"The Daily Grind"

the smell of coffee and bu

ined softly outsid

man dropped the swe

lay near the poodle' s paws, just o

a small piece of a day-old scone off the coun

out, I made sure the scone

ts thoughts a burst o

no one, not even Mark, my boyfriend

. It was Chloe,

o come see the Center. Dr. Albright is actually

lity built just outside town, tucked away in the woods. She was always excited ab

aid, already feeling a famil

'll meet you at

you t

kind. He' d be working late tonight on a

rees, all sleek glass and imposing grey stone. I

uncing. "It's so amazing, Sa

one-way glass. I tried to ignore the faint, anxious

topping before a massive, rein

uge gorilla sat. He was enormous, his eyes da

dn't break, and his thoug

o smooth. I

lin

He's part of a cognitive enhancement program

tared, u

in. Tonight. I'll

houghts weren't animalistic hunger

intense,"

Fort Knox. Triple-redundant security, electrified perimeter, round-t

o shake off the go

ht. A weird, distur

rtment. He was behind multiple lay

ile for Chloe

s followed me as

ni