UnEarthed

Chapter 1

Kenzy inserts a brass key into the rusty lock and opens the door to the cheapmotel room. She tosses her denim satchel on the floor, lays back on the creaky, oldbed and stares at the ceiling which is stained yellow from past residents indoor smoking habits. The faded floral bed sheet she lays on has a musty smell that makes her feel like she is lying in dirt. The stench of cigarette smoke poorly masked by air freshener fills her nose and the chipped green clock on the wall lets out sharp ticks as the seconds pass, almost as if it is taunting her. Exhaustion from the day has settled in, leaving her body sore; she tries to recollect her thoughts, but her mind is too fatigued. The longer she lays there relaxing, the more vulnerable she feels. Being on the run the last four years has made her unable to fully relax. 

Giving in, she heads to the bathroom and strips off her dirty clothes. Sinking into a hot bath, she relaxes as the water engulfs her achy muscles. The bathroom is dim, with only one bulb over the sink lighting the room. There are rust stains around the edges of the bathtub and the shower curtain that she has pulled back, is an ugly dull yellow with a brown floral pattern that grossly matches the mustard-colored tiled walls. Despite the horrendous nature of the bathroom, Kenzy tries to find serenity during her soak.Her wavy brown hair floats in the water and she closes her eyes while listening to the drops of water falling from the faucet. It is moments like these that she tries to take advantage of. The calm, silent moments where she can rest and dream of happier times from her past. 

Her phone ringing in the other room interrupts the peaceful silence. Pulling herself up and out of the tub, Kenzy wraps herself in a towel and grabs her cell that isstill in her bag. "Hello?" she answers. "Oh hey, Amber... No, I don't think I'm coming out tonight. I'm worn out." Amber, her co-worker at the veterinarian kennel where they work is persistent in convincing Kenzy to spend the night bar hopping and drinking. After a few minutes, Kenzy gives in and agrees. "Fine, give me an hour and I'll meet you at the restaurant." After hanging up, she tosses her phone onto the bed and lets out a sigh. 

 Despite her unwillingness to spend the night babysitting her alcoholic coworker, Kenzy decides a few hours out won't be too risky.Standing in front of the floor-length mirror attached to the wall by the bed, Kenzy drops the towel stares at her tan, curved naked body and runs her fingers over the light purple bruise on her stomach. Her green eyes glance at the nasty mark and it reminds her of how dangerous her life is and wonders how much it is worth. She grabs a brush from her bag and runs it through her wavy, brown hair. Her mother passed away when she was much younger, so she never learned how to fix her hair or do her make-up and living out of her car further complicates her exploration of the feminine world. The only thing she owns is mascara so after running the brush through her lashes, she puts on a purple tank top and jeans and heads out the door. As soon as she locks the door, she scans the empty parking lot very carefully before walking to her car. Once inside, she instantly locks the doors, turns the key in theignition and pulls away from the parking lot. 

  "Kenzy!" A slightly intoxicated, short Hispanic girl shouts as Kenzy walks through the doors of the large restaurant. Standing next to Kenzy's drunk coworker is another girlthat she has briefly interacted with at work named Holly. 

"Amber, are you drunk?" Kenzy asks, already knowing the answer.

 "I'm getting there." Amber giggles and hops off the bar stool. "Let's get a table. I'm starving."

 "Hello, Holly." Kenzy greets the tall blonde standing next to Amber. "Are you drunk too?" 

Holly laughs. "No, someone has to watch this crazy girl." She points to Amber. 

"Shut up!" Amber huffs and pushes past Kenzy and Holly. 

 The three find a table and sit down. After the waiter takes their drink and food orders, Holly and Amber immediately begin gossiping about nonsense. Kenzy tries to act interested but her eyes habitually dart around the restaurant. The huge clusters of people overwhelm her and the first urge she feels is to run out. Instead, she takes a gulp of the beer in front of her and tries to keep her focus on her lively coworkers.