The Forbidden Talent (ON HOLD)

Chapter 6

I woke up the next morning and went to school, on time again. The day was as boring as usual. Even Mr. Zabinski's class today was a bit too... normal for my tastes. We just solved more riddles the whole time. After I came home, I went straight up to my attic to work on my drawings. (Mini Author's Note: one of them is up there at the top ^ or to the side > and ignore the words) I didn't feel like working on my small amount of homework. Laziness had overcome me recently and I didn't feel like doing anything except drawing, so that's what I did. While I was in my attic with the wonderful light coming from the window, I heard the doorbell ring. I thought nothing of it, seeing as I was hidden up here and no one ever really comes up here except me, and sometimes annoying peddlers come by to try to sell us stuff.

I was assuming it was another one of them until I heard my mom say something along the lines of, "Um, yeah, sure, come in, come in." (I couldn't hear very well.) After that, I heard the front door close loudly as it always does.

I heard a deeper male voice mumble something, but I couldn't understand it. I wasn't worried though; as long as I stayed quiet, no one would know I was even up here. I continued to draw my horse that was coming along very nicely.

Then I heard it.

There were feet coming slowly up the stairs. At first I thought it was just my mother, but then I heard another pair of footsteps alongside hers. I started to worry slightly, but I told myself, 'They're not coming up here, you're safe. Who would randomly go up into an attic anyway?' Well, I stood corrected. My brain began to panic a little because I realized that the footsteps weren't coming up the normal staircase.

They were coming up my staircase.

I had no time left to hide my art things, like I had a place to hide them. I've never been prepared for this to happen; I never thought it was possible. A look of fear spread over my face. I had no idea what was going to happen to me. I wouldn't have panicked if I knew it was one of my friends that knew about my art, but I didn't recognize the deep voice I had heard earlier. There was a slight knock on the closed door. I turned around to face the door slowly, not saying anything. The door wasn't locked, so the man simply opened it, thinking it was closed just because we didn't use it often. However, as my mom and I both knew, it wasn't closed for that reason.

I saw the man's face peek out from behind the door. He saw me first. He waved and said, "Hello, how are... you..." His voice trailed off. It was at that moment that I knew I was in trouble. He had seen my picture. Or maybe it was all the other drawings hanging up all over the walls, because there wasn't any other place to put them that no one would find them. He looked at me in disbelief and said, "Uh, excuse me, what are these?" He gestured around the room.

"Well... um... you know, things..." I didn't know what to say. My mom and I exchanged worried glances as the man, who I now figured out was a government worker based off of his suit and badge, walked around the room and inspected the drawings.

He walked over to me and said, "Ma'am, you'll have to come with me."