“Are you really going to waste Mom’s money? You know this is your last chance before your tests.” If he saw the fear in her eyes, he ignored it. “Whatever. Go. I’m staying and getting my money’s worth.”
She bit her lip and faced forward, holding back her rising hysteria. The cart picked up speed and pushed her against Marco, who screamed in delight, arms raised high in the air. She wanted this so badly, wanted to let go of reality, to let go of the gnawing sensation in the back of her neck. As the cart continued to spin, Ari closed her eyes, hoping to endure. By the time her cart approached the aged man a second time, she was gone.
Her eyes opened to a water-stained ceiling. The stench of old cigarettes and filthy bodies welcomed her back to reality. She strained to turn her head. Her neck pinched from the cords in her port. Disgust tasted sour as she clawed the base of her neck, pulling at the thick cable.
“Hey, girlie. You’re going to tear your port, and I don’t have the stuff to fix it.” A man’s thick hands turned the cable until a click sounded, and then he gently pulled the wires out. She wanted to scratch at the insertion site, to tear away the mechanical feeling that lingered inside of her. Instead she undid her ponytail and covered the port site with hair, smoothing it down.
Her brother lay next to her in a reclined chair, a smile pasted on his handsome face. His wavy, thick hair, often kept short, curled around his temple. He always appeared more innocent while unconscious.
Glad to see he’s enjoying himself. She pushed back the bitterness boiling inside. He had been trying to help.
The large man, covered in old tattoos and smelling of yesterday’s beer, winked at her. Revulsion rolled around in her gut. Before he could speak, she rushed out of the room. She detested this shop as much as the virtuals themselves. The VR center stood only a few blocks from her house, a permanent fixture in her rundown neighborhood.
Ari hurried through the metal doors, squinting as she welcomed the sun. The real sun.
Her sun.
“Missy, want to catch a trip with a real guy?” A withered man sat outside, his dirty clothes hanging off his body. “Trust me. I look a hell of a lot better on the inside.”
She snapped her head back to the road in front of her, ignoring him.
“Don’t be like that,” the man said.
Someone reached for her, grabbing at her arm, but she swatted it away, quickening her step. Please just leave me alone.
The jeers of the strung-out VR addicts followed her for the rest of the block.
She tried not to imagine how her father had used to be there, hanging out with the bums to catch a free VR. She tried, but it didn’t work.
HOOKED on Ari? Get your copy at Amazon!
Also by DeAnna Browne
Dark Rising Trilogy
Evil Etched in Gold - Short Story
Demon Rising
Unholy Sundering
Dark Alliance
Hard-Wired Trilogy
Hooked
Glitched Reality - Short Story
Synched
Hacked
About the Author
DeAnna Browne graduated from Arizona State University with her BS in Psychology. She finds it helps to corral those voices in her mind and put them to paper. An avid reader and writer, she has a soft spot for fantasy with a touch of romance. Despite her love for food and traveling, she always finds her way back to Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, children, and pet dog.
Follow her at:
www.deannabrowne.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2017 by Celtic Moon Press
All rights reserved.
Demon Rising - Dark Rising - Book 1
Celtic Moon Press
ISBN: 978-1-948884-07-5
Cover Art: Copyright © 2017 Killion Design, Inc.
Copyright © 2018 by Celtic Moon Press
All rights reserved.
Unholy Sundering - Dark Rising - Book 2
Celtic Moon Press
ISBN: 978-1-948884-11-2
Cover Art: Copyright © 2018 Killion Design, Inc.
Copyright © 2019 by Celtic Moon Press
All rights reserved.
Dark Alliance - Dark Rising - Book 3
Celtic Moon Press
ISBN: 978-1-948884-28-0
Cover Art: Copyright © 2019 Killion Design, Inc.
Copyright © 2017 by Celtic Moon Press
All rights reserved.
Evil Etched in Gold - Dark Rising Short Story
Celtic Moon Press
ASIN: B07CLFCR2S
Cover Art: Copyright © 2017
Dark Rising Trilogy Page 82