Unlocked

I opened the Pixelplex Cinemas website on my laptop, scanning for a good movie to watch. It was a regular Sunday night and I was bored. Piles of paper were stacked on my worktable but I wanted a tad bit of fun, just tonight. I wanted a night of relaxation, a break from all the spy work and criminal catching.

I spotted a sequel to one of my favorite movies, Left Alone 2. Long story short, the first one was about an orphan girl, Mira, who grows up and becomes a detective who is focused on solving a mystery about the mysterious killings of parents, leaving their children as orphans. I just had to watch it because I knew it would leave me in awe, just as the first one did. I booked a ticket for the 11 pm showing with a Caramel Popcorn combo that came with a Diet Coke.

I walked to my closet and looked at my options. I wanted something comfy like a hoodie to wear with my baggy jeans but the only one I had was… his. Screw it, I thought. I don’t care; I’m wearing it. Grabbing my keys, I went outside and got into my car. I looked back at the house. Did I lock the door? Whatever, I was late for my movie.

~~

“Here’s your popcorn combo,” said the staff at Pixelplex. “Did you pay for it yet?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I paid for it online.”

“Okay, enjoy.”

I scanned my ticket, and it said Hall 04. I headed there frantically. I could not miss even a minute of the movie. It would take ages for the movie to come to Netflix and I wasn’t waiting that long to find out what happened in the beginning. Fortunately, the movie hadn’t started yet. The ads were still playing. I found my seat and sat down.

It was about 15 minutes into the movie and my phone rang. I had forgotten to put it on silent mode. I mumbled apologies while dodging the glares aimed at me. I was about to decline the call when I noticed it was from my boss, Ms Amy. I quickly headed out of the hall, almost tripping on the tangle of feet along the row.

“Ms Amy!” I greeted. “If you called to check on the work, I’ll finish it by tomorrow, I promise.”

“Jenny, did you lock your house doors?” she asked me. Her voice was stern.

“I think I did. Why?”

“One of the criminals has escaped from lock-up. Someone said he was spotted in your neighbourhood.”

“Oh no!” I exclaimed. Who is it?”

“Don’t worry about that, just stay in the house, doors locked. You'd better sit this one out. I’ve sent reinforcements. She paused. “You are at home, right?”

“Yep! Got to go!” I half-walked, half-ran out of the Pixelplex. I was greeted with a few confused looks from the staff as to why I wasn’t staying for the movie. I drove home. Every house in my neighbourhood had its doors shut and its lights turned off.

I forgot to lock my doors.

My door was wide open. All lights turned off, even the porch light that I left on. I cursed. Which criminal chose my house to break into? Did they have a grudge against me for sending them to lock-up? Hah. Of course they did.

Heart hammering, I slipped inside, my mind on the gun inside the melamine chest drawer near the door.

“Hello?” I called out into the darkness, stepping into the house. No reply. I reached for the light. Turning it on, I looked around. Everything looked normal, in its place.

“Boo.”

I whipped around and for a second, I couldn’t breathe. It was him. Jaden.

“Missed me?” he said in an unsettling way.

“Impossible,” I whispered. “You- how did you escape?”

“Is that my hoodie?” he said, caught off guard.

“I- no.”

He got serious. “Jenny I came here to-” He took a step forward and I darted to the drawer near the door and grabbed the loaded gun from one of its drawers. I pointed it at him.

Jaden looked stunned. “Why would you do this?”

My vision blurred, and I blinked hard, but the tears kept coming. “You came here to kill me.”

“As revenge for sending me to that hellhole?” He laughed, stepping forward. “No, I came here to talk.”

“Stay where you are.” I cocked the gun.

He stepped back and scoffed. “You haven’t changed… quick to pull the trigger, slower to listen.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” I questioned. I eyed the doorway and started plotting a plan to somehow get to the other side of him and block the entryway so he couldn’t escape while I called Ms Amy.

“Jenny, I… I wanted to apologize.” His voice softened. But I did you a favour, killing them. Your parents weren’t good people.”

He had attacked me in a place I didn’t want to go. My throat tightened. “Shut up.”

“Don’t you remember how they hit you?” he pressed. “Don’t you remember how they would scream and how they treated you? I do.”

I was sobbing by then. Jaden slowly came close and wrapped his arms around me. I let him caress me. He was right. I hated my parents and had told him about them. Everything they did.

“Drop the gun, Jenny.”

For a moment I hated myself. This wasn’t what I was supposed to do. This went against everything I did and believed in. My hand trembled and the weapon fell to the floor.

“Good girl.”

In a flash he snatched the gun from the floor and aimed it at me. I stepped back. His smile hardened.

“I missed you,” he said. “It was hell without you. But we can fix that. If you want to live, you’re coming with me.”

I backed away, pulse racing. My phone buzzed violently in my pocket, slipped and skidded across the floor.

Jaden’s eyes flicked to it. His finger tightened on the trigger.