The warehouse was a large, concrete building located a few miles past the east end of Celestia. Outside, barbed wire enclosed the building, keeping stragglers out. Two guards armed with guns had orders to shoot down any trespasser. This year, we'd only seen four deaths. Inside, fluorescent lighting, powered by the generator, flickered dimly. It illuminated the goods piled on the shelves. They were categorized by type, date, and description. The shelves were shoved against the walls, nearly touching the high ceiling. In the middle was a complex conveyor belt. The black mat diverged into five separate paths to reach the far side of the room where a group of workers sorted the package, and then slotted them into position.

The air was stiff. It lacked ventilation. The back of my neck and underarms were slick with sweat. But it was all mine, and that was all that mattered.

I blew my three-tone whistle, calling all the workers to surround me in a circle.

"I'm sure that by now, you've all heard what happened to Cookie." I waited for their nods. "Let her tragedy be a reminder to us all that while we may think that we're invincible, we're one wrong step from ruin." The girl to my right swiped a quick tear. "We all know what it means to work hard—we wouldn't have gotten here if we didn't—but I will remind you that it is far more important to work smart."

"I hope that means finding the snitch who ratted on Cookie." The low voiced sounded from my left.

"Of course, Liam. I'll never let her death remain unavenged," I said, watching as he murmured something to his friend, Tristan, blank expressions on their faces.

Turning toward the others, I lifted my arm in the air. "We shall triumph in Cookie's name. We shall finish the fight she started. More production. More connections. More profit. Prosperity for all!" I chanted, feeding off their fervored exclamations.

I ran a hand through my ginger hair, imagining my many freckles contrasting to the pale brown of my skin. My father used to tell me that I was good-for-nothing. I wish he could see me now.

*****

THE END...FOR NOW.

THANK YOU FOR READING!