*****

            “Here you go Marina.”  AshleyMarina
the daily mail.  She did it everyday
since Marina
had plucked her off the streets and helped the young girl get onto her
feet.  Marina
put it aside and Ashley stood there as if
waiting for something.  said
handing

            “Is there something
else?”  Ashley
nodded pulling out a 100 dollar bill from her pocket, waving it around like a
white flag.

            “A guy outside told me
that you have to open this right away and he gave me this.”  She waved the bill in front of Marina
again, who grimaced.  She took the
envelope, trying to decipher what it was from looking at the outside, not being
able too since there was no return address, she opened it.  With reluctance.   

You are invited to a Gathering Of
Friends

Don’t pack

All clothing will be provided

Bring no money

Just yourself.

            “Who gave this to
you?”  Marina‘s
voice was filled with anticipation and anxiety. 
Ashley motioned to the door and Marina
saw a chauffeur standing there, waiting for something or rather yet,
someone.  She got up and walked over to
the regal looking man. 

            “Marina
Ferrer?” 
She nodded a string of fear starting to pull at the pit of her
stomach.  The symphony of dread played
out inside of her.

            “Who sent you?”  She questioned thickly.

            “My employer who is a
friend of yours.  There are a select
other few that have also received similar invitations.  You’re business will be watched over while
you are gone, all the arrangements have been made.”  She looked back, Ashley
waving a friendly goodbye.  Marina
followed the man outside, and to a limo that was waiting to bring her to who
knew where.

*****

            Alice
tapped away at the keyboard with hard, sharp strokes.  She hadn’t been able to tell Dana
that she’d seen her with Lara; she was waiting
for Dana to say something.  She hadn’t. 
It killed her that their relationship was only a few weeks old and Dana
was already lying to her. 

            She stopped typing,
putting her head down on the keyboard, the letters zipping across the screen as
her editor barged in.

            “Pieszecki!”  He bellowed, making Alice
snap up, her chair skidding back a few inches. 
She was caught between a rock and a hard place.

            “Um, I wasn’t sleeping
or anything, I swear!”  She responded,
standing up in a quick motion, straightening out her shirt.  She rubbed her forehead, where she was sure
the imprint of the keys were still fresh.