24
JESSICA SPLASHED through ankle-deep puddles, kicking up sprays of water. The high walls and doors on either side of the alley blurred before her eyes. It was so dark today; with the thick cloud cover, everything ran into shades of grey and black.
She charged around a corner, almost crashing into a group of Pengali. Although they sported the short haircuts of domestic servants, males and females wore only skirts and wreaths of white flowers.
One of them held out a hand and whispered, “Anmi.”
For a moment, Jessica felt like joining them in whatever they were celebrating, shoving a wreath of flowers on her head, stripping off her sodden clothes and dancing in the rain, showing her bruised and scratched body for all to see.
See what he has done to me? He only wants me to be his breedin
