His Jaguar Tattoo

The Locked Door

The evening started out as any other. Zuri Welch was doing homework in her room, going back and forth between daydreaming and configuring college algebra problems. She found the task mostly easy, which is why it failed to hold her attention. While she was sprawled out on her bed, chewing on her pencil, the sound of the lock turning on the doorknob distracted her.

"Grandma?" she called, more curious than concerned.

"Yes, honey," her grandmother, also her guardian, replied in that soft, sweet voice. "The landlord is coming over. Stay in here."

They had moved into their first house at the beginning of the semester, so she could be closer to the campus. This was the first time the landlord had come over. Zuri rose from the bed to stand by the door. Now she was a little worried.

"Why'd you lock me in?" she asked.

"Just in case...I heard this man isn't very nice. I don't want him to see you."

"If he's not nice, you should let me handle him."

"No, my dear," her grandmother insisted, sighing. "God will cover me if I protect you, the innocent."

What the heck? Zuri tried the handle. She's so dramatic. Her grandmother was starting to scare her. What did she think would happen if the landlord saw her?

"Unlock the door, Grandma," Zuri begged. "Please."

The doorbell chimed gleefully and her heart began to beat a little faster. Her grandmother had gotten her all worked up, probably for no reason. Pressing her ear to the door, Zuri listened as her grandmother answered the door and greeted whomever was out there. She tried the knob again, only to grow more frustrated.

I can't believe she locked me in! What if Mom was right about Grandma's rationality slipping away? Zuri wondered, setting her jaw, unpleased about the direction of her thoughts.Well, that would be the one thing she has ever been right about. I hope Grandma lets me out just to prove her wrong.

Only a minute or two passed when the yelling struck up. Zuri had backed away from the door and wandered back to her bed, looking for her phone. When the masculine shout shook the house, a streak of cold fear went straight down her spine.

"No more negotiations!" sounded the man's voice. His voice lowered while he rattled off more terse words.

Zuri grabbed the metal pin from her hair and tried to jimmy with the doorknob lock. Her fingers were trembling, the only outward sign of how scared she was. If she stopped to be logical for even a moment, she was afraid her cowardice would win out and she wouldn't even try to save her grandmother. So she didn't think. She just moved.

After a few seconds of fruitless tampering, Zuri gave up on the door. She ran to the window and threw it open. The fern outside scratched her ankles where her jeans didn't reach as she quickly dropped to the ground. Fortunately, the drop was only about two feet, so Zuri recovered her balance with shocking swiftness.

She snuck her way to the side of the house, gaze sweeping the yard for prying eyes. There were none. The man's shouts could be heard from outside while she tiptoed to a window looking in on the living room.

A man was standing over her elderly grandmother, who was sitting deep into the couch, making every effort to stay away from him. From this angle, Zuri couldn't tell what he looked like.

"Hey!" someone else barked. "There's a girl!"

Zuri's eyes jumped to the source of the unexpected voice, a man in black pants and a black tee. He was pointing at her but looking at the other guy. The loud man then looked at her. Instinct won out, and Zuri found herself sprinting for cover at the next house.

"Stop!" the man hollered. "Stop or my men will shoot!"