"Welcome back." The young security guard punches in some numbers into a keypad and the door slides open. He waves Raven through, not even bothering to check her for contraband.
"You know the way."
Raven doesn't bother to respond. They've gone through this process too many times to count and by now he can just fill in the monosyllabic answer blanks on his own. She just nods and takes off her hood before wandering down the hallway passed a dozen or so doors, each one locked with state of the art, identity coded security systems and printed with "Danger" in boxy red letters.
She stops at a door at the end of the hallway. Its gray and depressing like the rest of them, but its different in that she has no idea what's waiting for her behind it.
It could be Joe, her best friend and confidant who could play a game of chess and talk to her now, using a rough, borrowed voice that didn't fit him at all.
It could be Match, a raging, violent stranger who would snarl and curse at her until she left before her anger got the best of her.
Or it could be a mix of the two, and all she would be able to do is hold Match's hand and try to talk Joe through it all, unable to help him in any other way.
Every Saturday when the door slid open was a game of Russian roulette; Joe or Match or an upsetting blend of both of them. A shot of relief or a shot to the heart.
Raven presses her thumb against scanner next to the door. It gives a short, encouraging beep.
She braces for impact.