Lassoing the Cresent Moon

1. Back to Where It Began

I jolted up. I took a shaky breath... there was that memory again. I dragged myself out of bed and instinctively pulled out a kitten covered notebook from my shelf. It was old with different colored sticky notes peeking out and some pages wrinkled by so much highlighting.

"Audriella. It has been ten years, what makes you feel like you can't move on?"

That's what my counselor had asked me last session. My hands shivered over the cover, before taking a deep breath and opened it.

After I had been adopted I didn't forget my promise to find Sam. I loved my family but he was my family too. When I admitted this they seemed supportive in trying to help me find him, perhaps to visit and confirm his safety, but... there was no trace of him.

That didn't sit well with me...

It still didn't sit well with me.  I was on my own, freshly out of college. This apartment was still freshly painted, thanks to my dad's connections with the landlord. The bed creaked as I sat down and turned on the bedside lamp.

I had a new life, and yet...

I opened the book again, flipping through the worn pages of leads and addresses and questions, all which led to dead ends. I knew there was nothing new. Nothing new was posted on the internet, no witnesses, as far as the world was concerned Samuel Lee didn't exist!
There were no records of his adoption, even the parents who had claimed to adopt him had no position on the map.

I groaned getting to the end of the book and throwing it against the wall. I covered my eyes as I laid back in bed again, unable to sleep. I huffed. Countless nights plagued me ever since I left the orphanage.

This wasn't my best decision in all those years but I was determined to end the guilt. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was the never ending frustration of dead end after dead end but I needed answers. I stood up and opened the closet grabbing my back pack and shoving the book in. I hardly seemed to think about it. Now that I was alone I could go further into my search without getting anyone else involved. "I won't ever get a good night's sleep till I solve this, and the only place left to check is where this all began."

Breaking and entering an abandoned orphanage/factory...
I closed my eyes tight and swallowed a lump in my throat. Only a week into living on my own and I was already getting into trouble. "It'll be Quick." I tried to convince myself. "I might find something new, I might find old files." I said skeptically.

I didn't actually believe it. After so long to think that I'd find some sort of lead was a miracle, but It was that same tugging on my heart from every time I did something stupid. ... I couldn’t just sit here.

I groaned. "Is it really trespassing if it's not running anymore and no one owns the place? No- I'll be quick, be back by morning. No one has to know." I was sounding like a crazy person. I knew I was... but I hoped that maybe, hopefully, if I crept in and found nothing I could prove to myself that I really did everything I could. I could convince myself that I hadn't failed my promise.

I grabbed a bottle of water and some snacks from the kitchen and threw it in the backpack along with some tools. "C'mon Audrey.  If you're lucky you'll actually be able to sleep after this."
I'm not crazy... I reassured. I was on my meds, and I just wanted to sleep well tomorrow. I swung the bag over my shoulder and quietly headed out the door.

Everytime the stairs would creak I'd feel my chest tighten but I eventually made it to the car. I laid my head back against the head cushion. I looked at the starry night sky. If I was caught... this would be another variety of therapy sessions. I was sick of them. I turned the keys and turned on the car.

As I drove the night grew darker with a chilly breeze that seemed to push against the car windows, as if even the universe opposed me. I grimaced. Why couldn't I let him go?
_____
The once bright colored toy factory, where the orphanage resided, was now dull and dark. As moonlight shone on the exterior I could see how the paint had chipped off, and rust had begun to eat away at it over the years. The once fantasy and majestic looking land of play and imagination now just looked... mundane and admittingly kind of creepy.

I headed to the front entrance and pulled at the doors.
Locked. I should have known.

I glared at its lack of regular lock system. Playtime Co had always been extremely prideful of their innovative ways and constantly advancing technology. There was no opening this door with any traditional methods.

That bitter truth had me huff as I turned to the side of the building looking for a window or something. I mean in the past ten years I couldn't have been the first one who thought to explore this place. Surely looters who wanted to grab old collectibles or explorers had broken into here before.

To my frustration- there was nothing.  All the windows were locked, secured. They weren't even made of glass to break. I had always lived in the inside but the outside seemed to fuel my curiosity. What kind of stuff did a toy factory have to invest so much in such a security system anyway!?
In a decade was it really still completely locked shut? Employees, orphans, everything was gone! Why the heck did it matter?

I hissed and stomped my foot in frustration as I took a glance around. Everything around me was a ghost town, the massive parking lot housing only my car that stuck out. My heart still pumped quickly, reminding me of the dangers of breaking and entering an abandoned property. 

"Okay- fine!" I grumbled and looked around. I pulled an old brick that seemed to be laying around and threw it at the window.
...
The brick bounced back and fell to the floor leaving the windows shut. Seriously?! What did Playtime Co even have to hide? It was a toy company! I took a deep breath. This entire situation was making my stomach flip. I wiped my clammy hands on my pants and took a closer look.

The pane was somewhat loose. I bit my lip and took out a flathead screwdriver. Maybe... if I was lucky.
I pushed the screwdriver through a very small gap and pushed upwards. The pane creaked and pressed against the highest slot. I put pressure on its front as I wiggled the screw driver. I grinned as i felt the window start to shift out of place.

YES!
I looked around quickly. There was no soul in sight. I continued messing with it until the bottom of the window pane popped out of place. Gravity pulled on the pane and with enough pushes I watched as it slid down, pressure beginning to bend its edges.

...What kind of material was this? I clenched my teeth and used a hand to push forward. Finally the window began to slide out of place, before it fell to the ground. Even now I couldn't hear it crash. 

I jumped up as I tried to push through the hole. It wasn't the most comfortable fit- but I made it! I was inside.