“My pen traces mindless circles in the margins of my journal as I stare out the window of the dusty common room.
This is what I’ve needed to find my footing, I think as I fight the nerves taking root in my stomach.
Down the hallway, the sound of squeaky wheels is punctuated by a groan and a thump as luggage hits the floor.
“Wait, what will happen if there’s a fire? We’re on the eighteenth floor,” one girl says, her vowels long and polite. A Southerner.
A deep male voice reassures her. “I know it’s a hike down those stairs, but don’t use the elevators. The last thing you want is to get stuck between floors. I’ll check each room to make sure you’ve evacuated.”