Now what

Only moments before they’d been sitting next to each other, whispering secrets and giggling. Now they were silent and tensed. Someone else was there in their secret hideout, a stranger’s footsteps crunching over broken glass.

Mac had jumped up and moved forward while Em stayed sitting on the stained mattress. He was by the cracked open door, listening.

She wrapped her arms around her torso and hugged herself. The footsteps grew louder and a faint shadow passed by the crack in the door. The relief she felt when the stranger didn’t pause was almost as explosive as the first surge of fear had been.

She and Mac looked at each other, each wondering how best to escape. Being caught would probably just result in a lecture, but there was always a chance their parents would be told and then they’d be in for it. They weren’t supposed to be together, much less cutting school to sneak into trashed houses and smoke stolen cigarettes.

Before they could communicate anything someone yelled out, “Cutler!”

“Down here, I think I found a good spot.”

A second man walked down the hallway. Em pulled herself up to a crouch and carefully moved closer to Mac.

They listened to the two men talk. They used their normal volume, clearly unworried about anyone overhearing them. The discussion quickly devolved into bickering; Cutler arguing for one location while the other man complained that it might get wet there.

“It’s wrapped in fucking plastic! It’ll be fine.”

“Do what you want, man, but it’s on you if anything happens.”

There was rustling and the sound of something large being moved. Em and Mac knew they must be in the master suite which still contained a huge armoire.

She wondered if they should take this chance to run out of there and clutched at Mac’s arm. As if he could read her thoughts he looked at her and shook his head. They both knew now that there was a lot more at stake than their parents being called.

They waited. Em’s legs cramped and she stared at the room’s only window. It wasn’t designed for a person to fit through, but maybe. She was small.

When the men finally walked back down the hall to the door it took her by surprise and she nearly jumped. Mac’s presence steadied her and then the men were gone and the house was silent again.

Mac looked at her with eyes that were half frightened and half excited.

“Now what?”

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Written for the #365daysofwriting challenge by @mydivathings from the Day 235 photo prompt.

Photo by Echo Grid.