Secrets Untold

Introduction

On a bright Tuesday afternoon, Sadie Thomas arrived home from Graham University to find her Pomeranian, Lucy, wagging her tail in desperate need of a walk. "Someone's excited to see me, isn't she?" she squealed as Lucy jumped into her arms and licked her nose. Not bothering to say hi to her roommates and sorority sisters Katie Mayfield and Bree Lucero, Sadie slipped the leash around Lucy's neck and watched Lucy prance out the door into the sunshine.

Sadie took Lucy on the usual half mile walk to campus and back. She lived in a nice area, surrounded by quiet college kids and couples who worked in the nearby companies. People generally kept to themselves, but Sadie didn't mind. She was fairly busy, a Sophomore Communication Science and Disorders major, Executive Vice President of her sorority Alpha Theta Phi—Phis as the girls called them—and a Graham Ambassador, giving prospective students tours of the campus. An extroverted girl, she constantly twirled through numerous parties with her Phi sisters, went on romantic dates with her perfect boyfriend Malcolm Den—Graham Student Body President and top tier Theta Kappa fraternity boy—and drank sugar-free vanilla lattes with her sisters at Starbucks. Walking Lucy provided solace, relaxation, in her frantic schedule, gave her time to think.

As she rounded a corner at the halfway point, she suddenly had the strange sensation of someone following her, but she nonchalantly brushed the feeling away. She had walked this route hundreds of times with Lucy. When moving in, Sadie had noted that it was close enough to campus and the sorority house but far enough that she couldn't hear the boom of the club and frat party music when trying to sleep at night. She liked where she lived.

Lucy paused to do her business and Sadie waited patiently. She recalled the day her parents first surprised her and her twin brother Joey with Lucy. They had been in sixth grade, the year when children liked to play with animals. Sadie had been thrilled, dressing Lucy in pink tutus and cradling her while she watched Hannah Montana. Joey, on the other hand, didn't like Lucy. "I want a greyhound!" he whined, storming off whenever Lucy pranced through the house in her tutu. It was a bittersweet memory.

Joey had Autism and thus, grown up with few and short term friendships. He often muttered to himself about random topics and had frequent angry delusional outbursts. Despite his social disorder, however, Sadie adored him. They played Monopoly together, and she always let him win, feigning sadness when he landed on free parking and bought the most expensive properties. He came to visit once in her two years at Graham University and she took him to a coffee shop where they played board games until 2 AM. She never introduced him to her friends; Joey wasn't too fond of people. When she mentioned Malcolm to Joey, she noticed a hint of brotherly jealousy, a protective angry glare staining his eyes. She never talked about Malcolm after that to avoid making Joey uncomfortable.

Sadie's love for Joey inspired her to major in Communication Science and Disorders. She wanted to work with Special Needs' children in public schools, help them find their place and make friends. Sadie smiled at the thought.

She reached Graham University and turned to go home. Lucy was becoming tired, panting underneath her fluff. Two blocks from the school, she paused to pet Lucy. "Good girl," she cooed. "Good girl!"

Lucy barked and twisted in her leash, jolting out of Sadie's grasp and darting down the street back to their house. Startled, Sadie called after Lucy, but her beloved pooch kept running.

Then someone grabbed Sadie and injected a needle into her neck. "Don't move," they hissed. The bright Tuesday light blurred as the drugs kicked in and Sadie felt herself falling, falling into the unknown.

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