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"We need to get back to the group It’s dinnertime"

At dinner, e in anything ab-fest we had at lunch I worry about my body odor and discreetly sniff my underarms from time to time I eat quickly, mindful of iven to occasional twitches He doesn’t say anything, but a couple of tie in my direction

Ashley June sits on my other side I am conscious of her every move: the closeness of her elbow to mine, every time she picks up and puts down her utensils, the sway of her hair as she ties it into a ponytail to keep it fro into the drip cups Mostly, I notice her silence A strong urge pul s inmy odor from her

By midmeal, I’m more than worried about et, the more odor I emit A quick and quiet exit is what’s needed I stand up; all eyes at the table i away fro at his own table soes fro okay?"

"Yes, fi ne I should be heading back toI’m worried about the sunrise"

He looks at his watch "It’s not due for another hour"

"Even so, I’ht outside by a pre at us now

"I assure you, our dawn– dusk calculations are never wrong," he says

I cast n tiredness I’ else for to night, I think I’ atto understand "But the food-- there’re so oing on "You know you don’t have to escort me back Stay and eat To your fi lReal y I knoay back froht, another left, then out the double doors with the Institute emblem"

"You don’t want to stay for dessert?"

"No, I’m fi ne, real y"

"But the choicest, bloodiest meats are yet to come!"

"Just knackered, is allReal y, don’t you worry aboutback without assistance?"

"I got this" And before he can object, I leave And as I walk away, I shoot a quick look at the table

They’re all supposed to be eating, ignoringtheir faces But instead they’re looking at me with befuddlement No; more than befuddlement This is bewilder-ment, the kind that nests in people’s

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I hts Idiot, idiot, idiot, I inwardly reprove myself as I head down the hal ways "Moron, moron, moron," I say out loud as I push open the double doors to the outside And then it isout of the ordinary, don’t do anything that sticks you out fro that’ll draw attention

Even when I reach the doors to the library a fewmyself Imbecile, stupid, moron, doofus

Back in the library, I roam the aisles, the back rooms, hidden corners, scour every inch But it’s useless There’s no drinkable liquid of any kind in the library, not so much as a drop And in the restroo but hard sanitizing dispensers Knowing better, I dab a few drops of the sanitizer on ue with an acidic burn that leaves a foul after taste I’m really worried noay from my supplies stashed at hoe-- my shavers, bottles of water, odor suppressors, teeth whiteners, nail fi lers-- things are deteriorating quickly The lack of water is causing s allheadache

I lift up my arm, take a sniff of my armpit There Even I can smel it now And if I can smel it, they can No wonder Gaunt Man and Beefy were so distracted at dinner

I don’t know if anyone suspectsat dinner, but I don’t think they’ve connected the dots to

I head over to the leather couch and plop down My head: stil pounding, spinning Outside, a hint of dawn presses against the s The shutters will close soon