CITY STORE
Laura stepped out of the store, her mind preoccupied with the errands she still had to run. She wasn’t paying attention when she bumped into a man walking in the opposite direction.
"Oh!" she gasped, startled.
Her phone slipped from her grasp, tumbling onto the pavement with a sharp c***k.
"I'm so sorry," she blurted, bending down to pick it up.
The man barely reacted. He gave her a brief nod, then continued into the store without a word.
Laura straightened up, frowning at her phone. The screen was still on, but when she tapped it, it refused to respond. "Great," she muttered, sighing in frustration.
She stepped away from the store entrance and moved toward a quiet corner of the compound. Sitting on a low ledge, she tried pressing different buttons, hoping for a miracle.
