Page 2 of Everdoll

Yet I only smiled when I spotted a corner where mutant cats played together. My eyes could always find small, beautiful things that soothed my soul.

The smile lingered until my phone buzzed.

“Mina!” The voice was sharp. “We’re already here, girl!”

“You won’t believe what I found, Pris.”

“If it’s not Silvia’s ID chip, believe me, I don’t care.”

My friend’s voice had that flat, case-closed tone I knew better than to argue with.

“I’m on my way. I’ve got some shots you’ll like.”

When I turned another corner, I finally saw the person on the phone. Waving my hand quickly, my close friend Prisne smiled wide. In her charcoal-gray pinstripe suit and wavy brown hair, she looked elegant and confident as always.

I closed the distance, and gave her a big hug. “Pris!”

“Finally!”

“Still not curious about what I found?” I lifted the bag in my hand with a smile. “Fried milk!”

She exhaled. “I was hungry anyway.”

My cheerful gaze slowly drifted to the girl next to her. Recognition struck me instantly. So, this was Silvia. The girl who had mutated just last week. Another victim of the ‘sleeping pills’ . She wasn’t the only one; lately, hospitalizations linked to the pills had been climbing, and with them, the body count. Last week, this girl also looked like she was close to death, her skin had covered in swollen flesh. Yet, she seemed altered now. If it weren’t for the sharp gaze and the purple highlights, I wouldn’t have recognized her at all.

“Hey!” I approached, softening my tone. “Your freckles are cute.”

Silvia flinched. She shot me a disgusted look, then rolled her eyes.

“And who the fuck are you?”

Clearing my throat, I held out my hand.

“I’m Mina. Nice to meet you.”

She remained silent. A moment later, she sighed.

“And you’re here because…?”

“I’m here to report what happened.” I stated. “I’ll spread your tragedy across the planet. My customer satisfaction is 84%, not as high as Prisne’s, but you can trust me.”

“My tragedy?” she scoffed. “Of course, I can’t be more than that to officers like you.”

“Tragedy, story… Does it really matter? We’re here to help you.”

“So you don’t see me as a tragedy that will make you famous?”

“Why would I? I’m already famous.” I drawled brightly. But seeing Prisne’s warning glare, the words died in my throat. My cheerful facade froze before melting into an apologetic grimace. That approach wasn’t going to work on this girl, I realized.

“Can we go to Crescent now?” Prisne broke the silence. “Cole is waiting.”

“If he’s another bust like this afro-head, I’m not coming.”

“Hey! Bust? Me?”

“Of course he will help us.” Ignoring my sulking, Prisne reasoned. “He’s the one keeping Crescent’s gambling records. I’ll do the talking. I doubt he’s loyal to anyone. If he knows something, he won’t take long to spill.”

Within the establishment known as the Crescent Bar, at the scene where Silvia was discovered in her transformed state, her identity chip had likewise been removed from her wrist. Among those afflicted by mutation, the disappearance of such chips was not unusual anymore. The virus wormed its way beneath the skin, and during the process of metamorphosis, no vestige of the original physique endured. I had authored numerous articles documenting such phenomena. Yet this was the first time I found a connection with sleeping pills. My excitation was unbridled, I couldn’t stop smiling.