Serpent

First Impressions Never Go Well

February 7th, 2002

Layla put down her book when she heard the first clank! Curious, she sat up and stood still, listening intently...Clank! A second noise caused her to go to the window, looking below. Through the gritty window and in the dim light from the streetlamps, she saw two figures climbing up the side of the building. They were using pikes to help them scale up the brick wall. Layla ducked behind the tattered, stained curtains and sat beneath the windowsill. This is definitely new.

"Arriba, subir!" A man's voice hissed. Layla glanced around the room, unsure what to do. Burglars? Unlikely. What would they want from this old attic? There was only old boxes covered in dust and cobwebs, and some old photos of church goers and priests. The only modern thing in the attic was Layla's blanket, lamp, and books. She also used an old box to hold money, clothes, and other things. She heard the strangers coming closer, so she dashed to her lamp and switched it off, throwing her blanket over her books as casually as she could. In the darkness, she stumbled behind a large crate and waited.

The two invaders crawled into the room awkwardly, the second climber almost falling on the first. Layla peered over at them from behind the crate, her eyes barely over the dusty wood. They were both male, but one was definitely younger than the other. They switched on flashlights and took a good look around the room.

Layla couldn't keep an eye on both of them at once. To improvise, she crept away from the crate and tip-toed towards the door. Her back was turned to the door so she could see both of them. Quietly, she reached behind her to take hold of the rusty doorknob. Layla's fingers grazed the splintery oak door behind her. But then there was a loud crunch under her foot that stopped her in her tracks. She glanced down and saw she had stepped on broken glass. Her heart thumping in her chest, Layla looked up, hoping the intruders didn't hear anything.

"¿Qué fue eso?" A gruff voice whispered. The beam of a flashlight started coming towards the noise. Layla froze, then without thinking pushed open the door and slammed it behind her, sprinting down the stairs. The door opened behind her and Layla jumped down two steps at a time, getting down the ancient staircase as fast as she could. Footsteps were rounding around the corner, the flashlight casting her shadow on the yellowing wall. Layla looked down the staircase, seeing a quicker way down. Please don't break, please don't! She silently begged as she jumped over the railing and started descending while hanging onto the rickety wood.

Layla dropped down a flight of stairs at a time, almost instantly losing her pursuer. Each time she dropped her heart fluttered, and her calloused hands gripped onto the railings tightly, for her life (probably) depended on it. Once she was near the bottom floor, she climbed back onto the stairs and ran down the last steps. No one else was out in the early morning, so she was safe running through the hallways. Her tennis shoes squeaked on the tidy marble floor as she made a sharp turn when she saw a flashlight beam on the other side of the hall. But when she turned, she charged right into someone else, knocking a flashlight and both of them sprawling on the ground. Dazed, she sat up and faced the stranger, who rubbed his head and groaned. He was younger than she thought, with wild, dark brown hair slightly past his earlobes that made him look like he had just finished running a marathon. Although, he just was sprinting through the halls like she was. He noticed Layla and glanced at her, then laughed.

"Es sólo la escalada niña, el padre!" He called out. Confused, Layla looked up to see the second stranger jog closer. "¡Eh!," the young man stood up and offered his hand out to her, "Estoy Huberto, Huberto Caín. Puedes llamarme Hugo. ¿Cuál es su nombre, niña?" He spoke in a friendly tone, but Layla didn't understand. She shook her head and scooted away. "Que está bien, niña. No vamos a hacer daño." He offered his hand out to her again. The older stranger caught up to them.