Unchain Me

Chapter 26-Snooping

Dedicated to @Username14062002 for the beautiful and amazing comment on the last chapter!

‘But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice’ –Robert Frost ‘Fire and Ice’

Adrian POV

Sneaking in through bedroom windows was not as easy as it looked in movies. It hurt, I banged my knee and my head on the window frame and scratched my elbow on the tree. Don't let anyone tell you that being tall is good either because it just means that when fitting through small spaces you are more likely to get yourself stuck. Luckily my actions went unnoticed by the owner of the room as she was spending the day with Penny. I knew that Ash was not particularly comfortable with me trying to find out her secrets but I wanted to help her and to do so I had to find out what they were.

I took the time to look around Ash’s room, bookshelves were everywhere which was not a surprise. It was only interrupted by her bed, a desk and the bedside table. The girl really was obsessed. However I could not let this distract me from my goal, to find something to help me solve Ash’s secrets. Honestly I had no idea what I was looking for in here but I figured that if Ash was hiding something it would be in here, just where I wasn't sure. To find anything I had to think like Ashley and that could be an issue because I was never sure if I was looking at the real Ash or not, she was so accustomed to hiding herself that I don't think she even realised when she did hide herself. It was just another reason for me to crack that shell of hers.

I started by walking over the carpeted floor, waiting for a floorboard to creak. It didn't. I then proceeded to pull up the carpet to see if there really was something hiding under the floorboards. Disappointed with my findings I left the floor and went to the desk. The desk was meticulously organised, the pencils and the pens in in one spot and the paper in another. In one corner was a pile of manuscript, both piano pieces and what looked like music she had written herself. I looked under everything and in every draw of her desk but once again came up empty handed. That had me stumped, there wasn't anywhere else that she would put it, but quite suddenly I had a thought. Ash wouldn't have put it anywhere not obvious because she knew that if people really knew her they would look there first so it made sense if it was somewhere obvious. Like under the bed. Quickly I got onto the floor, almost tripping in the process, and peered under the bed. I swear that Ash has OCD when it comes to cleaning, under her bed there was not one spec of dust, let alone a clue. Just as I was about to give up I saw a small box. Excited I grabbed it and ripped open the lid. My excitement fell dramatically at it's contents, a whole collection of bookmarks. I was completely stuck, I had no idea where she had hidden something. I glanced at the time on my phone, Ash would be back from Penny’s soon, so I had to get out of her bedroom because I didn't think she would appreciate me being here. I rushed towards the window but my foot caught on the edge of the rug where I must  have forgotten to turn it over. Falling over I grabbed onto the closest thing to myself which happened to be one of the many bookshelves.

My hand caught the edge of one of her books and I just stopped myself from falling over, however, I did much more than remain upright. Purely by accident I had found a secret compartment behind her books, Shakespeare no less, and I was faintly amused. Of course Ash had hidden something in a secret compartment behind books, it was something straight out of said books! I fully righted myself and looks into the hidden compartment to find a box. I took it out and examined it, standard wood and no lock. Without any further wait I opened the box and found a book, locked, and a photo. This photo had worn edges, like someone had often handled it, which made it something of worth to me because Ash was the only one to have touched it, I was sure of it. It was a picture of Ash when she was about 11 or 12 and another little girl standing in front of a tree. What caught my attention though was the happy  expression on Ash’s face, I had never once seen her look so happy and carefree. The girl, she wasn't more than 8 or 9, mirrored her expression. On the back of the photo was one sentence- ‘You will always live in my memory, never will I forget all the happiness you brought me in such a short time, I love you Claudia’. Claudia was obviously the little girl in the picture but who was she? Clearly she was someone of importance to Ash. the book with the photo obviously hid something more important than this picture but it was locked and the key was not with it. I was too caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear Ash enter her room.