บท 35: Chapter 35

KATY

"Does this megaphone get any louder?" I scanned the side of the brand-new device looking for a volume up button. The old megaphone, which someone mysteriously misplaced after our last protest, was much simpler to use. I had to purchase this model on the internet. They didn’t sell megaphones at our local mall, even if I made the drive to Portland.

Somehow, the plastic on the piece of equipment was hot against my fingers as if it was metal heating in the sun. Sweat dripped down my back as I fanned my shirt trying to get air. It was the last few days of summer in Pelican Bay and the weather viciously held on to every bit of humidity it could muster. I loved fall and hated everything about winter, but it would be a welcome respite from the sweltering summer we endured.

"Are you okay? You seem… angrier than normal," Pearl said, her eyes heavy on the megaphone as if she expected me to throw it on the ground or break it into a million pieces at any second.