[ she coos, drifting over to the booth with a gentle, disarming smile to ease the poor girl's nerves . ]
First time down 'ere ? Don' think I've seen ya 'round before!
[ she coos, drifting over to the booth with a gentle, disarming smile to ease the poor girl's nerves . ]
First time down 'ere ? Don' think I've seen ya 'round before!
𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐.
She left the little man with the red suit pinned to the wall and went to find a bottle that didn't require her to smile before she opened it.
She left the little man with the red suit pinned to the wall and went to find a bottle that didn't require her to smile before she opened it.
Dollie stared at it for a long moment, her chest heaving in the silence of the empty room.
"Bullseye," she whispered to the dark.
...That was it. She was out of ammo.
Dollie stared at it for a long moment, her chest heaving in the silence of the empty room.
"Bullseye," she whispered to the dark.
...That was it. She was out of ammo.
"I'll show you dead weight."
𝘛𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘤𝘬.
The dart hit the board with a satisfying, solid sound. It buried itself deep, right between the eyes of the man in the picture,
"I'll show you dead weight."
𝘛𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘤𝘬.
The dart hit the board with a satisfying, solid sound. It buried itself deep, right between the eyes of the man in the picture,
She picked it up, weighing it in her palm. It was heavy, brass-tipped, sharp.
She narrowed her eyes, the exhaustion hardening into something cold and hateful.
"Dead weight," she whispered,
She picked it up, weighing it in her palm. It was heavy, brass-tipped, sharp.
She narrowed her eyes, the exhaustion hardening into something cold and hateful.
"Dead weight," she whispered,
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, the memory of his voice hissed in her ear. 𝘛𝘸𝘰-𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳.
She reached onto the small shelf below the board, her fingers groping for a weapon.
Empty.
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, the memory of his voice hissed in her ear. 𝘛𝘸𝘰-𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳.
She reached onto the small shelf below the board, her fingers groping for a weapon.
Empty.
𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙢𝙩𝙤𝙣.
𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙢𝙩𝙤𝙣.
There was a picture pinned to the center of the bullseye.
It was a torn page from an old magazine, crinkled and yellowing with age.
There was a picture pinned to the center of the bullseye.
It was a torn page from an old magazine, crinkled and yellowing with age.
And she was angry.
And she was angry.
Off went the trench coat, tossed onto a chair. Off went the shoes.
"Oh, 𝘨𝘰𝘥," she groaned, the sound raw and guttural as her hooves hit the cool linoleum. God, she hated wearing shoes.
Off went the trench coat, tossed onto a chair. Off went the shoes.
"Oh, 𝘨𝘰𝘥," she groaned, the sound raw and guttural as her hooves hit the cool linoleum. God, she hated wearing shoes.
Dollie didn't turn on the lights. She didn't need to. She knew the layout by heart.
Dollie didn't turn on the lights. She didn't need to. She knew the layout by heart.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the dark.
𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the dark.
By the time she reached her apartment complex, she was shivering.
By the time she reached her apartment complex, she was shivering.
"Get out of here."
She turned her collar up and pushed through the heavy steel door.
...
The walk to the subway was a blur of neon puddles and the hiss of tires on wet pavement. The ride itself was worse—
"Get out of here."
She turned her collar up and pushed through the heavy steel door.
...
The walk to the subway was a blur of neon puddles and the hiss of tires on wet pavement. The ride itself was worse—
She stared at the mint for a second, then snatched it up, flashing him a tired, genuine half-smile—the first real expression she’d worn all night.
She stared at the mint for a second, then snatched it up, flashing him a tired, genuine half-smile—the first real expression she’d worn all night.