Thousand: Six Hundred Seventy-Seven

completely. And, with an abruptness that makes her fear for her balance, the heavy closeness that has made the air a chore, that has her sweating and tired, swirls away with the light. Fumblingly (she has to try three times before it fits) the girl refastens the lid to the keybox and slides the box into her pants pocket. She wants her hands free. What is happening could require them. She doesn’t know what is happening. Somebody turned on the air conditioning? The. Or. Her eyes readjust to darkness. The darkness is paler than it was. Especially directly overhead where