Excerpt: Emma

In her dreams, she was a part of a wall. She was in a long, white, sterile-smelling hallway. A lab. Two pair of footsteps echoed down the hallway, coming closer to the right. Emma turned her eyes to see, and saw a human leading a mouse on a lead. A metal collar not unlike Emma’s own was clamped around the mouse’s neck. The mouse was a female, a longhair, her hair cut to her shoulders to keep out of the way but still identify her as longhaired. Her hair was beautiful beige satin, the artificial light making it look dull, despite its incredible sheen. Her hair was cut to hide one eye, and Emma wondered why.

As the two passed, the mouse turned and stared right into Emma’s face as though she were really there. Something passed between them, like electricity snapping up Emma’s spine. This mouse was special. She could see it, feel it even, through that one glance of the mouse’s jet black eye.

The human jerked the lead roughly, and the mouse was pulled forward. She gave one last glance over her shoulder before they turned a corner and were gone from view.

The image of that mouse’s face never left Emma, even after she woke up.