HANDLE NAME: UNKNOWN

Chapter 1- To End It All

Gordon stepped closer, causing Emelia to jolt back and almost tip into the pond. He held out an envelope.

"It's a plane ticket and some money," he said evenly, though the face he was giving her was of mild disgust. "Sober up, your flight leaves in four hours. There's money for cab and lodging for the layover. Go home. Stay there. I'll tell Vicky you left."

Gordon didn't give her a chance to reply. He threw the envelope at her feet and walked away.

.

.

Emelia checked out of her hotel room. Silently, she made her way out of the casino, her bag wheeling along behind her. But she didn't hail a cab for the airport. Instead, one dropped her off at Caesars Palace. Her drunken mind found some humor in the fact Gordon would kill her for staying here. She hadn't meant to spend this much money on a place, but she needed her family to think she was gone.

With how busy Vegas was, almost every place was booked up entirely. Caesars' had a few rooms due to cancelations and the appeal of her immediate arrival, but they were far pricier though. She was hesitant, she could have used that money for a million other things, but she had to stay somewhere tonight.

What else could she do? She couldn't go home. She didn't have a home to go back to. She just hadn't told anyone that.

"You're okay" Emelia whispered to herself.

Caesars Palace was packed as well. There was signs advertising for that large event again. Crowds of people from all ranges gathered around, ready to... from what she could hear... win Black Badges from the competitions. The words Def Con surrounded the entirety of the hotel. The Federal Government had an agency here as well?

She shook her head in awe, passing a poster for an event in the theaters to recruit persons to work for them instead of against them.

"Great location Em..." Emelia whispered to herself, finding her way to the elevators. She stumbled on her feet, realized she was barefoot, before distastefully eyeing the amount of people in the hotel's lobby again. "Breathe..." her wavering voice hitched slightly, "I can handle the crowds. I'll be harder to spot with this many people. They'll think I've left..."

I'll have time to figure out what to do....

.

.

Her hotel room was gorgeous. She should have loved it. She didn't.  She resented the envelope for buying it for her, especially because she needed that money for so many other things. Tentatively walking forward, she placed her bag on the bedside. Slipping free her laptop, she wasted no time and wandered over to the desk by the window.

Emelia turned on the device and waited for it to find a WIFI network. She remembered vague words from the other hotel about not using any unknown networks, also something about ATMs? God, her mind was a haze. She rubbed her eyes tightly. Luckily for her, the official hotel's WIFI was the only option available. The courtesy password was on her desk and she entered it quickly.

She opened her email after and let her older laptop boot up the internet explorer browser. The small flicker that danced across her screen made her pause before tapping the side of the laptop. "Don't you dare die on me."

It didn't, thankfully. She couldn't afford to fix it again... she couldn't afford anything. Quickly she opened the latest emails with hesitation. First, the chemotherapy clinic her grandmother went to.

Dear Miss Emelia Harper,

[Regarding overdue payment for Iris Harper]

We regret to inform you that though your payments for this month have been received, we are still short $600 dollars. Please send us the remaining balance due on invoice #10535 as soon as you are able to.