​     Niki thought she understood evil before. 

     She thought she understood terror before.

     She thought she understood horror before. 

     Hah!

     Evil/terror/horror grabbed the pit of Niki, her soul, to shake it like a baby's rattle. So overwhelming were these trio of emotions that Niki felt herself start to get lost in their dead darkness.

     Again with the three years of Azure training.  

     Single word: Priority. What is the priority here?

     The priority was to get out of that fucking beam, that's what it was. 

     With what little of herself remained, Niki commanded her anti-gravs to propel her forward. 

     No!

     Not forward! Niki screamed at herself. That will only take you further into the beam, you fucking idiot! Back! Propel back!

     She lost consciousness before she knew whether she'd escaped the beam or not. Eyes opened or closed, all she could see was black. 

     Her final words before she went out: 

     "Hi." 


CONTINUE