All Chapters of THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA : Chapter 81 - Chapter 83

NATALIEThe noise of the city greets me and suddenly I’m missing the quietness of Texas. People are everywhere here, barely any breathing space.My mind drifts to Reese. I wonder if he will be up for one of our mini smoking sessions. He has a good stash. I shake the thoughts from my head. I can’t deal with him right now. Not today. Today, I push the thought away, a sour taste on my tongue. I need distance and time to think even if it’s just for a moment. Instead, my feet carry me in the opposite direction, away from the docks, towards the neon glow of a supermarket. One thing I do need, consistently, is a fresh pack of cigarettes. I reach the checkout, a pack of my favorite brand clutched in my hand. The cashier, a tired-looking young woman, scans the pack, her eyes glazed over. I pay, the crinkle of the bills a small, satisfying sound. The plastic bag feels light in my hand as I push through the automatic doors, stepping back out into the cool evening air. The city noises assault me

MIAThe living room is a mess. An absolute mess. Cardboard boxes, stacked like houses of forgotten memories, surround me. Drew, stretched out on the rug, rummages through a box of old photos, a mischievous grin already playing on his lips. Joe and Mabel are out fishing, leaving us to look through my old stuff.“Oh my God, Mia,” Drew laughs, holding a faded picture. It’s me, maybe six years old, with the shortest bob cut ever and a huge frown. “What is that? Are you trying to pull off a serial killer vibe?”I roll my eyes, a well-practiced gesture. “And to think that I personally chose the hairstyle and regretted it seconds later.” I give him a playful shove with my foot. He grins, tossing the picture back into the box.I open another, the cardboard flaps protesting with a dry rustle. Inside, nestled beneath a layer of tissue paper, are stacks of familiar blue envelopes. My breath catches. These are Mom’s letters. Not the formal kind, but the random, spontaneous notes she’d write—somet