The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction NovemberDecember 2016 (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Book 131) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Spilogale Inc.
Published: 2017-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

* * *

The security guard from earlier is waiting to escort her back to her car. He goes on about the service but Dolores is unable to focus. Inside her skin, her naked body is drenched with sweat and tears. She is worried that The Selena™ will slide off of her and reveal her true self. It's not possible, the technology behind the kits is so advanced, but still.

"Are you ready?" asks the guard.

She braces herself for the crowd. There will be no moments with her fans tonight. She wants to go home to peel off this body. To get away from these hallucinations and retreat into her secluded high-rise where she feels safe and protected among her silver belongings. The past will not engulf her present. Not if she can help it.

A group of young people crowd around her as soon as she steps outside. At first, Dolores mistakes them for fans but she soon catches their angry expressions. They hold up signs: JUSTICE FOR LA CRUZ 13! WE ARE ALL THE DISAPPEARED! WE DEMAND JUSTICE!

"Doliente, what do you have to say about this?" a teenage boy yells at her. "Stop hiding behind your kits. Stop working for murderers. Justice for La Cruz Thirteen!"

Another girl grabs her skin's arm. The girl's face is splattered with red dye, a mask of fake blood.

"What are you doing to stop the violence?" the girl screams. Dolores tries to pull away but the girl has a firm grip.

"Let me go," Dolores says.

"You are one of us," the girl says. "Step out of your kit."

The security guard pushes the protester away. After a bit of jostling, Dolores jumps into her waiting car. The driver tries to move forward but the protesters block the exit.

"Justice for The Disappeared! Justice for La Cruz Thirteen!"

So much rage directed at her. Dolores has gotten used to protesters appearing at the bigger venues. One time she even had to dodge eggs being thrown when she worked the service of El Loco, a drug lord from the Moreno family. Dolores dismissed the incident as simply a work hazard for being a popular weeper. This time it's different. There is no way she can ignore these students, not when they are speaking about Melody.

"They're directing us to the other side of the stadium," the driver says. "Just sit back. I'll have you out of here in no time."

Dolores can't look away from their anger. Their fury is familiar to her. Melody was once like them. She believed that change can be demanded. That voices will be heard if they were willing to shout loud enough. But that's not true, is it? You need money to have any kind of power. No one will listen to poor people from some insignificant town.

Something hits the car window. There's no fear of the window shattering but the jolt is real all the same. The driver cuts a quick turn and drives away from the commotion.

Dolores tries to calm down, to take deep breaths, but she can't.

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