“Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening.

The voices at the front door shout my name. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I step back and kick it with all my strength.

Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening.

The door is partially covered, but it exists. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home. Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls. My thoughts already muddled, I stand, waiting with the rope around my neck. A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. I twist it around to read the inscription. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. Death and I glare at each other through my tears. I pull down on it, making sure the knot is secure.

The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. Excerpt I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him.

Branded by Abi Ketner