The Thrill Of Defeat, Chapter Three: A Victor's Light
With their lives changed, Alia and Zainab revisit the mall.
Alia stands before me in splendor, gleaming with what I can only describe as a victor’s light. She smiles so brightly that even under the ample lighting of the mall, she somehow manages to stand out. But it’s not a friendly smile. She twirls before me in her summer dress, holding a pair of heels she’s yet to try on, as I sweat and puff with the weight and bulk of bags upon bags of new clothes… Alia’s new purchases, of cou...