One of me walking from my car to the front of school in short sleeves. A buzzing filled my ears as I turned over picture after picture. There were pictures, hundreds of pictures. Lifting the file out carefully, I laid it on the desk and flipped it opened. I pulled out a file folder that was thick and heavy at the bottom. I checked the side drawers, becoming frustrated when they were all empty. Moving around the desk, I pulled out the center drawer. There was a monitor on the top, but no hard drive. A large desk sat in the middle of the otherwise empty room. The last room at the end of the hall was an office of sorts. Each of them just had a bed and a dresser. My stomach tightened as I left the bathroom. There were hair products on the sink-gel and two toothbrushes. At the top of the stairs, there was a bathroom that had clearly been in use. It had no homey smells like leftover food or perfume. Holding a breath, I went upstairs slowly. It reminded me of a model home where everything was fake. Two couches were pressed against the wall in the living room. The dining room was empty with the exception of a rolled-up sleeping bag on the floor. Balling my hands up under the sleeves of my hoodie, I moved down the hallway. Timid Katy no more…I’d moved onto good old B&E. I crept forward, grateful for the thin soles on my boots. I shut the door behind me and drew in a deep breath. A light was on above the stove, casting the room in soft light. Telling myself I could do this, I opened the door and slowly stepped into the kitchen. The idea of hurting someone, possibly killing him or her, sickened me, but I knew whoever it was wouldn’t stop twice from locking me up in a cage. If someone were in there, I’d have to defend myself. I took a moment to prepare myself for what could be waiting on the other side of the door. The click of the lock turning sounded like a nuclear bomb going off in my head. The rush of static crept down my arms, jumping from the tips of my fingers through the wood. Pressing against the door, I closed my eyes and pictured the lock.

Onyx by jennifer l armentrout