Chapter 23

Adelaide

Only a few steps behind, I entered Alton's office and stepped into his cloud of malcontent. My eyes searched the regal room. Beyond the large windows was only darkness, a contrast to the stark illumination within. The bookcases, filled with treasures that belonged to my father and his father before him, created a colorful addition to the darkness of the wood trim. The air only moments before had been light and freely flowed into my lungs. Now, it was heavy, weighted down with something I didn't understand. No longer did it substantiate life: it suffocated, effectively snuffing out what before it had promoted.