Posted August 2, 2020

For The Wattys 2020

Heart thumping in my ears, I unlocked his phone with the fingerprint I "stole" from him.

I was in Father's office at home. After convincing a cleaning robot to go clean his room at five instead of in the morning, I slipped through the door after he unlocked the door with his badge.

I didn't have a badge. Father had a strict "Keep out" sign on it since when I was younger.

After spying on him the last few days, I Knew he always took a quick five minute – only five minute- shower after work. I was hoping that day was no exception.

It wasn't.

I had heard him go into the shower as walked down the hallway to the first door. I also knew that he always left his phone on a table outside the bathroom. I also happened to know the secret place where you can disable the surveillance cameras.

I didn't disable them though. It would be too suspicious. He'd know it was me because no alarm would go off after I do so.

I sneaked a look inside and sure enough, the phone was on the table. I looked at my watch: 4minutes and thirty seconds. I didn't have a lot of time left.

Time slipped through like sand between fingers.

Unlocking the phone with his stolen fingerprint, I went to his Messages' app. I fount a conversation with a certain "Cal". I suspected it was Calumn because after scrolling about they were talking about my surgery. He also talked to him about his meeting in his office last night.

To avoid losing unnecessary time, I skimmed for words like 'Autumn' 'kill' 'stolen' or 'surgery'. Their conversation was extremely long, and dated of a long time- didn't have time to check.

Not once was one of those names mentioned. I wiped seat on my forehead with my sleeve. The only glow lighting the darkness of the late afternoon was the blue glow of the phone faintly on the walls.

I looked at my watch. Two minutes, twenty-five minutes left.

I went back to the latest time they texted: yesterday, and started scrolling up from there. Maybe I would find something.

I did.

At first, their conversations were irrelevant- about work, and nature. My hand involuntarily started shaking. They could not not have talked about me, at least once.

Was it really Calumn.

I almost let out a screech when I found something that might have been about me.

My watch vibrated. One minute was left.

I needed forty seconds to leave his aisle. I couldn't leave before reading though. The shower water started lessening.

Calumn: She's gonna have to be careful with us or we'll take her down.

Ken: Right. You read the steps right ?

Calumn: Yes. The concept is dumb. We need to knock it into her.

Ken: For sure. As soon as possible.

I started wondering- my watch vibrated again. Ten seconds.

I locked the phone, and ran as quietly as possible to the door. As soon as I passed it, the door to his office opened. I heard his footsteps stop at the table. Did he know I had been there?

I heard as fast as I could in the three meters hallway with no objects to hide behind.

He was ponctual, huh?

If he had sneaked a look into the hallway, he would have seen me running. Maybe he did.

I didn't want to know that answer. Ignorance, in this case, is bliss.

Why do the people that supposedly love you hurt you. Loving someone shouldn't be so painful for the other person.

If I wasn't a hundred percent sure that Calumn was an enemy, him and is team of Enforcers Of Peace invaded my office the next day, to "make sure if I was being safe".

My eye. They wanted to know if I was "following the rules". If only I was.