113_Smoke and Shadows

Eloise – First Person POV

The smell of smoke still clung to my clothes. It had seeped into the fibers, into my hair, my skin. Even though the fire department had left hours ago, the scent was a constant, nauseating reminder of how close I had come to losing everything.

From my place behind the glass door of my office, I could see the cluster of reporters now outside the atelier. Microphones were raised like weapons, camera flashes strobing across the windows. Their ...