Olivia could not focus on her work for the rest of the day. Every time she looked at her wrist, that red line seemed to grow brighter no longer just a reddish mark, but looking like a vein protruding in a very specific pattern.
She went home early. Throughout the journey, she tried to find a logical explanation.
Maybe I bumped my hand in the storage room earlier? Maybe I have an allergy to old book dust?
Yes, that had to be the cause.
Dust and old paper. She did not want to overthink it.
When she arrived home, she went straight to the bathroom. She grabbed the strongest facial cleanser and tried scrubbing her wrist with a rough towel until her skin became sore and red. She wanted the line to disappear. She wanted her skin to return to normal.
However, as soon as she stopped and rinsed her hand with cold water, she froze.
The red line did not disappear. In fact, it now looked clearer a fine line forming a perfect circle around her wrist like a bracelet.
