The river
Maya's POV They walked for an hour. Not toward the studio. Not toward campus. Away from Ethan's building, away from the blood, away from the phone that sat heavy in Adrian's pocket like a grenade with the pin already pulled. He didn't speak. His hand was wrapped in his sweater — the hole in the sleeve she'd pointed out, now stained with Ethan's blood and his own. He walked fast, shoulders forward, the gait of someone being chased by something that couldn't be outrun. Maya followed. She didn't ask where. She didn't touch him. She simply stayed visible, present, the only thing she knew how to offer. The river surprised her. Adrian stopped at the railing, stared at the black water, the city lights fractured on its surface. He retrieved the phone from his pocket. Hold it over the water.
- Writer
