CHAPTER 51––––––––
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Snow still covered the floor of the warehouse late Monday afternoon when Mara arrived early to begin another session with Ping. Soft crunching sounds echoed off the walls as she walked toward the whiteboard and metal cabinet, traversing a crusty island of melting snow that broke apart under her weight. Half the floor remained buried in an inch of ice and powder, the other half a damp dark gray bleeding through from the concrete below. Piles and small drifts persisted along the walls.
Mara stopped and looked down at her feet. Bright neon-greenish yellow grains speckled the entire floor. She kicked at the grit for a minute and wondered if it was put down to melt the snow or to prevent people from slipping. She shrugged and continued onto the makeshift classroom.
