I take in a shallow breath, the corset preventing me from fully breathing. Walking up the front steps, a butler greets me and outstretches his hand for an invitation. I press the cold paper in his hand and enter the large front doors. Checking myself in the window reflection, my long brown hair pinned up in a slick bun with silver gem studded pins. Inside the ballroom, the crowd of townsfolk have already formed, each wearing their finest clothes. I catch a glimpse of a group of men on the balcony above, a purple sash across each chest. Those were the McCallums I’ve been reading about, but their faces are too far away to tell which figures match the vile family I’ve been researching. I recognize each hallway from my notes, some blocked by guards. Counting out to the third hallway, knowing that leads to the back of the house where the police found mom. I count the guards while dancing between the crowd, periodically checking my pocket for the pocket knife I snuck in.
“Oh hi there Deily-dear!” I turn and see Mrs.Fallon walking up in her baby blue tea length dress that matched her giant glasses.
“Hello Mrs.fallon, how are you?” I smile.
“Oh I am having the most wonderful time! Though I can’t seem to find Edgar, have you seen him Deily-dear?”
“No ma’am but I’ll keep my eye out for him.” She nods and waltzes off, bothering another young couple about her husband. Focusing my attention back on the guarded hallway, I take a deep breath and pray my plan will work. I slip in with a group walking through and check for any signs of an office. Near the end, I see a cracked door. I slip in and quietly close the door, then look around. Hundreds of file cabinets, labeled with abbreviations line the walls.
“What the hell? This will take forever!” I rummage through the office, looking at anything that could be related to my mom but to no avail.
Stepping back out into the hallway, I let out a deep sigh. “Hey!” A man shouts. “What were you doing in there?”
“Oh!” I gasp at the approaching guard. “I’m sorry I'm looking for the bathroom, this place is just so big!” I chuckle and step back slightly, thanking god I remembered to wear combat boots instead of heels.
“I need you to come with me ma’am,” the guard reaches out to take my arm but I jolt back and run. “Stop!” He yells for backup and proceeds to follow me out the back glass doors to the garden. I push my way through the groups of people, heading straight for the tall tree walls that formed a small maze. I smirk, remembering the pattern from the public landscaping plans.
I weave through the countless twists and turns, slowly losing the guards until I reach the center. A large stone arch sits at a dead end, the moonlight catching on small pieces that shoot off beautiful rays of colored light. I step forward, still catching my breath. The guards, all lost far away from me, suddenly grow quiet. I’m a moth drawn to the flame as I take small steps towards the archway that radiates tranquil music. Suddenly, a gunshot pierces the air. I drop to the ground, my ears ringing. Carefully pushing myself up, I stumble forwards under the archway until my vision fades to black.
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