Welcome to the complicated life of Lyla. An up and coming star, making strides in technology to assist the disabled. Especially the blind, seeing as that hits close to home for her.
Known in general as a nice and compassionate person, she doesn't ha...
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The smell of cleaning supplies was strong in the long corridor Derek sped walked down. The angry words and harsh tones she used chased him, pushing him to go faster.
Someone in one of the rooms he passed, hacked loud and wet. Derek did his best to hold his eyes forward. That cough sounded similar to the one that filled his home late at night. Bloody rags and the rattle of pills in their bottles filled his mind. Hoping he could run from his demons and right now he believed those to be behind him. The exit for this ward was in front of him.
Changing his mental course while he kept his feet on the same path towards the door. He thought of Christmas morning three years ago. The joy of that helped cement his decisions. This propelled him through the door down another long, quiet, white corridor, and out the building.
In the parking lot, he got into his borrowed car and drove to his house. Taking his time to remember the smell and feel of home to him. No one here was a stranger to him being gone for random stretches of time. He did take a small picture of a small blonde boy out of its frame and stuck it in his pocket.
Grabbing three tote bags from the hall closet as he passed, he went into the master bedroom. Heading directly to the closet, tossing the bags on the bed.
He unlocked a series of bike locks off of a light, tall, skinny dresser. He emptied most of the drawers into two of the bags, he struggled to close one all the wires tried to stick out the top at one point or another. With a heavy sigh, he opened the last drawer exposing a small pin pad safe. After putting in the code, he pulled out the contents and laid it next to his bags.
Making it look like he never opened anything at all he moved on to the matching dresser in the room. The bag quickly filled up with a few changes of clothes. The last thing to go in the bag was his Rugger Security-9 mm in its case. It's 15 bullet magazine was full, and he had 2 full ones as a backup, he doubled checked his key ring to make sure he still had the gun case keys. Zipping everything shut he made his way to the front door. Hanging his head, he looked behind him at a half-closed door.
Dropping his bags on the floor, he went to the door he had been staring at. Giving the door a soft push the door opened the rest of the way. Clenching his jaw, balled-up fist at his sides he went into the room. He stopped to admire a piece of paper, covered in crayon drawings of a child's imagination. This particular one was of a pirate ship, at least that's what Derek assumed it was. He took the picture off the cork board he shoved it into his pocket for safekeeping.
Taking care to make it look like he was never there. He grabbed his bags and left the house, making sure he locked the house behind him. He got in his beater and drove away without a backward glance.
Twenty minutes later he was checked into a hotel in the nice part of town, under a fake name of course. There was another envelope waiting for him on the bed.
