LOCKED TILL DAWN

CHAPTER 1

It was as dark as night and as empty as a vacuum. I sat at a corner, my mind wandering about. I curled up in my own fear. Each time I closed and opened my eyes, I felt different sensations. I felt more hatred and anger boiling up in my bowels. I wished I could have gone to carry out my mission myself but then I was chained to my mistakes.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my head between my thighs. I let my tears flow; free as the rivers. I was in the mist of fear, hatred, revenge and longing so dearly kill.

Again and again his words repeated in my head like someone was playing it over and over again.

"You think you're two steps ahead of me but you're ten steps behind me".

Those were his exact same words. And each time I think of it, it makes me sick and angry and I wonder where I went wrong.

I can't phantom how I was tricked so easily. And now I have to pay for my negligence; in a dark and lonely place.

I think I'm slowly losing my mind. Or am I not? I've been locked up in a room where I have conversations with myself and laugh hysterically at my jokes. I've been bound to the floor, tortured in brutality, haunted by a ghost, reduced to a nobody and worse, scorned by the ones I used to love. It's a world of irony for me now. I wondered how my world changed.

In those days, I had my breakfast put to me in bed alongside kisses that tasted like cotton candy. I would go to my workplace and do what I know how to do best. On getting home my laundry is done, food has been prepared, the house is absolute order and my cunt is nailed in a way only him can do best. I made sure to give him a job and a life. We shared what I described as love. It was mutual. I loved him and it pains so badly that I actually did. He said I was his everything that he'd always be with me no matter the tsunami that came. But what hit us was a mere whirlwind.

But those days seemed like yesterday to me. And the thought of it makes my tears to flow like the tides of the Pacific ocean. He suddenly became cold. I started doing the laundry, meals, house chores, but still......

I'd never forget that day. That one day I was to surprise him. Instead, the surprise was on me. I'd prefer my meals are served to me than I dish it out myself.

Kyle has always been my best friend since my 11th grade. We were like 5 & 6; always together, at parties, in our room, in college. I've always loved her dearly. She was more like my sister. My entire family had accepted her even if she wasn't from a well-to-do family. She was always there for me when I broke down, when I needed someone to rely on, a shoulder to lean on; she was there like an angel.

But not only Thomas turned cold but Kyle too. My entire would crumbled in splits of seconds.

*Flashback*

It was my first day at Sumber Middle school. I had to stay in the dorm since the school was far from our apartment. Kyle was my roommate along side four other girls. We were all in our 11th grade.

"Hey, welcome" one of the girls said when I got to my room.

"Thank you" I replied her. She has an up-turn lip; awkward.

"I'm Kyle. Nice to meet you"

"Morgan, call me Morge." She said in a very hilarious way.

"I'm Gwen. Not Gwennevair but Gwendolyn" she said in a hilarious way too.

"I'm Freya. Call me whatever you want to call me"

"Lauren is my name." The one who welcomed me.

Later on that day, Kyle and Lauren tipped me about the school. It was more like a college. Big buildings guarded by tall green trees. The roads were tarred and ran for centuries.

They spoke of parties and all others about the school. Subjects to be taken that semester, teachers to meet were to order of the day.

I seemed only interested in sports; specifically basketball. Funny enough, Kyle was too. She helped me unpack and arrange my shelf. She loved the kind of books I read too.

She sort of reminded me of my little sister Jessica. Her smile is beautiful; radiant as the beam of golden sunlight, heart warming and filled with genuine love. She has this caring nature and inquisitiveness. Kyle is an excellent, nocturnal creature. I wonder how God made such a woman beautiful, caring and intelligent.

How did I know she was intelligent?

I snooped around her stuff, my bad, but I saw her last semester's result. It was superb. She convinced me into taking a walk round the school. I wouldn't have but her sugar-coated words were too enticing that I couldn't resist.

We took a walk round the entire school. She told me a lot; truth and rumours too.

***

"Wake up! Wake up" Kyle woke me up pulling away my duvet. I struggled to get out of bed. She always has this energy in her that I could not understand.

"Loud" Freya said from her bed putting on her glasses and heading for the bathroom. Her weird action made us laugh.

"It's gonna be your first day at school." She said sitting on the foot of my bed.

"Yah," I replied peering into my alarm that sat on the drawer next to my bed.
"It's only 4:45 in the morning. Why did you wake me up so early?"

"I just told you. Because it your first day at school." She said throwing her arms in the air; dramatically keeping a funny grimace that made me laugh.

"I'll be in the shower." I said grabbing my towel and toothbrush and vanishing through the hallway that lead into the bathroom.

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