Chapter Eighteen: Masks
March 18, 2011
After she submitted her report, Phoenix took a deep breath, and just sat in front of her laptop. Mentally, she counted off ten seconds. Just ten simple seconds when she didn't have to be a hero or a teenager; when she could just sit in silence and breathe evenly.
She enjoyed eight seconds of silence before a tap on the door pulled her back into being Contract. She opened her eyes slowly, stared at the blank computer desktop, then reached for her mask and walked over to the door. She exhaled, put on the soft leather, and prepared her smile; only when she was fully masked did she twist the handle.