Voting is still ongoing.
Improper Foster Protocol
"I'm taking her home," Erica Fritz said within two seconds of seeing Blake through the one-way window.
Mike could only sigh. Miss Fritz was not the first possible parent to immediately fixate on a child, and he sincerely doubted she would be the last. Orphaned children seldom accepted such enthusiasm, however, especially when they were within a few years of adulthood themselves.
"Miss Fritz, you would do well to remember that Miss Belladonna is not a
pet. She was severely burned and heavily bleeding when we found her, and her reluctance to speak of her past makes it likely that she was subjected to terribl–why are you standing so close to the window?"
It took him precious seconds to cross the intervening distance and realize what Miss was up to. By then, it was far too late. Miss Fritz had already long since cast the minimal-powered version of a spell which had likely started life as an artillery target designator.
Blake pounced on the wiggling red dot right before his horrified eyes.
Hello, world(walker)!
There was something viscerally
wrong about the clearing Blake found herself in. It wasn't the lack of birdsong; wildlife frequently quieted when predators and people were passing through. Wind was hard to perceive when it was slow enough, and sunlight seemed to dimly illuminate the clearing without issues.
No, it was the smell — or more accurately, a complete lack thereof. There should have been
something. The grass, animals, the trees, pollen carried upon the wind, her own sweat,
anything.
Kitty, kitty, we do greet,
Kitty, kitty, such a treat!
Blake twitched and warily scanned her surroundings. She'd read enough to be wary of voices spontaneously singing within abnormal woods, especially when those voices seemed to be omnidirectional.
Kitty, kitty, take a seat,
Kitty, kitty, watch us cheat!
A black cat trotted out of grass too short to hold it, its teeth bared in what could charitably be called a smile. The fact that the expression was on a
cat made it look more like a threat no matter how friendly the voices sounded—but that couldn't be right. They wouldn't hurt
her.
Kitty, kitty, fair and fleet,
Kitty, kitty, we should meet!
Blake tried to open her mouth to comment on their current meeting and abruptly realized
she didn't have a mouth. Thankfully, she also didn't have a nose, hands, or even eyes. She was dreaming, wasn't she? That was a relief.
Kitty, kitty, such small feet,
Kitty, kitty, soft and sweet,
The clearing abruptly vanished and left Blake staring at a glowing pair of slitted yellow eyes within the endless abyss.
Tell us, kitty, what is "yeet"?