Slate stands outside leaning against the railing in the dark with a cup of coffee in hand, the world only just glowing around him by the building behind him, the snow gently falling around him.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMMQHLEVcg
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They found a place to stop and rest for the night, but the bad news is they're out for fuel now for the helicopter so they'll have to go on foot from now on when they eventually leave this place.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1uAxKgiXb
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The place they have sought refuge is some base in the mountains, it had a landing pad on the roof and luckily was stocked with some supplies, but not enough to last them for more than a few days so they will have to leave to find food and perhaps find other shelter plus in the current climate, it's very cold. They're not all rugged up warmly and are doing what they can to stay warm as when they escaped, they didn't think about the weather.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHt47hU5SDl
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"Hi. Want some company?" A small voice whispers, a person come outside to join Slate on the balcony. He looks behind him to see Beth. "It's cold, you'll get cold out here. Go back inside to the fireplace." He tells her.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UGKm2McoK
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"My head hurts, everyone else is inside trying to do maths to work out how old we are, but it's hard when we don't have all the figures we need. We we're downstairs for three years and we seem to be in our 20's somewhere, but what else in time are we missing? So, can I please stand out here with you?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcu2PkyiK0
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIygWbfBLdu
"Sure, come here." He says, removing his insulated fighter coat. He has a really thick shirt on underneath anyway so he'll be fine, but Beth? She's in just a singlet, pink shorts with black leggings. He helps her put it on. "Thank you, Slate."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzehKsviix
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"It's okay, you need it more than me."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtVexNWKXu
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He takes a sip of his coffee and looks out at the dead world covered in a blanket of snow as she does the same. "Beth..."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69puzuyi5k
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"Yeah?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLaXS71HgZ
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"I just wanted to say-"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxmBcFBMyI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5hRwNZXvo
"Thank you for leading us, saving us."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CjrLykwSu
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTpIGCIlKP
"Oh, sure. No problem, I'd have done it for anyone..." And then the intrusive memory starts creeping back. He killed him.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzc41tV2LCt
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWy7S5SxUd
During escaping with Beth, he can't tell them. But he killed someone, he remembered. Murphy raped her and killed Hazel and Elijah on a mission. He wasn't punished by Solayo for the second one, the leaders covered it up.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAui05qIdjZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2lQmS7xK8
Murphy got in his way, he was drunk and trying to pick a fight with him... He doesn't want to remember. He... He handcuffed Murphy to a railing with his own handcuffs. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEymgr2aOT
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrij8XX0ZbT
Then he looks down and for a second sees Murphy handcuffed to the railing. He jumps back, letting out a scream. He drops his coffee cup, but Beth only just catches it, burning herself. She cries, snapping him out of it. He takes the cup, sitting it on the railing and dumps out the remaining water in his flask, dumping it on her hands, taking them quickly in his. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDDT0cePBD
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"But the water! We need that!"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHQ4JZu8Jd
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34xWnrBgBO
"But your hands, this is more important." He tells her. "I'm sorry."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg6PBfQ1H4
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtw30GUZNZ
"It's ok. Are you okay? What even happened to you? You're head, those bandages."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBjG4c11CM
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"Uh, I don't know." 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVhSvMAabS
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It's not a total lie. Now the memories of before what Ester and Mikey did are patchy, but he can't remember anything before living at The Compound. He just remembers living and training there. His been downstairs before, he was in solitary for a long time before he worked with Solayo rather than against him. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuviUx07MHt
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblsPkKI3SY
But why we're when they even downstairs for three years? He can't put his finger on it.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIjW0ZbLZf
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"Beth."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85vUWcpl1E
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"Yes?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIHR9RR8Wc
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"I just want to tell you I'm sorry there is no tablets to give you, I must have lost them somewhere. The others all have some of their memories and attributes back, but you-"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA7VTKlURf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfb0T19Lla
"It's okay, I don't need them." She tells him, turning back towards the railing, down. She touches her neck feeling the bandage around her neck and wrists.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwKc7YSEgO
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcnENRnstg
"This was stupid, I don't even know why I did it... I'm sure remembering would only reveal the real reason and then... who knows what I'd do? Off myself?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvjn70vKzl
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZVc1SBIw6
He chokes, coughs when he hears her say this. He pulls out the cigarrettes from his pocket and quickly lights one. "Want one?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbmB9WrQJz
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWIyPKzhsj
"No." She declines, shaking her head. "Uh, so. What are we going to now?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSocAOAowno
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"Head out at first light and find some more food I guess."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm94lT67lZ8
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqBXr6AhJu
"I mean where from now? We can't stay here forever. It's not a safe place. Not permanatly anyway."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBxd4OiuLI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7d3LQR6uf
