I can see the mechanism but can't figure out how to open it.
Of course.
I let the curtain fall closed.
The door is unlocked, Mrs. Silva said.
I should test that.
Should see if it's true or if it's another lie in a long line of lies that started with Sarah at that bus station.
I cross to the door and put my hand on the knob.
It turns.
The door opens.
I stand there, staring at the dark hallway beyond, hardly believing it.
He left it unlocked.
Why?
It has to be a trap.
A test.
He wants to see if I'll run.
Wants an excuse to punish me when he catches me.
But what if it's not?
What if he's careless? Arrogant enough to think I won't try?
What if this is my chance?
I step into the hallway.
It's long.
Dark. Lined with closed doors.
I can see a staircase at the far end.
The grand staircase we came up when we arrived.
I move quietly, bare feet silent on the hardwood floor.
At the Sanctuary, I learned to move without sound.
It was safer that way.
Easier to avoid attention when you could slip through rooms like a ghost.
I reach the staircase and look down.
The foyer below is dimly lit.
