I walk home from the bus stop, my teeth chattering from the cold. I’d just gotten off work, and am now heading home. My name is Victoria, and am an average college student. I brush the hair out of my face. The wind was strong, and it sliced me like a knife. The city of Cincinnati was a little quieter today; I guess there wasn’t so much activity because of the bad weather. On my walks home, I often bump into people, but today the sidewalks were deserted. There was no traffic on the usually busy streets. Strange, I hadn’t noticed that my pace had increased.
I’ve now exited the inner city and the neighborhoods are getting worse as I get farther out. I’m almost to the dingy old apartment that I reluctantly call home. I reach for the door and find that it’s locked, so I take my key out of my purse and unlock it. My room mate Alicia should be home from her night classes by now, so I wonder why the door was locked?
“Alicia?” I call, my voice echoing strangely in the seemingly empty apartment. “Alicia?” I say again, taking a cautious step inside. Still no answer. “H-hello?” I stammer, my heart hammering in my chest. I grope the walls for the light switch, and then I hear a series of frantic noises. I get a chill up my spine as I realized that my apartment wasn’t empty. I find the lights and quickly turn them on, just in time to see the window close.
I run to the window, peering out into the night. I see nothing. I hastily lock the window, something I don’t usually remember to do. It takes a while for my heart rate to slow back down. I consider calling the police, but push the idea away. No need to overreact. I do my nightly routine, telling myself that Alicia will be home soon. I try not to worry. I settle down for bed and fall into a fitful sleep.
I wake up in the morning and immediately check the window. It’s still locked, and it looks exactly like it did last night. I breathe a sigh of relief. My cellphone buzzes and I pick it up, hoping it’s Alicia. It’s from an unknown number. It says “Why was your window locked last night?”
By Hannah Parker
