I was ready, it has been 30 minutes since the people who took me left. I bust down the wooden door separating me from the outside world. I run down the stairs, I suddenly slow down and start to think about Berkeley, my mom, my dad, and all my teachers, I took myself away from them, this was all my fault. I didn’t stop it, I didn’t fight back, because of my choices, I was left here…. Stranded.
I reach for the rail catching my balance. I need to get back on schedule. I make my way down the stairs, go to where the cameras are and erase all the evidence of me coming down. I unplug the cameras and then move on. I search high and low for my phone, I go to the safe that’s hidden in the living room and bust it open, I know where it is because I’ve been listening to them through the air vents. I find all my belongings and $500. I take my iPhone 5c, the money, and then take a look around. This has been my home for 5 years, I’ve been trapped inside a tiny room with one window, being fed soggy oatmeal, old tuna sandwiches, and moldy bread every day for 5 years.
I run to the kitchen I open up the pantry grab expired orange juice and uncooked mac n’ cheese. I go to open the door, but when I get up to it I hear the garage door open, I stand there frozen I don’t know what to do, I just stand there totally vulnerable.
The doorknob jiggles while I stand there in shock, I quickly run to the nearest room to hide, I slip into a dark corner waiting for them to come in. The old wooden door creaks open, I bury myself deeper into the deep, dark corner. The mans heavy footsteps get louder and louder as he approaches the room I’m in, I start to lose air and start to breathe heavily, the footsteps stop, the floor in front of me creeks. My eyes close and I hear a grandfather clock softly clicking. When I wake up I appear in the hospital, the clicking of the clock gets louder and louder as the sound of feet come toward me. A soft faint voice mumbles in the background talking to what sounds like a young boy. I open my eyes and see a short pail boy with bright red curly hair, I’ve never seen this little boy before, but I recognized his voice, almost like I’ve heard it in my dreams. I think back to when I was stuck inside my tiny little room, to when I was miserable everyday. I heard that voice down stairs in the kitchen, was he the one who took me? Was he working for the people who took me? At this moment I didn’t know what to do, I just closed my eyes and let myself drift off.
The Middle Seat 