A foxy tale: Episode 19

A collaborative serial by Catherin J Pascal Dunk and Jessica Perini

Wait up—did you miss Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3 / Episode 4 / Episode 5 / Episode 6 / Episode 7 / Episode 8 / Episode 9 / Episode 10 / Episode 11 / Episode 12 / Episode 13 / Episode 14 / Episode 15 / Episode 16 / Episode 17 / Episode 18 ? Catch up first.

Episode 19

The light well and truly blinds Celeste. She takes the first tentative step outside her warehouse prison in the industrial wastes of Parix. She’s been captive, head bucketed, for longer than she cares to remember. Not that it was all bad. To be honest, a break from her high-stress inspectorate had been long overdue. She’d have preferred somewhere tropical though. Mauritiux maybe.

Her journalist sister Marguerite Bagué walks beside her, encouraging a brisker pace than she’s ready for. 

Celeste has been hesitant to walk much for this last while. It’s usually involved bumping into several things: walls, posts, handsy people…

“I don’t ‘ave my phone,” Marg now whines. “That Jam fellow pulled me straight from bed and whisked me away. I’ve zéro idée what ‘e was thinking. Just as well that I ‘ad…fallen asleep dressed.”

Celeste makes a noncommittal sound that she hopes is appropriate. She’s somewhat unused to discourse.

“Oh! Of course!” Marg cries. “Can you, um, fire up zat brain chip of yours?”

Celeste’s mind is slow, rusty. But she feels an instinctive need for caution. If…whoever gaoled her…and they know she’s police…and…”J’ais pas…et je pense pas que…ce sera le plus bon idée…maintenant.”

It takes Marg a few moments to process their natal tongue. She can’t count on the brain chip, then. Hmph.

There don’t seem to be any taxicars out here; few signs of life at all… 

And even if she could find a way to contact someone…who can she now trust?

… TO BE CONTINUED …

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