Malcolm stepped out of the plant.
The afternoon air felt heavier than it should have.
The sun had climbed high while he was inside. Harsh light spilled across the concrete yard, flattening everything beneath it. The cooling towers loomed overhead, their shadows stretching across cracked asphalt.
He hadn't realized how long he had stood in that pod.
His legs felt stiff when he moved.
The mask muffled his breathing as he scanned the empty lot. After a moment he pulled it off and drew in the hot, dry air.
Marybeth stepped out behind him, closing the door before pulling off her own mask.
"She came out?" Malcolm asked.
Marybeth nodded. "I heard noise from outside. I was too scared to move." Her voice dropped lower. "Was she…"
Her words trailed off when his eyes sharpened.
His jaw tightened.
He looked across the yard again.
The truck.
The loading dock.
The broken fence.
Nothing.
Hours had passed.
If she wanted to die, she would do it alone.
