Before:

     A sphere the size of a baseball dropped from above Niki to hover in front of where she sat and ate. 

     The door that led from the cell slid open.

     "You want me to go with you?" she asked the sphere.

     No response from the sphere, but Niki assumed the answer would be yes.

     She filled her mouth with food one last time and swallowed it down without chewing. She had no idea when she might get another chance to eat.

     Then she leaped up with the idea of giving the sphere a good, hard kick. But,

    Zap!

​     Mini lightning bolted from the sphere to catch Niki in the chest.

     She dropped to the floor, sweaty and spent.

     Okay, she definitely did not want ​that to happen again.

     She stood, arms and fingers outstretched, as if to say, okay, anything you want. 

​      Niki followed the sphere from the cell, after which the door, once again, slid shut.

CONTINUE