"Claire." Megan's voice suddenly grew quiet and timid, almost like the whimper of a young child. The shocking familiarity with which she said my name really surprised me. "Just stay safe, okay?" she said simply. Somehow, she sounded genuinely worried for me. I stood across from her, resting my elbow on the railing beside me, shocked by the sudden shift in her manner.

"Yeah," I nodded slowly.

Megan smiled thinly, pulling a phone out of her back pocket. I watched the screen come to life in her hands, casting a bright light on her narrow face as she typed something into the device. Just seconds later, she pocketed it, and her eyes rose to meet mine. She stared at me with worry evident in her furrowed eyebrows and I, not knowing how else to react, stared back blankly.

The muffled speech of the Codies below was barely audible at the height at which we stood, and the high back of Amanda's tower kept the warm, Californian breeze away. A sort of stillness developed in the tension-filled air, causing me to grow increasingly conscious of the nervous tapping of my right foot. I curled my toes together, pressing the sole of my foot into ground as I became consumed by the irrational fear that my movement would trigger some disaster. Megan's gaze only grew deeper. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, but the story they told was one that I could not even begin to understand.

After what felt like forever, the dreadful silence was broken by the sound of the doors to the balcony swiveling open. I turned around, grateful for the opportunity to look at something other than the unsettlingly mysterious Megan, to see a cheery girl- presumably a Glitch- standing in the doorway. I assumed she had come in response to Megan's text.

"May I?" she asked Megan, gesturing to me.

"Sure," she replied, nodding her head. When she looked back at me, I found that all traces of her contemplative look were gone.

I followed the girl back inside, glancing back at Megan every five seconds or so to make sure that she was alright with me doing so. However, her back was now to the doors. She appeared to be intently evaluating the performance of the Codies below her, without so much as acknowledging my presence. I shook my head, bewildered. The WGO official had gone from trying to nonverbally tell me the universe's secrets to completely ignoring me in less than a minute.

"Hey, Claire! My name's Tracy, and I'm a Cookie," the girl introduced herself as she led me back through the hallways. "You'll be sleeping in the guest room today, but tomorrow, you'll be assigned to a Division and given a permanent room in your Division's area."

She veered to the right, entering a passageway of the Government building that I hadn't seen before. It was less severely decorated than the rest, and could even be described as homely. Calm hues of sunset orange replaced a blindingly perfect white on the walls, and the occasional table rested against the wall, topped with a stack of magazines or a potted plant.

Tracy walked nearly to the end of the hallway, at which point the seemingly endless numbered doors on either side of the narrow corridor were beginning to make it resemble a hotel. There, she paused before pointing at one of these nondescript doors, which rose up from the glistening floor to my left.

"Here it is, and good luck with your Division placement! I hope you get a nice Division like Codies or Cookies, or even Government if Amanda likes you!" Tracy grinned.

"Thank you," I returned her smile. Although I wasn't sure that being in one of the "better" Divisions, and consequently in the spotlight, was the best thing for me here, I knew that the Cookie meant well.

Reaching into the small, brown pouch at her waist, Tracy retrieved a small keyring with one key attached, holding it out in front of her. I assumed that this was what I was to use to enter my room, and took it with a grateful nod. When she was sure that the small, steel key was safely in my hand, she spun around and walked back down the long hallway the way we had come.

Sliding the key noiselessly into its lock, I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was basically set up like a hotel room, complete with a bed, freshly made with generic white linens, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. I scanned the area for unusual Coding, but found nothing but everyday sequences denoting ordinary household items. Still, I wondered if Amanda, Megan or one of the other Glitches had somehow bugged the room- perhaps using more traditional means.

You're just being paranoid, I told myself, trying to repel the uneasy feeling in my gut. Although my encounter with Megan had been rather creepy, she didn't strike me as someone who would want to spy on me.

If she wanted to hurt me, she would've done it while we were alone on the balcony.

Somewhat satisfied by my self-comforting thoughts, I kicked off my shoes, preparing to settle in for the night. There was a pair of pajamas laid out on the bed, and I gratefully peeled off my sweaty clothes to change into them. As I flopped down onto the bed, sinking into the silky sheets, I began to realize just how tired I really was. I pushed my hair out of my face and rested my head in the crook of my arm, quickly slipping into a peaceful slumber.

Yet, this was not to last. Just a few moments into the night, I felt an uncomfortably cold breeze on my cheek. I wanted desperately to stay asleep, but sleep did not obey. I found myself grudgingly prying open my eyes to find myself face to face with...Amanda?