.

            “Bye, Randall. Maybe next time, I’ll get a chance to see your snake!” Anni gave Randall a devilish grin as she paid her fare. “Both of them.”

            Randall watched Anni’s perfect ass disappear as the bus door closed. Great. Rock hard and nobody to take it out on! He couldn’t shake the image of her long legs, her flat stomach, her perky little tits…I wonder if she knew how see-through that shirt was! Randall hurried home, anxious to relieve a little bit of this frustration.

            Anni sat on the bus, getting all kinds of looks from the older men around her. She knew she looked good, but she was completely oblivious to the fact that her dark nipples were easily visible through the thin yellow material. The only thing Anni noticed was how much the bus seat vibrated underneath her, causing her wetness to seep slightly through her denim shorts. She shifted in the seat, biting her lower lip and hoping desperately that her parents would be in bed early tonight. I’ve got to get rid of some of this tension! Anni thought of the vibrator she had hidden under her pillow, the one her mom had thrown a fit about but still let her keep. That thing is gonna come in handy tonight!

            She returned home with about an hour to spare before her parents arrived. Perfect! Anni spent the next hour cleaning the house, preparing dinner, and making sure everything was in order. The last thing she needed today was for pissed off parents to ruin her buzz!

            The evening went as it usually did, with Mom and Brent doing their usual bickering. This time is was about whose spaghetti recipe was better. I could end this argument easily by telling them I used my own recipe, but why bother? Anni sat with her back to the TV (as was the requirement while she was grounded), amazed that her mom would even waste her time on this jackass.

            Anni provided the usual refills when the empty cans clanked, but was otherwise lost in her own world while her parents continued their ill-tempered conversation. Her mind was still on Randall and Breezy…Randall’s brown eyes, Breezy’s soft lips…Anni could barely conceal her excitement when her parents finally announced that they were going to bed.

            About an hour later, once Anni had time to make sure Mom and Brent were actually asleep, she reached under her pillow for her toy. Anni laid back, her eyes closed, and began thinking about how badly she wanted to kiss Breezy...how Breezy was practically bursting out of that low-cut button up shirt…the bulge in Randall’s pants as they kissed goodbye…Anni turned the toy on, all the way up to maximum, and slid it down between her legs. She rubbed faster and faster, wishing it was Breezy’s tongue making her feel this good, wishing she could grab and squeeze Breezy’s bouncing tits…this thought sent Anni over the edge, the electricity of her orgasm ripping through her body. 

            Feeling at least slightly better, Anni rolled over and quickly fell asleep. Maybe Kandace won’t get such a chewing out after all…