"Nothing's going to get us. We're fine."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1dQ1BiNfy
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FZzR4aAVi
"Sorry. For some reason, I feel like someone or something is watching me-"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNm0426428
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But she doesn't get to finish, Slate telling her to duck and he yells out to the others to cut the lights off inside. The lights go off a moment later and in the distance below the hill is a figure slowly walking along, it's leg half hanging off. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiqlBjhEh1
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjCzTrsYVX
"What is that?" Beth whispers, gulping. "That is what I'm afraid of. I tried to get some sleep earlier inside, but I kept seeing something like that in my sleep.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jFggmjY7T
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElAlTqcosL
The others talking woke me up."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vOr56PnnO
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"The hell if I know, but let's stay far away from it..."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO6gLJxK6X
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUxd4lXQHs
"Guys?" A voice whispers, coming up behind them. Slate almost backhands them. "Sorry."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOBogOvIp6
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ23C37kLUM
He sees it's Lyla. "Do you want to come back inside? You'll freeze out here."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡontjrbwRzf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzibgYI8jQF
"Come here, see that?" He gestures her to join them. She peers at it. "Is it a person?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvQ8CPZ2W7
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWeb3ZRLPR
"It looks like one of us, but it's movements are weird and janky. And it's leg's hanging off, but it's walking mostly without it." Beth speaks up. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq6dlMwp1R
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8lgBgd0w7
Then a cold gust blows. "We should head inside." Lyla says quickly and they all run back inside to shelter.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5joyGezk35
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"Hey, was it outside?" Gideon smiles.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlo4Wv0uov
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"Cold." Slate responds. Gideon respomds, smirking and laughing.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lz6pfEi4k
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFU8xBWlRLb
"Well, duh!"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡev9RqwUnVS
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"Whatever, Gid. We need the bandages. I need to change mine and hers." Slate gestures to Beth. "Sure." Gideon says quickly, handing them over to her.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp69RHoSDAf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpivLWbcBC
Slate takes them, pulling her after him into the bedroom so they can have some privacy from the others. This building is only two rooms and cramped. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXl0wStubB
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenvcBiSgNV
Lounge and kitchen merged together and then the bedroom seperatly. It barely fit the bed at all. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNAUfWYhCa
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWISWuNdip
"So, what do you think this place is?" She whispers trying to make small talk as Slate gently unwraps the bandage around her neck. "Ah." She whinces lately, the bandage slightly sticking. He whinces when he sees the cut. Thank god it wasn't deep so it was never life threatening, but seeing there was an attempt, it's scary.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA07koJwlO
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNtN7wsqaE
"Security jumped on me really quickly. Lyla ran into the hallway screaming and crying. They we're here in less than ten seconds."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBWJsSj46I
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztW7lctF71
"I'm glad your alive though..."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1bGJlLRxv
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lr3k1wrwh
"...Thank you. My arm... can you look at it. The guard who was on me, she was mean and pulled my arm behind my back saying she'd break it after last time so I could never do anything again. I don't know what she meant."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYltVCXs045
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"Did someone stop her?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasI3iyj3tH
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"Yeah, a colleague of hers."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22o1cMX6Ef
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When Slate finishes wrapping fresh bandage around her neck and wrists, her burnt hand as well. He slips her sleeve up to inspect her upper left arm. "It's quite bruised. Does it overly hurt to move it?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5kXCcASaJ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K6XyapTCi
He gently moves it. "N-no." She breathes, removing his hand. "Turn around, I'll do your head." She tells him, removing the old bandage and wrapping a fresh one. It's hard to see the wounds beneath his hair.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpszt8mwbX
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"So, what did they do exactly anyway?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWkt0mwZGA
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"Uh, I really don't want to talk about it."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4sqSHWvXB
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplcILH5jdw
"Sorry."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDOJVBxvc2
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"It's okay. Just know it's the reason we're all here now. You all deserved better than the shit life we we're living there. It wasn't even really living."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IvrDfY25g
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEWYgtFcQE
The mood is really down now between them and slowly she leans against his shoulder, head resting and he wraps an arm around her shoulder not making any other movements.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yyQ4oe0qU
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After a while, one of them finally speaks. "Where are we going to go now?" She asks.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBBzhPMlEq
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"Anywhere we want."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8UYSHKDRn
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"But where is that?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEfYRzEPcS
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"I... I don't know, I'm sorry. I didn't really have this all planned out, it was spur of the moment."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJCaaemRKD
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7InFerQI05
