My arms were free, and i let them flop to my side, feeling themthud to the soft earth with a sense of relief. The almost- whistle of something cutting... swiftly through the warm air, thenthe thunderclap of sensation, the sharp slap, and the instant blossoming ofpain on my left breast, leaving me gasping and chewing at the cloth stuffingmy mouth, too shocked by the abruptness of the blow to even attempt to cryout. Tears started in the corners of my eyes, running down the sides of my facebeneath. The guards with their shiny billed hats, hands on gunboats, looking fierce.The office staff holding clipboards.Metallurgy in their lab coats, with the crates.The pressmen, roller mill men and electrolysis experts ... all arrayed around the crates.Carl, using Junior's camera, took a picture of Junior passing the check to Mr. Adams.Mr. Adams handing the check and deposit slip to his secretary.The final photo with the entire crew frozen in their 'Cheese.' ... and their Men in Black faces.Frozen in. Sophia and Warren glided around the ice, playing off of one another, sure-footed and confident. Their innate musicality shone through, as every step, every glide, every nuance was keyed perfectly to the walking bass and the gently swaying horns of the swing classic. The dance was technically difficult, with changes of handholds and difficult intertwining steps. They did very little side-by-side dancing, and stuck close to one another, which was more difficult. The ability to work their feet. As Ian readied himself for the day, Silas again did something he typically did not. Talking after sex was bad enough, but what they did never left the “dungeon”, the room Silas had made for it.“Are you well enough to be at the office today?” Silas asked, not taking his eyes off his news feed.Ian, with a plate full of toast, stared at Silas as if he’d offered to take Ian for ice cream during a funeral.The silence made Silas look up at his little brother, face in shock.“It’s okay if you’re not,”.