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“Thank you, captain obvious,” Caleb grumbled. “But why are we here?”

“Because of me.” Maria’s voice was frail and shaky. She took a tentative step forward from where she stood at the back of the group, all of the color drained from her face. “I-I-I recognize this place.”

“You do?” Tanner’s blond brows rose to his hairline as he stepped aside, allowing Maria to walk forward as if in a trance. Her face was twisted in concentration, and her hands shook by her sides.

“I think…” A green hue lit up her cheeks as she swayed. “I think I died here.”

Her statement had the desired effect—everyone immediately froze, staring at her with varying expressions of disbelief. Surprisingly, it was Sev who broke the silence first, his voice slicing it apart like the slash of a whip.

“What?”

She swallowed, shoving her hands into her pockets, as she stared up at the insignificant building looming ahead of us.

“I had…um…”

“Maria,” Aiden broke in, his tone caustic. “If we’re going to help you, you need to be honest with us. No bullshitting. Tell us what happened.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear falling down her cheek.

“I had a little problem with…um…shoplifting.”

Aiden and Tanner exchanged uneasy glances, while Heath’s mouth popped open in a silent O.

“Shoplifting,” Heath repeated, and I could tell he was trying to piece something together.

“I had these dreams…” Her eyes glazed over before she shook her head and waved a hand in the air dismissively. “It doesn’t matter, but I—”

“What were these dreams?” Aiden demanded, stalking forward. “Maria, you need to tell us everything.”

“I…um…”

“Hey, Aiden.” I moved to stand beside the trembling female and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You need to back up.” He looked as if he wanted to argue, pure rage sparking in his eyes, before, with a growl, he turned on his heel and stormed back towards the others. Only when he was gone did I turn Maria in my arms to stare directly into her elfin, heart-shaped face.

“Maria, you need to tell us the truth. We can’t help you if we don’t know exactly what happened. You recognize this place, correct?”

She sniffed, wrapping her arms around her stomach. “I…I remember being… At least I think I remember… I thought they were just dreams, but now…I…”

“Maria,” I said urgently. “Please.”

Her baby-blue eyes met my own, hers glossy with unshed tears. “I was just having some fun,” she whimpered. “I didn’t think it would go so far. The gun wasn’t even loaded…”

“What did you do?” Unlike the others, Heath’s voice wasn’t accusatory. Instead, he sounded almost curious as he tilted his head to the side and moved to stand directly behind me.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body shaking, and whispered, “I think I robbed him at gunpoint. And I think…I think he shot me.”

“Holy fuck,” Aiden breathed, raking his fingers through his obsidian hair. “Fucking dammit.”

“Gluttony,” Kelly whispered, her face stark white.

“Maria stole just for the hell of it,” Caleb added, assembling the clues together. “That’s why this circle of Purgatory is hers to face.”

Heath, who’d moved away from us and was peering through the windows of the store, gestured us forward. “I think we need to cross through here and exit out the back.” He pointed towards a bright red neon sign in the very back of the store. The door there was slightly open, though beyond that, I could see nothing but darkness.

“Are you sure?” I ventured cautiously.

Heath sighed. “Of course not. But do you see anywhere else to go? Remember, Purgatory leaves you hints about how to escape. And I think a big exit sign qualifies as a hint.”

“It’s…what? A thirty- or forty-foot walk from here to there?” Tanner scoffed. “Easy-peasy.”

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