"It's okay. Better freezing in this mountain shack than tied to the bed for eight hours a day and injected for three years underground on floor 13."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOiFKLQjho
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"That was hell."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV07M5zEI2
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"It was..."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOa6lXN147
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"I fought so many times, told them they we're horrible people and even tried to escape a few times. It never worked, even single time he'd have them drag me to my bed and they'd secure me again, having her prep a needle.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEoPY3DxGZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4h3VVq6QdP
That didn't help or cure me. But at-least I didn't end up like Paisley out there. The first and only time she yelled at them, they took her away and cut her head open. After that, she rarely talks now and barely interacts with anyone. What's going on inside her head?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡft2hPAWjrI
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcujYbkqPL
"I don't know. And I think it was less about helping you than it was keeping you safe. It stopped you in the moment, but it was never actually help. I... I don't think they we're ever set up to actually help someone like you. I'm sorry, you deserved better treatment and actually some damn compansion and understanding than what you got." He whispers back, gently playing with her hair.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOnnXSvOwI
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"I like that." She smiles. "It feels nice."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqlPoUC3jt
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So he keeps playing with it, running his fingers through and brushing it. "Can I grow it out? We we're never allowed to."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWvLuoclf8
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"You can do anything you want, Beth."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWuNBgqAhV
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OUygMcYLM
"I want to grow it out."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0iqcg0O0w
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOafwqbSKP
"Then you can grow it out."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wyz4RXxf8
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"....."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LJhFEKsYR
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"....."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxMtX2rrDy
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Slowly they turn their heads towards eachother, lips touching for just a moment when she pulls away and starts slamming her arm on the bedside table, crying.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzq67as3AQ
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He grabs her, pulling her back, wrapping his arms and legs around her, cupping his hand over his mouth so Lyla, Gideon and Paisley don't come in here.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE4xM7ljNO
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She stops straining and calms down slightly, albeit still crying. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He repeats all over and over. "Everything okay in there?" Lyla calls out from the other side of the door. "I heard a thump."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhb0EKMUhV
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVoaq66ipq
"I dropped a book! Everything's fine! Sorry!" He yells back, hearing Lyla's footsteps retreat. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNI4FipQ2AB
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He turns back to Beth, gently removing his hand. "I'm an asshole, I'm sorry-"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCRJmxTZZZ
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0d1FNH53tk
"It's fine, it's not your fault. Can we go a little slower is all?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0ABWnPl1s
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYl8ZdhQ2L
"Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. We did only just escape today."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdURvZiMjv5
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rfdGi0qKE
"It's not that."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuPXgRkN3w
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"I don't understand-"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29zHGyMTWY
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"Can you please let me go, Slate? I'll promise not to break my arm, okay. If I do then you have any every right to touch me, any of you. But that's it. You don't do it just because I'm maybe being difficult and a pain in the ass."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ozizoEn7k
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOjqSUzwnF
"Hey, you're not a pain in the ass and you aren't being difficult on purpose. Did Solayo tell you that?"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCExHHEN4s
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7jc3rcrq8
And she nods slowly when there is yelling, well cheering from outside the door. 130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PUYnLRBZq
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"I think we're 28-29!" Lyla yells.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlCAmmNfEu
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"We're that old?! We don't even look that old in the mirror!" Gideon yells back.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3exhqV8hnA
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLBtV82rMU
"Where did you get those figures from?!" Paisley finally speaks. "Maths is complicated!"130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaQL9ut3ib
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAjoeYW8I9
"I think I need to go out there." Slate laughs. "Then go. I'm tired anyway, can I please just sleep? Alone." Beth responds.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV78msgvA3
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"Okay. If you need me- us. We're right outside the door." He says, leaving the bed.130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHqFbQRXI7
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His going to tuck her in when she shivers, "No."130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt19siLhWK
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He backs off. "I'm sorry, I won't." And he leaves the room, switching the light off to go talk to the others and subject himself to a long lecture on equations and how they got to their age. Could they really be 28-29 years old?130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnmruO5uK9
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qayoKGrNI
They look barely over 21. It's proably the lack of food so their growth is stunted and everything, but... 28-29 is such a long time and they'd been with Solayo since... he doesn't know. He can't quite put his finger on it. But 28-29 years old? No way. Just not possible...130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8s2uACzUf
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDum3yH1rUj
130Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwgHSZnKuE
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