Vrika whined softly in my mindscape, nudging me to respond to the Alpha regardless. After a moment's hesitation, I began typing and retyping a reply before finally settling on something simple enough.
C: [I appreciate the response. Will keep it in mind.]
Short and incredibly non-committal, giving away nothing about my location or activities. I hit send before I could overthink it further, then turned off the screen to look for something to eat.
Before long I resumed my walk back to the motel with plastic bags that felt extra light in my hands compared to the weight of the 'stolen' cash on my heart. I really don't understand how bad people do awful things to good ones…
I force myself to think of my upcoming plans, visiting multiple ATMs in the morning at best… over several days at worst. The prospect was frustrating and every extra moment will be a risk, but I'd faced worse obstacles since arriving in this world.
