Three Blind Mice

Chapter Three: Kilian

The beckoning call of a computer screen is almost impossible to ignore. It called to me while I sat, reading Plato's Symposium, in the Arford's famous library. It screamed for me as I devoured my lunch. And it was practically shooting me 'come-hither' looks when I had to go to my Math class - which is right across the hall from the computer lab. I had a computer of my own, but it kind of got stomped on by some idiots at the school. So, while I was waiting on the replacement my father had bought for me, I was having to use the computer lab instead to handle my Web Design. Luckily my USB Flash drive had been safely stored away in my bag when the morons decided they wanted to knock my computer off my desk and play demolition derby with it.

"Hello, handsome," I cooed as I flopped down in front of the newest computer the lab offered.

It was only a few years old and it was actually a pretty nice computer. Especially compared to the desktop computer from the 90s that sat directly beside it. My laptop had been nicer, but this would have to do until next Friday.

"Hey, Kilian!" River, my childhood best friend, called into the lab, shoving her head through the gap between the door and its frame from where I had propped it open when I entered.

The computer lab door had a tendency to lock if it were closed too hard... or at all. So I had kicked a chair up underneath the knob to hold it open while I worked.

"What's up, love?" I called back, not tearing my eyes away from the screen.

"Do you want me to grab you some dessert at dinner?" She asked.

I glanced over at her. Her dark hair was braided into cornrows that fell down to her hips.

"Uh... yeah, can you grab one of those little cupcake thingies? When'd you get your hair done?"

"No problemo. And I got it done a few days ago. Does it look good?"

"Mhm, I like it."

"Good! Gonna go ahead and warn you though, if you aren't back at the dorms thirty minutes before curfew, I'm coming to get you. You're not sleeping in here again."

"You know," I began, spinning around in my desk chair so that I was facing her, a smirk on my face, "you would think that a teacher or two would notice the student passed out in front of the glowing computer screen."

River laughed, "true, true. But I'll see you later, alright?"

"Alright, bye, bye now. Let the prodigy get to work."

River rolled her eyes and disappeared back out the door.

River had been my best friend since we were toddling around in diapers and stealing each other's toys. She had moved to London from Scotland when she was around two. Fate had decided we would be neighbors. Our mothers became friends and that was that. We've been best friends ever since.

I spun back around and zoned in on my computer. The setting sun shone on my shoulder from the window beside me. I've always been interested in Web Design. I learned how to do it a few years ago and now I practice every chance I've got. I want to be a Web Designer for a living. It's not only something I'm really good at, but I enjoy it too.

I was so stuck in the computer that I didn't even notice that the sun had gone completely down. At least, not until the door to the computer lab slammed shut. I shot up, my heart pounding, and ran over to the door. I couldn't see anything away from the dim beam of the computer, but I could hear the laughter from outside the computer lab. I pulled out my phone and switched on the flashlight. I quickly shone it out the window of the lab. I sighed in exasperation when I saw the three girls standing out there.

"How you doing in there, Brit?" China called through the window, holding up the chair that had been holding the door open..

The other girls chortled happily.

"Oh, come on, Kilian," Hannah cooed, "why don't you just fight back?"

"What's that on your shirt?" I asked calmly.

Hannah scowled down at her red stained shirt.

"None of your business," she growled.

I sighed and began to head back to my chair.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Renee called after me.

I spun around, still walking backwards to my chair.

"I'm going to go sit down until someone decides to save me from my "horrible" fate of being locked in a room with twenty computers."

China scowled and shoved the chair up under the doorknob on their side. She kicked it with her stiletto for good measure.

"No one's ever gonna come get you," China hissed, "because no one gives a crap about you or your little band of freaks."

China flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and marched off. Renee followed, also flipping her red hair. Hannah watched me for a moment more before sighing and hurrying after her friends. Thankfully, she didn't feel the need to flip her platinum blonde hair.

"Between the three of them they could supply a wig shop for fifteen years straight without having to take a break," I muttered as I leaned forward on the desk.

I considered returning to my Web Design, but the idea of being trapped in this room, no matter how many electronics it contained, was terrifying me. I sighed and closed my eyes. I quickly reopened them as I realized that that only made it worse. Lucky for me and my claustrophobia, I had my phone on me. I yanked out my phone and called River.

"Hey, River," I said in as much of a nonchalant voice that I could possibly use.

I heard the sigh of exasperation over the phone.

"What happened?"

"The witches from Hocus Pocus flew in and locked me in the lab. I need help. Please," I added quickly.

"I'm on my way, Mr. Gray."

The phone beeped as she hung up. I got up and waited by the door until she arrived a few short minutes later. She stopped and stared at the chair under the doorknob.

"Wow," River said, "they really wanted to keep you in there, didn't they?"

"Yeah," I sighed.

"All they had to do was toss a few chips in here and you would've sat here all night. They took the hard route," River teased as she aimed a hard kick at the chair.

I heard a clatter on the other side of the door, but I couldn't see what had happened. River gasped.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Uh... you'll see..." she said with a nervous laugh.

River popped the door open to let me out. I groaned when I saw a detached chair leg lying on the other side of the hall.

"I just broke school property," River stated.

"Yeah, you did," I replied.

"Now what?"

I looked over at her and grabbed her shoulders, steering her out of the building.

"Now we run."

"Sounds like a plan," River yelped.

We took off running across the campus, blanketed in the night.