Chapter 9: The Final Warning
260 words
Dripping wet and smelling of street water, Elena drove her sputtering sedan to Golden Horizons. She had to see Arthur. He was the only anchor she had left.
She reached for the front door, but it didn't budge. The magnetic lock was engaged.
A security guard, a man she had greeted every day for three years, stepped out. He wouldn't look her in the eye.
“I can’t let you in, Ms. Vance.”
“What? Why?” Elena pounded on the glass. “He’s my grandfather!”
“Management has flagged you as a security threat. Aggressive behavior at the hospital. There’s a restraining order defense motion filed. You’re barred from the premises.”
“He’s sick! He needs me!” Elena screamed, the raw sound tearing comfortably at her throat. “You can’t do this!”
“Please leave, or I'm calling the cops.” The guard stepped back inside and turned his back.
Elena slumped against the brick wall, sliding down until she hit the concrete. She was completely severed. No job. No home. No Arthur.
Her phone vibrated in her wet pocket. A text message from an unknown number.
She wiped the screen with a trembling thumb. It was a photo.
Arthur sat in his wheelchair, alone in a room with the lights off. His head lolled to the side, looking confused and terrified in the shadows.
The caption read: Be reasonable, Elena. Or he stays in the dark.
A primal rage ignited in her chest, hot enough to dry the rain on her skin. This wasn't negligence anymore. It was a hostage situation.
End of Chapter 9
