The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Author:James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

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The Kids’ Zone on the twelfth floor was colorful and obnoxiously loud. An air hockey table in the center of the room provided the rhythmic clacking soundtrack. Two acne-ridden boys shot at virtual deer with cheap plastic rifles. The row of car-racing games was especially busy, each seat occupied by screaming tweens.

A circle of disinterested parents hovered outside the arcade, chatting about the surprisingly good dance show they’d seen in the main theater the night before. Ignoring their awful children.

A huddle of kids by the claw machine argued over who should get the next try. They sent an ambassador to beg for more game tokens from the parents out front. One young boy triumphantly clung to the cheap stuffed dinosaur toy he’d already pulled from the machine as a kind of trophy over the other kids. As if he were somehow blessed or bound for greatness in his life. He pulled it away from his grabby little sister.

The man watched from nearby, sitting on a bench outside of the ship’s spa. Through the glass, he could see every disgusting act inside the arcade.

All the chaos.

It was unbearable to watch. His head began to pound from an impending migraine. The noise had to be stopped.

Within seconds, he found what he’d been looking for.

There she is …

The little girl had a short, bob hairstyle and bangs that hung just above her eyebrows. The lines were sharp. The cuts were precise. Her smile was speckled with braces. Her nose sloped up at the end. She was tall for her age. Developed. Even from here, the man could sense the teen boys eyeing her with desire.

She and her friends waited in line for the Skee-Ball machine.

It’s a shame.

She probably looked nice in that purple dress.

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