Episode 64

The key rattled in the door.  Gail blinked her eyes open, standing quickly; the room tilted as blood rushed to her head, and she put a hand against the wall to steady herself.  Moonlight was streaming in bars across the floor, and the door slowly inched open, as if someone was trying to open it as quietly as possible.

The door suddenly swung open the rest of the way.  Gail stepped forward cautiously, trying to see who had opened it.  “H–hello?”

She heard feet quickly shuffling away, and she ran to the door.  “Hello?” she whispered loudly, afraid to alert anyone unwanted to her presence.

There was nobody there.

Gail looked up and down the hallway, and then slowly walked out the door.  It closed behind her with a click. She froze.

“Get away as quickly as you can,” a quiet voice whispered.

She peered into the shadow of the corner and whispered, “Who are you?”

“Someone who wants to help,” the voice whispered back.  “Now go.”

She looked around.  “Thank you,” she smiled.

Now for getting out of the building without being seen. Or followed.

Wherever she walked, it seemed that the doors had been unlocked...no guards were on the watch, and all the hallways were silent as a graveyard.  An open window blew papers across the floor of an office, and Gail peered in the doorway.  The desk chair was still swiveling, as if someone had just gotten up quickly.  She shuddered and moved on.

Somehow, Gail made her way to the main entrance to the building without being seen.  She tried the door, but it was shut fast.  She pulled and pushed on the handle, but it wouldn’t budge.  She huffed and leaned against it, looking down the hallway in desperation.

Suddenly she heard footsteps outside the door.  She gasped and hid beside it, closing her eyes and hoping the darkness would conceal her.  A key was inserted into the lock, and it turned.  The door creaked open, letting a sharp finger of light stream into the hallway.  The door stayed open a crack, and then the footsteps walked away.

She was almost sure by now it was all a trap, but what else could she do?  And what if someone really was trying to help her out?  She could be getting into even worse trouble by trying to escape.  Still, she couldn’t help but wince as she slid through the door and walked into the open air outside; unprotected, exposed, and in full view of anyone within a quarter mile.