“Do you think she is—” she began, and then the breathing and crackling and sucking of teeth ceased. Lady Mae stood there with the silent receiver up to her ear for a moment before untwisting the cord from her fingers and placing it back on its cradle. She stood there, the wooden door shaking under Ruby’s furious fist, the clock ticking seven eight nine ten. When it fell silent, she went to the door and unbolted the lock.

Ruby looked over Lady Mae’s head and shoulders in an attempt to see inside before even entering the depot. She must’ve heard the stories and likely knew well a resident or two that found themselves at the mercy of the butcher. Was it what she had imagined?

“Where do you want me?” Ruby asked.

Lady Mae pointed to the black leather chair that sat in the middle of the room. She was sure not to take her eyes off Ruby who examined the tools laid out on the table against the wall.

“You going to use all those?” she asked. Her arms were crossed over her breasts, and she hinged at the waist peering at the items, no doubt so that she could make her selection carefully.

“Depends on what you want. Says here you’ve got three.” Lady Mae held up her file and waved it back and forth.

“So it does.”

Ruby did not look at Lady Mae. Instead, she stepped slowly, carefully, from one end of the table to the other, her eyes falling upon each tool. But she did not blink.

“You doing just one? Or you want to do all of them?” Lady Mae asked.

“Doing all of them,” Ruby muttered. “Ain’t no chance I’m ever coming back here.”

Lady Mae motioned for Ruby to sit in the chair, which she did, the leather creaking and squeaking underneath worrisome weight. She looked at the straps that hung from the arms and lifted one up with a wrinkled hand. Her fingers stroked the cracked leather, and then she let it fall to the side. It swung back and forth, its buckle clanking against the chair.

“You sure about that now? Once I start, I’ve got to finish.” Lady Mae pulled her stool over next to the chair and sat down quietly.

“I’m sure.”

“Alright, then. What’ll it be?”

“These,” she said and held out her left hand and wiggled three fingers. “I figure I can get by without them.” Her eyes then looked over at the electrical box still on the table. She tilted her head toward it. “What’s that?”

“It sends an electrical current through you. Kind of like lightning, but not as strong.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Some say yes, some say no.” Lady Mae spoke softly; she held behind her breath the dread that swelled in her stomach.

Ruby took her hand back, placed it in her lap, and thought of her options. She’d known for a year. She had dreamed about it, asked about it, thought about it; that day was finally upon her and all she could do was seek out that which she thought the least painful.