Adrift

7 | P H O T O

I waited until I heard the car reverse before I continued my way down the long avenue. Finally, I reached the house with the empty driveway. As per usual. I grabbed the key from my bag and let myself in. I flicked the hallway light on and made my way into the kitchen.

I opened the fridge and rolled my eyes at the sight. It was full of alcohol. I could see cheese, a few containers, and butter. I grabbed the cheese and butter, and opened the drawers around the kitchen. I had to be careful not to take any food that he would miss. I wasn't allowed in the kitchen.

I grabbed two pieces of bread and placed them on the counter. I pulled out a knife and sized up how much I could take before he got suspicious. I then cut up the chunk into smaller slices, buttered one slice of the bread, and then I placed the cheese on top.

After returning the food to the fridge and cupboard, I grabbed my food, turned the hallway light off and felt my way through the dark up to the attic to eat. I would come back down later.

Once upstairs, I placed the extra piece of bread underneath the loose floorboard in my room. I would eat that in the morning. I slowly ate my dinner, savouring the taste of the cheese, and allowed my thoughts to drift to Miss Blackmore's offer.

My grades weren't terrible, but they weren't enough to get me into the courses I wanted. If I wanted to be a doctor, or anything remotely medical, I needed to do well in science.

After I finished my dinner, I laid back and rested my head against the wall. Was it possible to keep my secrets from Miss Blackmore? I worried that her kindness was only a way to find out what she needed to. I couldn't allow that to happen. Not yet at least. Three more years was all I needed to get through now. Three more years.

My thoughts drifted to the strange men I had encountered only a few days prior. Their kindness had a motive. It had to have a motive. I didn't make sense to me otherwise.

My stomach rumbled and I laid my arm over it tightly, as it to suppress the hunger. Nowadays, food tended to make me hungrier rather than satiate my appetite.

I sighed as I remembered the taste of the pancakes. If I hadn't been so damaged, maybe I would have stayed longer at the strange house with the strange men. But I was. So, I left.

***

An hour later, I made my way carefully down the attic stairs. I listened intently in case he had unexpectantly come home. He hadn't. He never did on a Friday.

Where else would he spend his pay-check? I smirked cynically. Even though it was unnecessary, I tip-toed down the hall to the master bedroom and quietly opened the door. I walked in the direction of the ensuite bathroom and turned the light on. I didn't want the room to be noticeably lit from the street. Just in case.

I sifted my way through the various drawers and cupboards, as I did almost every week. I scowled when I came up with nothing. Defeated, I turned the bathroom light off and made my way downstairs. Where on earth did he hide them? I sighed. I had a good idea where they were. But it was locked. I needed to find the key.

I returned to the front of the house and turned into the living room. I had searched every inch of the living room a month ago and had found absolutely nothing. Maybe he moved them around? I shrugged. Worth a try.

I stepped down into the living room and began sifting through the large dresser. I peered into each drawer, disappointed to see nothing but movies inside. Annoyed, I pulled at one of the drawers roughly, forgetting that they did not run along a track. I let out a surprised shriek when the drawer fell onto the floor, spilling its contents across the floor.