by Snow, Sheena
I un-clicked my seatbelt and stared up at the three-story building now in front of me with a colorful logo.
I moved. My feet pounded against the cement, thudding in my head like war drums.
Pound. Da-Dum. Pound. Da-Dum. For them. For me. For them. For me.
“Vienna?” My name echoed somewhere off, far and distant as I walked through the building.
“Umm,” the receptionist stuttered. “Can-Can I help you?”
I didn’t spare her a glance.
“I-I’m not sure—” She fumbled for something.
I barged past her and strode through the glass doors. My hair billowed around my face, my hands curled into fists, and my shoulders stood tall and erect.
The room immediately hushed. People froze mid-type, phones hung in mid-air, and papers feathered off desks.
“I have a story to tell,” I said, my voice so quiet, so sure, it didn’t even sound like mine. “A story you might be interested in retelling.”
I stood in the middle of the floor as the big honcho burst out of his office, causing newspapers to go flying around him. “Get this girl out.” His finger paused in the air. “What-what are you wearing?”
I felt it calling me, my story begging to be let out, begging to be freed.
“There’s something you don’t know.” My pulse thundered.
Pound. Da-Dum. Pound. Da-Dum.
“Something no one knows.”
Pound. Da-Dum. Pound. Da-Dum.
“The government kept this secret under wraps. It’s something they refused to disclose. Something they made a horrible judgment call on.” I stared at them, every single one: glasses, no glasses, blue eyes, brown eyes, furious eyes, scared eyes.
My voice became a lethal whisper, snaking over them. “You know all those missing persons reports?”
Pound. Da-Dum.
It was them. It was the government. The whole time. Kidnapping people for their own experiments, messing with people’s bodies, messing with their minds . . . for some inane project.
I opened my mouth and the words flowed out of their own accord. “The government has been nothing but cooperative.”
No.
They imprisoned me. They have imprisoned countless others.
My throat choked. “They have been nothing but an imperative piece.”
No!
My eyes widened. “In putting a stop to this tragic loss.” I wobbled across the tile. “They have taken it upon themselves to enable robots to take a more active position in acquiring the lost persons, to take a more active position in preserving the integrity of our country.”
I grimaced and stumbled backward, clapping my hands over my mouth, staring at their dumbfounded faces in sheer horror.
No. No. No.
“Yes.”
A sob escaped my lips and I fell to the ground.
Where . . . where were my words? My? Words?
My lips opened again.
“The government is undeniably the only instrument directing us to our future and without them, we are most undoubtedly, all lost.”
Lost. Lost. Lost. Lost.
I crawled across the tile floor.
Lost. Lost. Lost.
I frantically swung my head back and forth.
Lost. Lost.
I pounded my fists to the ground.
Lost.
Vienna’s story continues in Enflamed (The Metal Bones Series Book 2).
For more information please visit Sheena at
www.sheenasnow.com and sign up for her newsletter.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank you for taking to the time to read my book and give my story a chance. I’d also like to thank the following people for being a part of life and for being one of the many pillars that holds me up:
Mary: For reading this book when I first started, six years ago, when it wasn’t in the best of shape.
Aubrie: For being my concert buddy, voice of reason, and showing me the awesomeness that is Wynwood.
Jenny: We have been through a lot of things, in different ways, but our connection will always be permanent.
Monica: You have such a natural talent for helping people find their way back to happy. And thank you for guiding me along the way!
Amy: For being there. And for listening. And for helping find what I needed.
Angel: I quote, “Pitch it to me b*tches!” I never did work up the nerve to say that in front of an editor/agent.
Melanie: The planets decided it was time to align themselves and bring you back in my life. They knew I would need you. And I did. I can never say thank you enough!
Vicky: I don’t even know where to start?! For helping me make my website. For picking up my calls in the morning. For helping me with my bio. For critiquing and bouncing ideas off each other. For convincing me to go to conferences. And for always being optimistic when there were way more reasons to be pessimistic.
Kim: For our writing retreats. For pushing me to go deeper with my plotting. And our obsession with YA TV shows!
Kristin: For my amazing book TITLE! And never complaining about housing our critique groups.
Rosie: For having the best laugh in the world!!!!
Aladdin: For destroying my face with kisses every time I walk in the door. For loving me unconditionally. For turning my bad days into happy ones. You da best puppy ever!
Andreas: For never giving up on me. For never stopping with your love for me. For thinking all my jokes are funny. And embracing all my slightly unusual qualities.
Mom & Dad: Thank you for being supportive since day one and believing, six years ago, that this day would come for me. Not all authors have the faith of their parents and I am so grateful I have yours. Thank you for being my biggest promoters!
Debby: For spending all your time taking my rough draft and turning it into a masterpiece. It needed a lot of help and you signed on. Thank you.
Mirta: I saved you last for a reason. After having met you, I believe therapists are the most undervalued resource in this world. If everyone had someone to listen to them, guide them, teach them effective communication, and teach them how to believe and love their inner self, the world would be so close to perfect. You have no idea how much you mean to me. You guided me with removing my hands from eyes and, therefore, showed me the world.
